Claire Lai’s Plea to Olympic Champion Irene Gu

Claire Lai, daughter of Hong Kong media figure and political prisoner Jimmy Lai, wrote a letter over the weekend to Chinese Olympic champion Irene Gu, urging her to take legal action against the Communist Party for her father’s freedom.

In her letter, published in a media outlet, Claire said, “As an influential member of the Chinese Olympic team, I believe you have the power to inspire humanitarian action from the Chinese government.” She appealed to Gu’s ambition to be a “force for good.”

Irene Gu, also known as “Gu Ailing” in Chinese media, is a celebrated freestyle skier with multiple Olympic medals to her name, including three from the recent 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Despite being born and raised in the United States and attending Stanford University, she chose to represent the Communist Party of China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This event has faced widespread condemnation due to China’s ongoing human rights abuses against the Uyghur population and other ethnic groups in East Turkestan. Gu has been criticized for avoiding discussions on these issues, previously stating that speaking on Uyghur genocide was not part of her “job.”

While Gu publicly supports the Communist Party, which recently sentenced 78-year-old Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, Claire believes that Gu’s achievements in skiing might be powerful enough to make a difference for her father.

“You’ve often shared how your upbringing in America gave you a sense of purpose, motivating you to use your platform positively,” Claire wrote. She noted that Gu claimed to embody the best values she learned in the U.S. during the Olympics.

Claire also indicated that her father shared those same values and is currently imprisoned, facing serious health issues.

“I ask you to bring attention to my father’s situation and advocate for this elderly man, who merely expressed gratitude for freedom, to spend his remaining days in peace,” she concluded her letter, expressing appreciation for Gu’s consideration.

Jimmy Lai, once a wealthy figure in Hong Kong, was the founder of Next Media, known for publishing the anti-communist newspaper Apple Daily. Throughout his life, he sought to escape poverty under communist rule. A devoted Catholic, he often spoke about his faith and its role in his political activism. In 2019, amid ongoing anti-communist protests in Hong Kong, Lai participated actively, opposing the Chinese government’s infringement on the “one country, two systems” principle, which was effectively dismantled in 2020.

Lai once remarked, “The Chinese government’s intent is clear to take away our freedoms, and we know we will lose everything if we don’t fight.” He emphasized that the loss of freedom equates to losing “everything,” underscoring his belief in the human spirit.

After being arrested for joining protests, Lai asserted that he would not flee Hong Kong to escape imprisonment, saying that leaving would mean abandoning his beliefs. He faced charges under the “national security” law established by the Chinese government in May 2020, which has been widely criticized and considered a violation of the autonomy Hong Kong was supposed to have. The law outlines several prohibited actions, and in December of the previous year, Lai was found guilty of charges related to protests and was sentenced recently to 20 years in prison.

The Chinese Communist Party has defended Lai’s lengthy sentence, labeling him the “mastermind” behind anti-communist protests while ignoring his dual British citizenship and dismissing international concerns regarding his imprisonment.

Irene Gu has not maintained a strong stance on human rights issues. When questioned about the genocide against the Uyghurs, she stated that she wasn’t an expert and downplayed the need to make strong statements without thorough evidence.

A recent report indicated that the Chinese government compensated Gu and another American athlete, Zhu Yi, with a significant sum for their roles.