Eileen Gu says ‘people won’t understand or believe’ why she decided to compete for China
Multiple Olympic freestyle skiing medallist says decision allowed her to fulfil her mission of encouraging young girls to take up sports
Freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu said representing China had allowed her to fulfil her mission of popularising winter sport and dismantling gender barriers, but acknowledged it was something “a lot of people won’t understand or believe”.
The 22-year-old, who brought her career total to six medals at last month’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, wrote on social media on Tuesday that her decision had turned her dreams into reality and maximised her global impact, encouraging young girls especially to take up sports.
Born and raised in California, Gu has faced controversy since deciding to compete for the land of her mother’s birth when she was 15. Her continued Olympic success has kept her and her decision in the spotlight.
During the Winter Olympics, US Vice-President J.D. Vance said he preferred to see that those who benefited from growing up and being educated in America represent the US in competition.
“I’m going to root for American athletes, and I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rooting for this Olympics,” he said.
Responding to critics in her post, Gu reflected on the reasons behind her choice, recalling her first public speech at age 11, when she talked about being the only girl on her ski team.