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Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday addressed the controversy over Olympic skier Eileen Gu choosing to compete for China instead of the United States.
Vance admitted that he has “no idea” what Gu’s status “should be,” during an interview on Pak Gazette’ “The Story With Martha McCallum.” But the vice president said he hopes American citizens choose to compete for America on the world stage.
“I have no idea what his status should be, I think ultimately that’s up to the Olympic Committee, I won’t pretend to get into that,” Vance said.
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Sick silver medalist Eileen Gu of Team PRC looks on during the Women’s Freeski Big Air medal ceremony on the tenth day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Livigno Snow Park on February 16, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America and who benefited from our educational system, from the freedoms that make this country a great place, I hope they want to compete with the United States of America. So I’m going to support American athletes, I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I support in these Olympic Games.”
Gu has been at the center of international criticism, particularly from Americans, for his decision to represent China in these Olympic Games. He also represented China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
EILEEN GU GETS REACTION FOR COMMENTING ON TRUMP’S STATEMENT WHILE REPRESENTING CHINA
China’s Eileen Gu reacts after the second run of the freestyle skiing final, women’s slope freestyle at Livigno Snow Park, on the third day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Italy, Feb. 9, 2026. (David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
He grew up in California and went to Stanford, although his mother is a first-generation Chinese immigrant to the United States.
He made the decision to run for China in 2019. Gu said at the time that it was an “incredibly difficult” decision and that Americans didn’t like his decision very much given the geopolitical tension between the United States and China.
Gu is the highest paid Winter Olympic Games athlete in the world, earning approximately $23 million in 2025 alone amid partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China, and Western companies. Gu has said he represents China to his mother, who was born there.
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Eileen Gu of China competes in the second run of the Women’s Freeski Big Air Final on the tenth day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park on February 16, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, an American-born figure skater who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In total, the two were paid almost $14 million over the past three years.
Gu has never spoken out publicly against alleged human rights abuses in China, including the country’s alleged systematic campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or the imprisonment of politician Jimmy Lai.
Gu has won two silver medals in freestyle skiing in Milan Cortina, in the freestyle and big air events. He has one last event left, the halfpipe, on Saturday, where he has the opportunity to add to his total.
