10 Most Popular Athletes of the 2026 Winter Olympics (5 of 6)

Eileen Gu—Freestyle skiing (2.1M followers)

Eileen Gu became the youngest Olympic freestyle champion at 18 in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Now 22, she’s a strong contender for 2026, serving as a flag bearer for China at the opening ceremony. Having a significant following on Instagram, especially in China, she loves promoting freestyle skiing while also showing her fans some of her modeling shoots. In 2019, she chose to represent China internationally to inspire Chinese women and girls despite her American upbringing.

Lindsey Vonn—Alpine skiing (2.7M followers)

Lindsey Vonn is an American alpine skier who began skiing at age three. Over the course of her career, Vonn has consistently achieved top results in major ski events, making her one of the most well-known athletes in the sport. After a six-year hiatus, she’s made a comeback and is now considered a gold-medal favorite for the 2026 Olympics. On Instagram, where she has 2.7 million followers, she shares training updates, career highlights, and other fun moments, including candid posts without makeup, which her fans love to see.