Winter Olympics: top times Eileen Gu has owned her critics, but is Olympic gold the ultimate clapback?

The 18-year-old ‘living her best life’ who told TikTok user to ‘cry about it’ when he questioned her choices

The Beijing Games have boosted Gu’s profile, but not everyone likes the teen who picked China over the US

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Is Eileen Gu’s Olympic gold the ultimate clap back against her critics. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:00pm, 11 Feb 2022Updated: 5:20pm, 18 Apr 2022

Showered with internet-breaking love in China, gold medallist Eileen Gu has been met with an onslaught of criticism from the other side of the world for her decision to represent China and not the United States, where she was born and raised.

When she took home gold on Tuesday in the freeski big air competition, her already-exploding Weibo presence crashed the platform temporarily as fans flooded it with celebratory messages.

At the opposite end, the 18-year-old has been bombarded with questions unrelated to her sporting prowess, as visiting reporters asked her about her nationality and even her thoughts on tennis player Peng Shuai.

A commentary by online SLATE magazine which called Gu a “jerk” was one of many that sparked anger among her Chinese fans, but Gu herself is seemingly unfazed by the criticism.

Living her best life

When a reporter asked Gu after her triumph, how hard it was to “keep [both countries] happy” as a Chinese athlete with an American background, she said simply: “Here’s the thing – I’m not trying to keep anyone happy – I’m an 18-year-old girl out here living my best life.”

Having coached children at a summer camp in China last year, she said: “I’m using my voice to create as much positive change as I can for the voices who will listen to me in an area that is personal and relevant to myself.

“If other people don’t really believe that’s where I’m coming from, that just reflects that they do not have the empathy to empathise with a good heart, perhaps because they don’t share [my] morals,” she added.

Defending ‘really amazing’ Zhu Yi

Figure skater Zhu Yi was met with criticism for two disappointing performances, before Weibo removed posts and comments containing content that violates guidelines. Like her senior Jin Boyang, Gu jumped to Zhu’s deference.