Gu Ailing says it is “sweet” that JD Vance thinks she should be competing for the United States after the American vice-president called her out for representing China.
Gu, who also goes by the anglicised Eileen Gu, was born in San Francisco and educated at Stanford University.
However, she has competed for China internationally since 2019.
Her father is American and her mother is Chinese.
“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,” Vance said this week when asked about Gu during a Fox News interview.
“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.”
JD Vance was in Milan for the opening ceremony. (Getty Images: Andreas Rentz)
Gu, who crashed in the first round of qualifying at the Livigno Snow Park on Thursday, local time, said the comments did not distract or offend her.
“I thought his comments were pretty, like, ‘What? He just said he wanted to celebrate Americans,'” Gu said.
“I like it for him. I mean, he’s the vice-president of the US. Why would he not celebrate the US?
“I thought it was pretty straightforward. I don’t really feel offended by that.”
When it was put to her that he felt she should be competing for America instead, Gu said it was “sweet”.
“Oh, I’m flattered. Thanks, JD. That’s sweet.“
Gu, who is fluent in Mandarin, said she considers herself both American and Chinese.
“Since I was little, I’ve always said when I’m in the US, I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese,” she told ESPN in 2021.
She told media at the Beijing Games that she spent about 30 per cent of her time growing up in China, and she was “culturally fluent” in the country, as well as linguistically.
Eileen Gu qualified fifth for the half-pipe final. (Getty Images: Andy Cheung)
The International Olympic Committee requires athletes to be citizens of the nation they represent, and “a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them”.
However, China does not allow dual citizenship, and Gu has refused to comment on her citizenship status.
She was the undoubted star of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, winning three medals, two gold and a silver, across the three park and pipe freeski events.
She has already won two silvers at these Games, and is favourite to add another in the half-pipe, despite qualifying in fifth spot.
However, she agreed with a suggestion she was being targeted by some parts of the American press.
“So many athletes compete for a different country, including in this field,” Gu said, adding that American freeskier Avery Krumme was born in Canada and represented them until 2024, while New Zealand athlete Lucas Ball was also born in Canada, only moving in 2019.
In the women’s half-pipe field, British favourite for gold, reigning world champion Zoe Atkin was born in Massachusetts and lives in Utah, qualifying for Great Britain through her English father.
Eileen Gu is hoping to add to her two silver medals from these Games. (Getty Images: Ian MacNicol)
“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 said.
“So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.
“And also, it’s because I win.
“If I wasn’t doing well, I think people probably wouldn’t care as much. And that’s OK.
“People are entitled to their opinions. There’s a saying in Chinese … which means you can’t wake someone who’s pretending to be asleep, which just means, if someone is so convinced in their beliefs, I will never be able to justify or explain myself.
“I have said, I do what I do because I want to inspire the next generation of young women. I’ve said this since I was 10.
“No-one was paying me when I was 10. No country wanted me to ski for them when I was 10.
“I’ve had the same principle since I was literally prepubescent. And so if people don’t believe me, at a certain point, that’s just on them.
“I can’t convince you. I have all the evidence. If you just close your eyes, what am I going to do about that?
“So I’m not bothered by it … I just wish that people would adopt the Olympic spirit more.
“That’s what this contest is about. It’s about bringing people together. It’s about using sport as a spirit of communication.
“And if they want to focus on the wrong things, they just have a sad little life.”
