Winter Olympics champion Eileen Gu has hit back at Vice President JD Vance after he criticized her choice to represent China.
Gu, who was born in San Francisco, California, has had a standout 2026 Milano Games. She qualified in the halfpipe and won gold in the finals on February 21.
On February 17, Vance told Fox News that someone who grew up in the US should “want to compete with the United States.” He said he would continue rooting for American athletes and questioned Gu’s affiliation with China.
Gu addressed his comments after the qualifiers. “I do [feel like a punching bag],” she said. “So many athletes compete for a different country. People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China.”
She added that some of the criticism comes because she is winning. “If I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”
In a conversation with USA TODAY, Gu responded directly to Vance, saying, “I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet.” She also defended American freeskier Hunter Hess, who faced criticism for expressing discomfort representing the US under the current administration.
Gu was born to a Chinese immigrant mother, Yan Gu, and an American father. She studied at Stanford University and has continued to navigate political scrutiny while focusing on her skiing career.
Her comments highlight the challenges athletes face when balancing personal choices, international representation, and public criticism, especially amid global political sensitivities.
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