Two-time Olympic gold medalist skier Eileen Gu defended her decision to once again represent China instead of the United States at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in an interview with Time Magazine published on Thursday (January 22).
Gu, 22, a San Francisco native who is the daughter of a first-generation Chinese immigrant mother, had previously faced the same criticism when she opted to represent China at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, winning gold in the Big Air and Halfpipe events, as well as taking silver in the Slopestyle, but claimed her decision was based on giving a platform of representation in a sport that’s not traditionally as popular in China.
The U.S. already has the representation,” Gu said via Time Magazine. “I like building my own pond.”
“I’m glad that there’s enough money in the sport now for people to think that’s a consideration,” she added, insisting that she hadn’t thought about the potential to earn more representing Chinese companies.
Gu said prior to the 2022 Beijing Games that she spent at least a quarter of her life in China, though questions about her citizenship status were prevalent as the Chinese government doesn’t allow dual citizenship, meaning she would have to give up her U.S. citizenship in order to become a Chinese citizen. Time Magazine said that Gu “decline[d] to engage on the citizenship question” and there was no evidence that she relinquished her U.S. citizenship to represent China in the Olympics.
“I don’t really see how that’s relevant,” she said.
Gu is heavily favored to repeat as champion during the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from February 6 to February 22. iHeartMedia will provided 24/7 coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics and play-by-play action during live premium events.
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