Eileen Gu, an American born citizen, has been making a controversial name for herself competing for China, the birthplace of her mother, in the 2026 Winter Olympics. By Martin Rulsch, Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A record-breaking freestyle skier has recently come under fire for choosing once more to represent China during the 2026 Winter Olympics over her home country, the United States of America. The athlete, Eileen Gu, has received criticism not just from the general public online, but also from prominent political figures.

“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America… would hope they want to compete with the United States of America. So, I’m going to root for American athletes. I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans,” Vice President JD Vance told Fox News.

Most of the controversy stems from the fact that Gu’s citizenship status is unknown. Per the rules of the International Olympic Committee, an athlete is only allowed to represent a nation if they currently have citizenship. However, China does not offer dual citizenship, so Gu would have had to either revoke her United States citizenship or have made a deal with the Chinese government that would allow her to be eligible to compete.

Another criticism of Gu stems from China’s politics, with some suggesting that by choosing to represent the country, Gu is actively condoning their government. However, Gu has never stated that she agrees with any of the country’s policies. There are also plenty of athletes who represent their countries even though they don’t agree with the current political landscape. A fellow freestyle skier who is competing for team USA, Hunter Hess, along with figure skater Amber Glenn, among others, discussed their rights to represent the United States without supporting everything happening within the country.

“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Hess told reporters at a news conference prior to the games beginning.

China is not only a communist country, but it is notorious for its unequal treatment of women, with the country even experiencing a shortage of young women as a result of the nation’s former one-child and two-child policies, which saw widespread abandonment and infanticide of female babies. However, Gu’s 2019 decision to compete for China eventually led to positive changes and empowerment.

Gu’s first gold in the 2022 games led to a boom of those interested in winter sports, according to Al Jazeera. Additionally, Chinese female athletes, such as Gu, are leading in more representation as her first Olympics in 2022 saw 45.2% of Chinese female athletes, which was the record at the time.

For critics who argue Gu sold out to China due to lucrative endorsements, it is no secret that many athletes strive to make a living off of their sport. Although it is not public knowledge if or how much Gu is receiving from the Chinese government, it is a well known fact that many of the U.S. Olympic athletes do not walk away millionaires after the Games. In fact, NPR states that getting to and competing in the Games takes a lot of financial sacrifice. Walking away as the highest paid athlete of the 2026 Winter Olympics, earning an estimated $23 million over the past year according to Forbes, it is clear Gu made strong financial decisions to secure her future both on and off the slopes.

Regardless of the country she represents, Gu has been able to inspire millions through competing.

“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” read Gu’s Instagram post from 2019, the year she officially decided to compete under the Chinese flag.