Legendary U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe has taken a clear side in the ongoing debate about Eileen Gu.
Gu, 22, was born in the United States, but chose to represent China at the Winter Olympics. She's earned six Winter Olympics medals in two games. She won two silver medals and one gold medal at the 2026 games in Italy. Gu was widely praised for her response to a question about her silver medals.
“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.”
NWSL/YouTube.
But Gu has sparked a lot of debate with her decision to represent China over the United States. One former NBA player accused her of being a "traitor."
“I’m just going to say it. She’s a traitor,” Enes Kanter Freedom told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday. “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.”
Rapinoe, though, has clapped back at the criticism.
The U.S. soccer legend is praising Gu
“Excellent business decision on her part, I just have to say it,” Rapinoe said on her podcast with co-host and spouse Sue Bird. “No shame in that game.”
Rapinoe and Bird also praised Gu for her response to reporters.
"That might be the best answer I’ve ever heard to a question like that,” Bird said. “Perfect response.
Gu, meanwhile, doesn't want to comment on any political controversies.
“I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media,” Gu answered.
“I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general. … So, it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, well, this must be the truth.’ I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary source people who are in a location and have experienced life there.
“Then I need to go see images. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books on how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search. It’s irresponsible to ask me to be the mouthpiece for any agenda.”
Rapinoe and Bird have not discussed that aspect of the debate, though.