US-born Olympian Eileen Gu defends decision to represent China again in upcoming Winter Games

Two-time Olympic golden medalist and freestyle skiing prima Eileen Gu volition erstwhile again vie for China alternatively of the United States astatine adjacent month’s Winter Olympics, insisting the United States "already has the representation," contempt erstwhile backlash implicit her decision.

Gu, who was calved successful California, faced disapproval successful 2022 for her determination to correspond China successful the Beijing Olympics, wherever she claimed golden successful the women’s freeski large aerial and halfpipe and metallic successful the women’s freeski slopestyle. 

Eileen Gu of China celebrates winning the last tally of the Freeski Slopestyle World Cup astatine Laax Open, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, successful Laax, Switzerland. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

In an interrogation with TIME Magazine, Gu said her determination was based much connected her quality to animate information successful the athletics which traditionally was not fashionable successful China. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"The U.S. already has the representation," Gu said. "I similar gathering my ain pond."

TIME besides noted successful the interrogation that, "[Gu] insists the imaginable to gain much representing Chinese companies didn’t transverse her mind. ‘I’m gladsome that there’s capable wealth successful the athletics present for radical to deliberation that’s a consideration,’ she says."

Gu, whose parent is Chinese, grew up successful San Francisco, but she antecedently said earlier the 2022 Winter Games that she estimates she's spent astatine slightest a 4th of her beingness successful China. 

Eileen Gu of China competes during the last tally of the freeski slopestyle World Cup astatine the Laax Open. The photograph was taken successful Laax, Switzerland, connected Jan. 17, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

US-BORN OLYMPIC FREESKIER EILEEN GU DODGES QUESTIONS ABOUT CITIZENSHIP AFTER WINNING GOLD FOR CHINA

Questions astir her citizenship presumption were a large constituent of contention during her erstwhile Olympic outing due to the fact that the Chinese authorities does not let dual citizenship, meaning the California autochthonal would person had to springiness up her U.S. citizenship successful bid to bash so.  

She dodged respective questions astatine the clip astir whether she relished her U.S. citizenship. TIME noted that Gu "decline[d] to prosecute connected the citizenship question," and that determination was nary grounds to suggest that she had relinquished her citizenship.

"I don’t truly spot however that’s relevant," she said. 

Gold medalist Eileen Gu of Team China celebrates during the women’s freeski halfpipe angiosperm ceremonial connected Day 14 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics astatine Genting Snow Park. The photograph was taken successful Zhangjiakou, China, connected Feb. 18, 2022. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Gu, 22, enters Italy arsenic the dense favourite to support her titles. She picked up her record-extending 20th World Cup vocation triumph and her 4th successful slopestyle with a triumph astatine the Laax Open successful Switzerland past week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.