The California-born skier who turned her back on America to compete for Communist China just captured another gold medal—this time claiming the halfpipe victory that slipped through her fingers at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Eileen Gu’s triumph at the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Sunday represents far more than athletic achievement. It stands as a glaring reminder of how one American athlete chose totalitarian China over the nation that gave her every opportunity to succeed.
After Saturday’s competition was postponed due to heavy snowfall blanketing Livigno high in the Italian Alps, Gu delivered a commanding performance under brilliant sunshine. Her winning score of 94.75 dazzled the judges and secured her spot atop the podium once again.
What happened next perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with this story.
Rather than showing an ounce of humility, Gu immediately launched into a self-congratulatory victory lap that would make even the most seasoned politician blush.
Every day I was fighting, I gave my all every single day that I’ve been here, and that’s no joke.
In all three events I showcased my best skiing and as far as performance goes, that’s all I can ask for — to be able to show the world the best that women’s skiing has to offer at the moment, that it really counts.
I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female.
Gu now boasts three Olympic golds and three silvers—an impressive haul by any measure. But those medals come with an asterisk that no amount of athletic prowess can erase.
She continued her self-promotion by attributing her success to “competitive strength” and “mental strength,” insisting her victories demonstrate “being able to perform under pressure” regardless of gender.
Here’s what she conveniently left out: those medals were won while representing a regime that operates concentration camps, silences dissidents, crushes religious freedom, and views basic human rights as obstacles to overcome.
The controversy surrounding Gu didn’t begin at these Olympics. It has shadowed her entire competitive career since she made the calculated decision to abandon Team USA for the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda machine.
Her recent comments about President Donald Trump only amplify the hypocrisy. When Trump rightfully called out Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess for saying it was “a little hard” to wear American gear, Gu rushed to Hess’s defense.
Hess had complained there was “a lot going on” in the United States he wasn’t “the biggest fan of”—this while preparing to represent his country on the world stage.
Trump branded Hess a “real Loser,” a characterization that rings true for anyone who cannot muster basic patriotism while competing under their nation’s flag.
Gu fired back, claiming Trump’s “critique of Hess inconsistent with the spirit of the games.”
Let that sink in. An athlete who literally renounced America to ski for Communist China now lectures others about Olympic spirit and appropriate criticism.
The staggering lack of self-awareness is almost impressive.
Gu has every right to compete for whichever country she chooses. That’s her decision, and she’s made it crystal clear where her loyalties lie. But Americans have every right to remember that choice and what it represents.
She chose Beijing’s authoritarian regime over American freedom. She chose censorship over free speech. She chose oppression over liberty.
No amount of gold medals changes those facts. And no amount of self-congratulation can polish that tarnished legacy.
While Gu celebrates her “competitive strength” and “mental strength,” millions in China remain without the strength to speak freely, worship openly, or challenge their government without facing imprisonment or worse.
That’s the team she chose. That’s the flag she skis under. That’s the regime she represents.
Her athletic achievements are undeniable. Her character choices speak even louder.
