Youngest Olympic Freestyle Skiing Champion Eileen Gu has often been caught in a cultural crossfire, given the fact that her father is American and her mother is Chinese.
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the American-born athlete chose to represent China.
The 22-year-old went on to secure gold medals in both the big air and halfpipe events, and a silver medal in slopestyle. But the skier has faced some harsh criticism for her decision.
In an interview with RealClearPolitics, former United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said, “In terms of the citizenship, look, China or the U.S.? You have got to pick a side. Period.”
She also admitted that she had not watched a second of the 2022 Olympics, and accused the young skier of “standing for human rights abuses.”
The first female governor of S.C. added, “You’ve got to pick a side, because you’re either American or you’re Chinese, and they are two very different countries.”
The former U.S. ambassador further added that the serious human rights issues in China should have been enough to stop any athlete from competing for them.
“I can’t stop thinking about people on their knees, blindfolded, not knowing what’s coming. I can’t support that,” Haley said.
Gu, born in San Francisco, could have represented either the U.S. or China because of her mother’s Chinese citizenship.
And she chose China, and her decision has sparked a lot of debate during the Games – even though she is already the world’s top women’s freestyle skier.
Eileen Gu Is Of Mixed-Ethnicity
The Asian-American athlete was born on September 3, 2003, in San Francisco, California. Her mother, Yan Gu, is a Chinese immigrant, and her father is American.
Eileen’s maternal grandfather worked as the chief electrical engineer for China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
The world-famous freestyle skier’s mom moved to the U.S. after completing her master’s in chemical engineering at Peking University. Yan was also part of the university’s short-track speed skating team.
Eileen’s mom later attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business and worked in finance after earning her MBA.
Moreover, Yan raised Eileen as a single mother in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco.
Eileen started skiing at the age of three in Lake Tahoe, where her mother had worked as a part-time ski instructor.
She joined the Northstar California Resort free-ski team when she was eight and won her first national championship at nine.
On the other hand, her father is a graduate of Harvard University.
Eileen Gu Referred to Herself As An Asian-American
The 22-year-old has described herself as Asian American in past interviews. In 2021, she told ESPN,
“Since I was little, I’ve always said when I’m in the U.S., I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese.”
The following year, in an interview with the South China Morning Post, she said, “Nobody can deny I’m American, nobody can deny I’m Chinese.“
Her nationality has sparked debate. The Chinese Consulate in New York told the BBC that she would need to be a citizen or have permanent residency in China to be eligible to compete for its team.
Eileen Gu, the mixed-race (father is American, mother is Chinese) American athlete who chose to compete for China in the Winter Olympics and won 2 golds and 1 silver medal, said “When I’m in China, I’m Chinese and when I go to America, I’m American,” Do other mixed race people feel the same way?
byu/No-StrategyX inmixedrace
In 2020, China updated its rules to make it easier for foreigners with notable achievements in sports, science, culture, and other fields to gain permanent residency.
Moreover, in January 2024, Gu confirmed that she plans to represent China again at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
However, there have been instances where Eileen Gu has stated that China feels like home to her, despite also identifying as American.
In an interview with Reuters, she explained that she spent around 25–30% of her childhood in China and is fluent in both Mandarin and English, as well as in the cultures of both countries.
“Coming here (China) really feels like coming home,” she said.
“I feel just as American as Chinese. I don’t feel I’m taking advantage of one or the other. My goal is to build a connection between countries, not create division,” Gu added.
In Case You Don’t Know
- In August 2025, Gu suffered a serious injury during a training session in New Zealand due to human error.
- Gu has secured major endorsement deals with global brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Porsche, and Red Bull. She also appeared in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
- Gu is pursuing quantum physics at Stanford University
