American-born Team China skier Eileen Gu responded to the global criticism she has received during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Her decision to compete for China despite being born in the US has made her a target for Americans and others across the world, with Vice President JD Vance chiming in by saying he hopes athletes born here would “want to compete with the United States of America.”
“I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet,” Gu said of Vance’s comments, per USA Today.
Gu was asked if she currently feels “like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics” after her competition on Thursday.
“I do,” she said, per USA Today. “So many athletes compete for a different country. … People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.
“And also, because I win. Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
Gu has previously said she was “physically assaulted” for her decision to represent China.
“The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed,” Gu told The Athletic. “I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”
Gu will compete in the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final on Thursday after winning silvers in her first two events.
It will be the climax of an Olympics defined by immense global criticism for Gu.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, a fellow American-born figure skater who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.”
In all, the two were reportedly paid nearly $14 million over the past three years.
Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in a Tuesday interview on Fox News’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said on “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
“So, I’m going to root for American athletes, I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rooting for in this Olympics.”