American freestyle skier Eileen Gu said she was “physically assaulted,” robbed and received death threats on her college campus, Stanford University, over her controversial 2019 decision to represent her mother’s native China in the Olympics.
Gu alleged to The Athletic she was attacked on the street at the age of 15 for her decision to leave the United States and not compete for her home country during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“Physically assaulted on the street,” Gu said of the alleged incident while in Livigno last week for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
“The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed.
“I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”
Stanford police referred The Athletic to its department of public safety, which did not return a request for comment, the outlet said.
Gu, who lives in the United States, said she was enrolled at Stanford in 2022, despite a petition to keep her out, started by parents of prospective students and Chinese Americans.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders,” Gu said.
The daughter of an American father and a Chinese mother, Gu defended her Olympic decision in a 2019 Instagram post.
“I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love,” she wrote at the time.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
“Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”
Gu won silver Monday in the women’s Big Air final.
She the only female skier competing in all three freestyle events in the Italian Alps: Slopestyle, Big Air and Halfpipe.
Gu is the most accomplished women’s freeskier ever, having won a record 20 World Cup wins, two Olympic golds and three silvers.
Earlier this month, Forbes reported that Gu is the highest-paid athlete, male or female, at the 2026 Winter Games — earning $23.1 million a year.
Beyond the slopes, Gu, who’s epresented by IMG Models, has modeled for Victoria’s Secret, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton.
