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After an Olympic Games of victory and controversy, American-born Team China skier Eileen Gu was seen sharing a moment with another elite female athlete who is often at the center of cultural debates.
Gu posted an Instagram Story of her and Clark at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, just days after Gu won gold at the Winter Olympics. The two were seen sitting next to each other in the front row of Prada.
The photo of the two women’s sports superstars generated mixed responses on social media, with some fans excited to see the two side by side, while critics voiced their disapproval, amid Gu’s decision to compete for China despite having grown up in the US.
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Chinese gold medalist Eileen Gu poses with her medals after winning the women’s freestyle ski halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“Why is Caitlin degrading her public image? Where’s her publicist?” wrote one critic on X.
Another critic wrote: “What a bad decision by Caitlin Clark.”
Meanwhile, one fan celebrated, writing: “A superstar basketball player sat next to a superstar Olympian IN MILAN wow Caitlin that’s cool.”
Gu went to the fashion event shortly after the Milan Cortina games ended, as she has a second career as a model and has even walked on catwalks in the past.
Gu’s attendance comes after the star skier broke down in tears after winning gold in the women’s halfpipe final on Sunday, and revealed that her grandmother had died before the competition.
He concluded an Olympic Games in which he had to compete under the pressure of immense global scrutiny in response to his decision to compete for China seven years ago.
Gu was asked if he feels “like a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics.”
“Yes,” he said, according to USA Today. “A lot of athletes compete for a different country… People just have a problem with them doing it because they lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really what they think it’s about.
“And also because I win. If I wasn’t doing well, I think they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s fine with me. People have a right to their opinions.”
Meanwhile, Clark has become a folk hero to many Americans amid her excellence on the basketball court and her historic exploits in the WNBA and in college.
However, Clark has also been the target of a certain group of WNBA fans and even current and former players.
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky watch during the game on June 1, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Criticism of Caitlin Clark primarily stems from her rapid rise as the face of the WNBA, creating tension among veterans who feel her immense popularity overshadows her long-term contributions.
Some of the controversy surrounding Clark has also centered on her presence as a white woman in a predominantly black sport, as some fans have argued that Clark receives preferential treatment by the media due to her race, while other fans argue the exact opposite and that other players physically attack her during games.
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