WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – The long-standing controversy surrounding Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu’s decision to represent China instead of the United States has resurfaced following recent comments from U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Speaking on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Vance addressed the ongoing debate during an interview, reigniting discussions about national allegiance on the world stage as Gu continues her medal-winning performance at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Vice President Vance, appearing on Fox News’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum,” stated he had “no idea” what Gu’s official status “should be,” deferring to the Olympics Committee on the matter. However, he expressed a clear hope that American citizens would choose to compete for the U.S. internationally. Vance emphasized his support for “American athletes” and “people who identify themselves as Americans” in the Olympics, a sentiment that implicitly contrasted with Gu’s choice.
Eileen Gu, who grew up in California and attended Stanford University, first announced her decision to compete for China in 2019. Her mother is a first-generation Chinese immigrant to the U.S. At the time, Gu described it as an “incredibly tough” decision, made amidst escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China. This move drew significant criticism, particularly from American commentators, and has remained a point of contention.
Gu has been a prominent figure in both the sports and commercial worlds. She represented China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, where she garnered international attention. Currently, she is reportedly the highest-paid Winter Olympic athlete globally, earning an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone. Her lucrative partnerships include major Chinese entities like the Bank of China, as well as several Western companies. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu, alongside fellow American-born figure skater Zhu Yi, received a combined $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for their efforts in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Over the past three years, the two athletes reportedly received nearly $14 million.
Critics have also pointed to Gu’s silence on alleged human rights abuses in China, including the systematic repression of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and the jailing of pro-democracy politician Jimmy Lai. Gu has consistently stated that she represents China for her mother, who was born there, framing her decision as a way to inspire young people in China.
At the ongoing Milan Cortina Games, Gu has already secured two silver medals in freestyle skiing, specifically in the slopestyle and big air events. She has one final event, the halfpipe, scheduled for Saturday, where she has the opportunity to add to her medal tally. Her continued success on the slopes, combined with a high-profile U.S. official’s comments, ensures the debate surrounding her national allegiance remains a significant talking point throughout the Olympics.
The re-emergence of Eileen Gu’s national allegiance as a topic of discussion, particularly from a U.S. Vice President, underscores the persistent entanglement of sports, national identity, and geopolitics, highlighting how individual athletic choices can become amplified symbols in an era of heightened international competition.