Eileen Gu is once again in the headlines, but this time it is not just about her skiing. The 22-year-old freestyle skier, who was born in San Francisco, is once again in the news for her decision to represent China instead of the United States. The topic arose again following comments by US Vice President JD Vance, who questioned why athletes raised in the US choose to compete for other countries.Gu didn’t give a long explanation this time. In a recent interview with Esquire, he sidestepped the topic in a very simple way. “This is old news,” she said. Her brief response showed that she has moved on, although the debate still follows her.
eileen Gu addresses criticism, talks candidly about future plans and personal loss
During the Winter Games earlier this year, Gu had already responded to the criticism. When asked about JD Vance’s comments, he responded with a mix of humor and confidence. “I’m glad. Thank you, JD! It’s great,” she said. Then she said, “So many athletes compete for a different country. People have a problem with me doing that just because they lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. And also, because I win. Like if I wasn’t performing well, I think maybe they wouldn’t have cared as much.”While the debate over his nationality continues, Gu made one thing clear. His Olympics are not over yet. At just 22, she has already competed in two Winter Games and won six medals. But he believes there is more to come. “I think I have more game in me. I can probably do another Olympics, maybe two,” she said.His life is no longer limited to skiing. Following his recent success, particularly during the Winter Games in Italy, Gu’s profile has risen beyond the sport. She is now known as a model, influencer and also a student of Stanford University. Talking about her identity she said, “I don’t know what my job title is. I think it’s just Eileen.”He explained it in his unique way. “I didn’t fit in the pond, so I made my own pond. I’m not a big fish in a small pond, and I’m not a small fish in a big pond. I’m a lonely fish in my pond.”There was also a painful moment behind the success. During the Games, Gu learned that his grandmother, Feng Guozhen, had passed away. The news came just minutes after winning the gold medal in the halfpipe. Later he shared his feelings in a press conference.She said, “The reason I was late was because I just found out that my grandmother passed away. She was a big part of my life growing up and I looked up to her a lot.”He added, “She was very strong, she was a fighter. This woman took charge of life and she took charge of it and she made it what she wanted and she inspired me a lot.”
