Top News

Eileen Gu may not command the same recognition as tennis heavyweights Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, but the freestyle skier sits comfortably alongside them on the women's sporting rich list.

While the San Francisco-born athlete trails considerably behind the tennis trio when it comes to competition winnings, an impressive portfolio of sponsorship arrangements propelled her to an eye-watering fourth place amongst 2025's highest-earning female sports stars.

According to Forbes, Gu pocketed a staggering £16.9million of her estimated £17m total earnings last year through ventures beyond the world's halfpipes, slopestyles and big airs. Only Gauff surpassed her when measuring off-court revenue alone.

• Winter Olympics food and drinks prices revealed as supporters left in shock

• How the BBC and TNT Sports presenting team line-ups compare for Winter Olympics

Gu's profile exploded aged just 18, after securing two gold medals plus a silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. In the years since, she's landed profitable brand partnerships and endorsement contracts with firms spanning both the United States and China, alongside modelling work with prestigious names including IMG, Louis Vuitton and Victoria's Secret.

Her social media presence - boasting over seven million followers on Weibo and another two million on Instagram - has unlocked even more commercial possibilities.

With enduring partnerships alongside major brands such as Porsche, Red Bull, Anta Sports and TCL Electronics, it's easy to understand where the bulk of Gu's income originates, particularly given the modest prize money available in freestyle skiing.

To put this in perspective, Gu pocketed roughly £32,000 for claiming victory in her opening two competitions of the 2025/26 FIS season. In addition, following her triumph at December's Snow League competition in China, she collected approximately £40,400, which included a £3.6k appearance payment.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page

It comes as Gu prepares to defend her big air and halfpipe titles at the Milano Cortina games. Despite being born in the United States, the 22-year-old chose to represent China competitively in 2019, qualifying through her mother's Chinese heritage.

Revealing her choice via tweet, Gu explained at the time: "I have decided to compete for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

"The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mum was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help promote the sport I love."

Discussing her approach ahead of the new year, Gu said: "I've been training so much, I've been working so hard, and every single time I stay the extra hour, do the extra run, it's proof to myself, it's evidence to myself that I'm a winner and I deserve to win.

"I train like I've never won, and I compete like I've never lost."

Beyond her Olympic achievements, Gu heads into the 2026 Winter Games boasting an impressive haul of two golds and a bronze from the World Championships, three gold medals and a bronze from the Winter X Games, plus two golds and a silver at Winter Olympic youth level.