The debate surrounding Eileen Gu's decision to ski for China in the Olympics doesn't show any sign of slowing down.
Gu announced her commitment to the Chinese Ski Association well before the 2022 Winter Games. Although she's proud of her American upbringings, the San Francisco native wanted to "inspire millions of young people where my mom was born." She then went to Beijing and captured Olympic gold medals in the big air and halfpipe events.
Four years later, Gu is still facing backlash for her commitment to China. Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom called her a "traitor" for not representing Team USA at the 2026 Olympics.
“I’m just going to say it, she’s a traitor,” Freedom said on Fox News. “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.”
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.
While the critics continue to get louder, Gu has plenty of people in her corner, including Team USA snowboarder Chloe Kim and NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger.
Eve Jobs, the youngest daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also seems to be more than OK with Gu's decision to represent China.
After Gu secured the most Olympic medals in freeski history, Jobs posted this brief comment on her Instagram post: "unbelievable."
Eileen Gu gets brutally honest.
Earlier this month, Gu revealed in an interview with The Athletic that she was "physically assaulted" on Stanford's campus. This was apparently in response to her joining China's Olympic team.
“I’ve had death threats,” Gu told The Athletic. “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.”
We're certainly hoping all the madness surrounding Gu comes to an end immediately.