Lausanne, Switzerland, March 8, 2026: The International Olympic Committee has highlighted the accomplishments of China’s Eileen Gu Ailing to mark International Women’s Day.
Gu, 22, is one of four female athletes identified by the IOC for their remarkable success at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games last month.
The Chinese ace became the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history by winning one gold medal and two silver medals, adding to her two gold and one silver at Beijing 2022.
“Performing in iconic venues, the women of Milano Cortina 2026 not only delivered extraordinary performances, they also showed how sport can open paths that transform lives. Female athletes inspired millions around the world,” the IOC wrote.
The IOC pointed out that the Milano Cortina 2026 Games were the most gender-balanced in Olympic Winter Games history, with women accounting for 47 per cent of all athletes.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: “Milano Cortina 2026 will be remembered for extraordinary achievements by athletes who delivered their best performances in iconic venues.
“This year, more than at any previous Olympic Winter Games, those feats were by women, as we achieved the most gender-balanced Olympic Winter Games in history, with women accounting for 47 per cent of the athletes.”
The article on Gu reads:
Eileen Gu: building trust in herself through sport
Among the standout performers in Italy was China's Eileen Gu, who dazzled across three freestyle skiing disciplines, winning gold in halfpipe and silver in both big air and slopestyle to become the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history.
Despite her success on the Olympic stage, Gu knows how "easy" it can be to doubt yourself, and how sport can provide a powerful antidote.
"You don't tell yourself: I can handle the pressure. You do it time and again. Sports are really honest, because you can't lie to yourself. You know when you showed up early or stayed late and other people weren't there. You know when you gave 100 per cent in training, day in, day out. I can look back on years, a decade, of hard work and pouring my heart and soul into this sport.
"It's trusting myself, but it's building that trust every day. That's a big reason why I encourage more young girls to get into sport, because I think the power it has to build and instill that confidence in people is really special and unique."
