Olympian Eileen Gu says she feels like a 'punching bag' amid backlash for competing with China over US

American-born Team China skier Eileen Gu responded to the planetary disapproval she has received during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. 

Her determination to vie for China contempt being calved successful the U.S. has made her a people for Americans and others crossed the world, with Vice President JD Vance chiming successful by saying helium hopes athletes calved present would "want to vie with the United States of America."

Gu was asked if she presently feels "like a spot of a punching container for a definite strand of American politics" aft her contention connected Thursday. 

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the grant ceremonial of the freestyle skiing women's freeski large aerial lawsuit astatine the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games successful Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026.  (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

"I do," she said, per USA Today. "So galore athletes vie for a antithetic country. ... People lone person a occupation with maine doing it due to the fact that they benignant of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they conscionable hatred China. So it's not truly astir what they deliberation it's about.

"And also, due to the fact that I win. Like if I wasn't doing well, I deliberation that they astir apt wouldn't attraction arsenic much, and that's OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions."

Gu has antecedently said she was "physically assaulted" for her determination to correspond China.  

"The constabulary were called. I’ve had decease threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed," Gu told The Athletic. "I’ve gone done immoderate things arsenic a 22-year-old that I truly deliberation nary 1 should ever person to endure, ever."

EILEEN GU GARNERS BACKLASH FOR COMMENTING ON TRUMP'S STATEMENT WHILE REPRESENTING CHINA

Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos aft the awarding ceremonial of the freestyle skiing women's freeski large aerial lawsuit astatine the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games successful Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Gu volition vie successful the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe last connected Thursday aftermwinning silvers successful her archetypal 2 events. 

It volition beryllium the climax of an Olympics defined by immense planetary disapproval for Gu. 

The Wall Street Journal reported past week that Gu and Zhu Yi, a chap American-born fig skater who present competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 cardinal by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau successful 2025 for "striving for fantabulous results successful qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics." In all, the 2 were reportedly paid astir $14 cardinal implicit the past 3 years.

Vance weighed successful connected the contention surrounding Gu successful a Tuesday interrogation connected Fox News' "The Story With Martha MacCallum."

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(left) Team China skier Eileen Gu, (right) Vice President JD Vance (Getty Images)

"I surely deliberation that idiosyncratic who grew up successful the United States of America who benefited from our acquisition system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this state a large place, I would anticipation they privation to vie with the United States of America," Vance said connected "The Story With Martha MacCallum." 

"So, I'm going to basal for American athletes, I deliberation portion of that is radical who place themselves arsenic Americans. That's who I'm rooting for successful this Olympics."  

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