American social media haters melted down over freestyle skier Eileen Gu's success in the Winter Olympics for China, despite being born in the U.S. While she won medals for China, critics argued she owed her success to the United States.
Gu’s wins reignited an old argument about national loyalty. Because she was born and raised in California, many said she should have competed for Team USA. However, others pointed out that Olympic eligibility rules allowed her to make the choice for herself.
Who is Olympian athlete Eileen Gu?
Gu was born and raised in the Bay Area, and she learned to ski as a child. However, she chose in 2019 to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics for China, where her mother was born. She was only 15 at the time she made the decision.
Later, she explained to the Athletic that she wanted to inspire young girls in China to take up skiing. Because she already had many role models growing up in the U.S., she believed her impact would be greater elsewhere. She repeated that reasoning in interviews and a 2019 Instagram post.
By the 2026 Winter Olympics, Gu became the most accomplished women’s freeskier ever, with two silver medals in this year's games. Gu also recently opened up about problems that she has had on-campus at Stanford University with people angry at her decision to compete for China instead of the U.S. She told the Athletic that her choice led to serious consequences, such as someone "physically assaulted [her] on the street" and she had to call the police.
Gu explained, "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."
What has been said about her online
Online reactions ranged from praise to outright hostility. Former NBA player Enes Kanter called Gu a "traitor," according to a viral tweet. @SimonTimothy posted that "China can keep Eileen Gu."
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said, "I think that for someone who grew up in the United States, benefited from our education system, and benefited from the freedoms and rights that make this country great, I would prefer them to represent the United States in the competition."
Still, others mocked the outrage itself. @LindyTasteful joked, "Eileen Gu can wear the Chinese flag. But you can't get rid of the American coastal elite woman's vocal tendencies."
"You got to give lots of credit to Eileen Gu for responding brilliantly back to the reporter with great confidence," @alvinfoo tweeted. "She looked him in the eye said that was a 'ridiculous perspective' without any hesitation or fear. 😁"
Actor Simu Liu chimed in to say he was “so freaking proud” of her, calling her "inspirational, resilient, intelligent, and well spoken in two languages."
On Reddit, where the news of her assault and death threats was reposted, people shared their views, calling the athlete "polarizing."
u/Stinkycheese8001 wrote, "Eileen Gu is polarizing to begin with, and college campuses aren’t exactly always nice to high-profile women—they are simply too accessible."
u/No_Cheesecake3170 also shared, "I feel like this is an extension of something I've noticed as a Chinese immigrant living in North America for most of my life. China is only cool when it suits the West, like with all the 'you've found me at a very Chinese time in my life.'"
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