Eileen Gu Defends Choice to Represent China in 2026 Winter Olympics

American-born Olympic freestyle skiing gold medalist Eileen Gu has addressed her decision to represent China again at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

Having already secured gold medals at the 2022 Olympics, Gu is part of China’s Olympic team this year and has defended her choice to remain with China. In a recent interview, she expressed a desire to encourage more girls in China to participate in her sport, which is less well-known there. “The United States already has representation. I like building my own pond,” she mentioned, as reported by Time.

Gu has remarked that the substantial financial support she receives from Chinese companies can be “haunting.”

She emphasized that the thought of earning more as a representative for a Chinese company never crossed her mind. “I’m glad there’s enough money in the sport for people to consider it,” she stated.

Gu pointed out her multifaceted identity, saying she’s “important” because she can discuss physics one day and model on a fashion runway the next.

“I’m a full-time student and I’m really athletic,” Gu exclaimed. “You can talk to a physicist and defend your position, and the next day you can walk in a runway show. I think this is pretty revolutionary, especially for young people, because hyphenation often happens at different stages in life. It’s important to show young people that they don’t have to wait until they’re older. They can do it all right now,” she added.

Born in San Francisco in 2003 to a Chinese mother and an American father, Gu enjoyed the advantages of her American upbringing and sports training. Yet, she chose to represent China during her first Olympics in 2022.

There’s a sensitive topic that ski fans have largely avoided discussing—her citizenship. China mandates that Olympic athletes renounce any dual citizenship. However, Gu has not disclosed whether she gave up her American citizenship to compete for China, and officials have remained silent on the issue as well.

Since winning two gold medals for China at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Gu has continued to claim victories, including her 20th World Cup win and her fourth slopestyle triumph at the recent Laax Open in Switzerland.

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are set to kick off on February 6th.