Eileen Gu appears to be officially done staying silent.
The 22-year-old Chinese Olympian, who was born in the United States, has faced a lot of blowback for her decision. Some, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, have accused her of being a "traitor."
Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom has accused her of being a traitor, too.
“I’m just going to say it, she’s a traitor,” Freedom said. “She was born in America. She was raised in America, lives in America, and chooses to compete against her own country for, literally, the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China. She built her fame in a free country, and then chooses to represent an authoritarian regime.”
But Gu is done staying silent. She previously admitted it was a hard decision to make.
“I have decided to compete for China in the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics,” Gu said. “This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make. I am extremely thankful for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Chinese Ski Association for having the vision and belief in me to make my dreams come true. I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love. Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”
© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
While Gu has, for the most part, stayed silent amid the criticism, she's deciding to speak out in a big way now.
Gu clapped back at a reporter, who suggested her two silver medals this Winter Olympics were "gold medals lost," in a big way.
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history, I think that’s answer in and of itself,” she replied.
“How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right? And so the ‘two medals lost’ situation to be quite frank with you I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing, I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before, and so I think that is more than good enough. But thank you.”
Gu is also opening up about the hate she's received
Gu, in an interview with The Athletic, revealed that she was "physically assaulted" at Stanford after going with China over the U.S.
She had enrolled at Stanford in 2022.
“I’ve had death threats,” she added. “I’ve had my dorm robbed. I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”
Ultimately, Gu had one main reason for going with China over the U.S.
“In the U.S. growing up, I had so many idols to look up to,” she told The Athletic. “But in China, I feel like there are a lot fewer of those. I’d have a much greater impact in China than in the U.S., and that’s ultimately why I made my decision.”
Gu has continued to face scrutiny for her decisions, but she's standing by them.