Alysa Liu Calls Eileen Gu’s Critics ‘Hypocrites,’ Defending Fellow Olympian
Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu he comes to defend his colleague who received the medal, Eileen Guafter some controversy during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
“I’ve known Eileen since I was 13 or something. We’re from the Bay Area. She’s very beautiful, and her mother is from China,” Liu, 20, told the New York Times on Thursday, March 6. “I think people are being hypocritical by shaming him for representing China.” So, in my head, it’s a little hypocritical, because his mother is an immigrant.
He continued, “And it’s a game, it doesn’t matter which country we represent.”
Gu, 22, was the center of attention after deciding to represent China in the games, despite being born in San Francisco.
Both he and Liu were born in California to Chinese and American parents.
Gu chose to represent China – where his mother, Yan Guappears — before competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Eileen Gu
Getty ImagesThe discussion reached a climax when the Vice President of the United States JD Vance decided to criticize the Olympic skier.
Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu is having a moment following her two gold medal wins at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy. The skater has become a pop culture phenomenon as one-third of Team USA Figure Skating’s “Blade Angels” alongside Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito. Alysa’s trademark is streaked hair […]
“I think that someone who grew up in the United Sates of America, who benefited from our education system, the freedom and liberty that makes this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance, 41, told Fox News on February 17.
“I’m happy. Thank you, JD! That’s great,” Gu responded to USA Today on February 19. “A lot of athletes compete for a different country… people just have a problem with me doing this because they put China in this monolithic category, and they hate China. So it’s not really what they think it’s about.”
Gu added, “And again, because I’m winning. Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think maybe they wouldn’t bother me that much, and that’s fine with me.”
Gu – who became the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history with her three medals at the 2026 Games – is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and spent her summer in Beijing.
