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American-born Chinese team skier Eileen Gu has responded to the global criticism she received during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Her decision to compete for China despite being born in the United States has made her a target for Americans and others around the world, with Vice President JD Vance intervening to say he hopes athletes born here “want to compete with the United States of America.”
Gu was asked if she currently felt “like a punching bag for a certain part of American politics” after her contest on Thursday.
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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the awards ceremony of the women’s big air freestyle skiing event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno, Italy, February 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“Yes,” she said, according to USA Today. “So many athletes compete for a different country… People only have a problem with me because they lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really what they think.
“And also, because I’m winning. If I wasn’t doing well, I think they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s fine with me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
Gu has previously said she was “physically attacked” for her decision to represent China.
“The police were called. I received death threats. My dorm was broken into,” Gu told The Athletic. “I experienced some things at 22 that I truly believe no one should ever have to endure.”
EILEEN GU GETS REACTION FOR COMMENTING ON TRUMP STATEMENT WHILE REPRESENTING CHINA
Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos after the awards ceremony of the women’s big air freestyle skiing event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno, Italy, February 16, 2026. (Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Gu will compete in the women’s freestyle skiing half-pipe final on Thursday after winning silver in her first two events.
It will be the culmination of an Olympics defined by immense global criticism of Gu.
THE The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, another American-born figure skater who now competes for China, received a total of $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving to achieve excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In total, the two men reportedly received nearly $14 million over the past three years.
Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in an interview Tuesday on PK Press Club’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
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(left) Chinese team skier Eileen Gu, (right) vice president JD Vance (Getty Images)
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America and who has benefited from our education system, the freedoms that make this country a great place, I would hope that they would want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said on “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
“So I’m going root for American athletesI think part of it comes from people who identify as Americans. This is why I support these Olympic Games.”
