Eileen Gu lights up TIME100 Sports Gala with six Olympic medals speech

Eileen Gu, the 2026 TIME100 Sports honoree, lit up the red carpet at the inaugural TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on July 16 with a call for greater visibility for women’s sports.

What happened at the TIME100 Sports Gala?

Gu, the Chinese-American freestyle skier with six Olympic medals, walked the red carpet at the event presented by J.P. Morgan, Toyota, Target, The Macallan, and the American Heart Association. She told reporters she felt honored to stand among great athletes, coaches, advocates, and investors recognized at the gala.

Why it matters for Eileen Gu

Gu spoke about growing up as a woman in a male-dominated sport and the lack of athletes who looked like her. She said she’s grateful to represent freestyle skiing on the world stage and hopes to inspire young girls to try the sport. “I hope it encourages just one young girl at home to give it a shot and feel like this sport belongs to her too,” Gu said.

What the other honorees said

Hilary Knight, the 2026 TIME100 Sports honoree, led the U.S. women’s hockey team to gold at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games in February. She stressed the importance of visibility, pointing to the April match at Madison Square Garden that drew more than 18,000 fans-the highest single-game attendance for a women’s hockey match in a U.S. arena.

Trinity Rodman, the 2026 TIME100 Sports honoree and Washington Spirit soccer star, closed the red carpet. She talked about using her platform to show young fans who she is both on and off the field. The night before, her Spirit team drew more than 40,000 fans to Citi Field, breaking the attendance record for a women’s sporting event in New York City history.