Eileen Gu has been arguably the most polarizing athlete competing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
The 22-year-old freestyle skier was at the center of controversy before the Games even began because she decided to represent China instead of the United States at the Olympics, despite being born in San Francisco and being enrolled at Stanford University.
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The fact that China is paying Gu, who has stated several times she feels like she’s representing both China and the U.S. on the national stage, and fellow American-born skater Zhu Yi a combined $6.6 million to compete for the country at the Olympics has landed Gu in some hot water with American fans.
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom even called Gu a traitor for not competing for the American flag at the 2026 Winter Games.
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Things got so bad for her, in fact, that Gu admitted in a recent interview that she received death threats on campus because she’s not competing for the U.S. in Milan.
“[I was] physically assaulted on the street,” Gu told The Athletic. “The [Stanford campus] police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed. … I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”
Gu has dealt with intense criticism ever since she competed for China at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she won gold in the big air and halfpipe events, and silver in the slopestyle.
She also won silver in both the big air and slopestyle this year.
Despite her tribulations, that hasn’t stopped Gu from becoming the most decorated female Olympic freestyle skier of all time.
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