Controversy Surrounding Irene Gu’s Olympic Success

Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason has expressed his disapproval of skier Irene Gu, who was born in the U.S. but competes for China. Gu, who recently earned a medal at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, remains a polarizing figure.

Gu made headlines again when the Wall Street Journal reported that Zhu Yi, a fellow athlete from the U.S. representing China, received $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau to help her prepare for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. In total, the two athletes reportedly received nearly $14 million in payments over the last three years. This revelation disappointed Esiason greatly.

“It seems a bit odd that a communist government is paying someone for what strikes me as capitalist propaganda,” Esiason remarked during a segment on “Boomer and Geo.” He acknowledged Gu’s intelligence, noting her education at Stanford, but critiqued her interviews as somewhat unbearable, although he did mention the nature of individual sports often leads to self-promotion in responses.

During the same broadcast, Esiason and his co-host Greg Gianotti lampooned reporters for their uncritical coverage of Gu’s responses, suggesting they dodge the more challenging questions related to her affiliations and the Chinese government.

As an athlete, Gu has already secured her place in history, recently claiming the gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe at the Winter Olympics with a score of 94.75—just 0.75 points above her previous attempt.

Finishing the Milan-Cortina Games, Gu wrapped up her performance with three medals: gold in the halfpipe and silver in both the big air and slopestyle events. Her total Olympic medal count now stands at six.