The2026 Winter Olympicsin Milan-Cortina has been filled with athletes making themselves the controversial center of the story. Several US-based Olympians have criticized the country they represent or made unnecessary political statements.
Even with those athletes courting controversy, the most controversial is undoubtedlyEileen Gu. Gu, who was born and raised in the United States, benefited from training and developing her skills as a skier in the US. Got into Stanford University. Learned from coaches in Lake Tahoe. And then chose to represent China as an Olympic athlete instead.
There were obvious motivations for Gu's decision, primarily, uh, money. Gu was recently ranked one of the highest earning female athletes in the world, thanks in large part to sponsorship money from Chinese companies, direct payments from the Chinese Communist Party government, and endorsements from international companies looking to ingratiate themselves with the Chinese market.
If there's one thing that should be clear, it's that choosing to represent an authoritarian communist country over the US, where you were born and raised, is as far from "American" as it gets. Apparently though, it's clear to everyone butESPN, which wrote a glowing puff piece about Gu describing her decision as, quite literally, "All-American."
Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of the People's Republic of China celebrates during the medal ceremony for the women's big air final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. (Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
Gu represented theUnited Stateson the Ski & Snowboard team until the 2018-2019 season. Then, she switched to China. And incredibly, claimed that it came down to having opportunities to serve as a role model for Chinese girls.
"The U.S. already has the representation," she said in a recent interview with Time. "I like building my own pond."
Well, as long as that pond has $23.1 million in it, which is her estimated earnings in 2025 alone. Yet ESPN writer Dan Wetzel, in his article entitled "Eileen Gu's all-American choice to ski for China," says "typical culture-war profiteers" have a problem with it, along with those who have "honest and heartfelt patriotic opinions." You know who actually has a problem with it? Everyone who sees through what a cynical, self-obsessed and self-aggrandizing decision it was. Who hears nonsense about being a role model for the Chinese market and rolls their eyes.
Wetzel does say that Gu "competes, first, foremost and perhaps exclusively, not for a country but for Eileen Gu." But that's part of what the Olympics are supposed to prevent. There's no pay for winning Olympic gold. It's a personal achievement done in representation of your country. Obviously, many athletes have made immense amounts of money from their success, but few, if any, have made open profiteering their only motive.
The article displays the typical disdain for the US that's become all too common at ESPN, praising Gu for being a "rank opportunist."
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