Eileen Gu defends the decision to compete with China over Team USA in a statement

Eileen Gu released a statement on social media on Monday, reflecting on her controversial decision to compete for Team China despite being born and raised in the US.

Gu’s statement tied this decision to his desire to promote women’s sports, and encourage young girls to pursue sports.

“I gave my first talk about women in sports and Title IX when I was 11 years old. I talked about being the only girl on my ski team, and, despite attending an all-girls school from Monday to Friday, I became best friends with my teammates on the weekends through the common language of sports,” Gu wrote on Instagram.

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“At the same time, I was painfully aware of the lack of representation – when I was 9 years old, I felt that somehow I was representing all women every time I stepped on the park’s surface. The tricks to get there were more than moving forward … it was about defying the ridiculousness of what it meant to ‘skate like a girl.’

Gu continued to be grateful for the one season he competed in the US

“When I was 15 years old, I announced my decision to compete against China. At that time, I had spent one season on the US team, and I was lucky enough to meet my heroes in person. I am forever grateful for that time, and I continue to maintain a close relationship with the team. I spent every summer in China since I was 8 years old, setting up summer camps on the trampoline and the dry slope, from 4 to 7 years old, from the years 4 years old to 7 years old, from 4 years old to 7 years old I felt like I knew everyone,” he added.

“Skiing on the Chinese team meant an opportunity to promote the culture of the sport around the world, and to introduce freeskiing to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of it, especially as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics approached.”

Gu’s statement concluded by acknowledging that some people “don’t understand” his decision to favor China over the US, while insisting that his choice increased his potential influence.

“I can look back now, at the age of 22, and tell 12-year-old Eileen that there are now national parks full of little girls, who will never doubt their place in the sport. I can tell a 15-year-old that there are now millions of girls who have started skiing since then, in China and around the world,” Gu wrote.

“Many people will not understand or believe that I made the decision to create a huge amount of positive impact on the world stage that I could not, at this age, given my interests and hobbies. Three golds and six medals later, I can say with confidence that what was once a dream has now come true.”

Gu has become a target worldwide criticism of the Olympics for his decision to represent China when he remained silent on allegations of human rights violations in that country.

In an interview with Time magazine, Gu was asked what he thought about China’s alleged persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

“I haven’t done any research. I don’t think it’s my business. I won’t make big claims on my social media,” Gu replied.

“I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to data in general. … So, it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, this has to be true.’ I need a ton of proof. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary source people who are in the place and have experienced life there.

“Then I need to go see pictures. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books about how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search. It’s irresponsible to ask me to be a spokesperson for any agenda.”

Some controversy surrounding Gu arose after The The Wall Street Journal reported that Gu and another American-born athlete now competing in China, were paid $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025.

Gu is the highest paid Winter Olympic Athlete in the world, making an estimated $23 million in 2025 only due to cooperation with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China and western companies.

His alignment with China drew criticism from many Americans at the Olympics, including Vice President JD Vance.

“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedom and the freedom that makes this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”

Later, when Gu was asked if he felt “like a little bag of some American political chain at the moment,” he said he did.

“I understand,” he said. “A lot of athletes compete for a different country. … People just have a problem with me doing it because they put China in this monolithic organization, and they hate China. So, it’s not really about what they think it’s about.

“And, again, because I’m winning. Like, if I wasn’t doing well, I think they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s fine with me. People are entitled to their opinions.”

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the award ceremony of the women’s freestyle skiing of the big air freeski event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Gu said he was “tortured” by the decision.

“The police have been called. I have been threatened with death. I have been deprived of a place to sleep,” Gu told The Athletic.

“I’ve been through some things as a 22-year-old that I don’t think anyone should have to endure.”

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