The Controversy Surrounding Eileen Gu

By Elizabeth Chen

The 2026 Winter Olympics were filled with many records, memories, and most notably, controversies. And Eileen Gu is no exception.

Born and raised in San Francisco by a single mother, Gu quickly showed herself to be a once-in-a-generation talent at skiing, rising to the international stage. In 2022, she became the youngest skier to win at the Olympics in freeskiing and also the first to win three medals at a single game. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, she became the most decorated freeskier after medalling an additional three times. She is currently the most decorated freeskier, having won six Olympic medals and 20 World Cups. Outside of skiing, she is a student studying quantum physics at Stanford after earning a 1580 on her SATs, and is an international model. 

However, her fame extends beyond her skill. In 2019, Eileen Gu made the decision to compete for China instead of the United States, after being recruited as a part of the Chinese naturalization project. The project aimed to boost competitiveness by recruiting foreign-born athletes, especially those of Chinese descent. Gu claimed that her move was not motivated by monetary gain – rather, she wanted to spread the sport around the world and wanted to serve as a model for young Chinese girls.

This move caused a large controversy – soon, she found herself physically assaulted on campus after a petition failed to keep her out of Stanford, as her dorm was also robbed. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom called her a “traitor” for choosing to represent her mother’s birth nation instead of the US. Especially with such a large salary, Gu has been criticized for switching nations just for the monetary gain.

The controversy behind Eileen Gu’s decision continues despite her success, even bringing in comparisons with other athletes such as Alysa Liu, who had also been approached by China to compete for their flag. However, Gu’s choice to represent the Chinese flag is not unique – Zoe Atkin represents Great Britain in freestyle skiing despite being born in the US as well. Yet there is such a huge difference regarding media coverage surrounding Gu compared to Atkins. 

Eileen Gu will continue to be extremely prevalent in skiing – but the question must be asked: Why is Gu treated so differently from other USA-born athletes who chose to represent a different country? Does it have anything to do with her country of choice? The suspected reasoning behind her decision? And most importantly, will this controversy ever go away?