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Five-time Olympic medalist Eileen Gu has responded to JD Vance after the Vice President appeared to suggest she should be competing for the United States rather than China.
Gu is the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history, winning two gold medals in the halfpipe and big air events and a silver in the slopestyle in Beijing in 2022, before adding two more silvers in Italy this month.
The 22-year-old was born in San Francisco, California, but opted to represent China internationally.
Vance spoke on Tuesday about his stance on athletes born in the U.S. and their international representation in competition.
“I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” he told Fox News. “So, I’m going to root for American athletes, and I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rooting for this Olympics.”
Vance added that he had “no idea what her status should be” and that it was “up to the Olympic committee.”
When asked about Vance’s words on Thursday, Gu said, via USA Today: “I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet.”
Gu also said that perceptions of China affect how people view her decision to represent the country but “people are entitled to their opinions.”
“So many athletes compete for a different country … people only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China,” Gu added. “So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.
“And also, because I win. Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me.”
Gu will have an opportunity to claim her sixth Olympic medal on Saturday after qualifying for the final of the women’s halfpipe event.
Born in 2003, Gu is the daughter of Yan Gu, a first-generation Chinese immigrant and an American father. She has declined to publicly state her citizenship status, and China does not permit dual citizenship.
Gu has previously told Time magazine that she likes “building my own pond” when asked about her decision to represent China and said in 2022 that she feels “just as American as I am Chinese.”
