ESPN Says Eileen Gu Picking China Over USA For Olympics Is 'All-American Choice'

The 2026 Winter Olympics in 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 undoubtedly Eileen 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 but ESPN, 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)

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Eileen Gu Gets Praise From ESPN For ‘American’ Choice To Represent China

Gu represented the United States on 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."

"Like it or not, isn't being a rank opportunist and playing everyone in all directions for more and more money the American Way? Yes, having a citizenry that truly loves America and would never consider any alternative is an ideal for many," Wetzel writes. "Then again, if you got offered $23.1 million to work for a Chinese company..."

No, it isn't. And saying that it's representative of the US ideal ignores the many athletes at these games, and others, who've spoken out about what it means to play for their country. Look at Quinn Hughes from the US Hockey team. Or Scottie Scheffler, one of the more stoic athletes on the planet, showing rare emotion after winning Olympic Gold in Paris. 

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And of course, many people and sports fans have consistently criticized the NBA and star basketball players for refusing to speak out against China. 

Wetzel brings up her massive hypocrisy, but excuses it by making an inaccurate comparison in an attempt to discredit her critics.

"In America, there is particular anger that she repeatedly avoids saying much of anything about human rights abuses in China," he writes. "The hypocrisy is real, although a segment of the same critics generally implore American athletes to ‘stick to sports,’ at least when an expressed opinion doesn't align with theirs."

This is, of course, backwards. Gu hasn't "stuck to sports," she's repeatedly spoken out about US politics, generally taking the left-wing side of whatever debate she talks about. The only time she doesn't? When she's asked about China's reprehensible behavior and policies. Then, somehow, she's an impartial athlete just there to compete. For Wetzel, though, an American athlete saying the "USA is the greatest country in the world" would be a political statement. For Gu? Her hypocrisy is downplayed because she's on the left, like him. 

Gu's controversial because she chose money over the country she owes everything to. Because she chose China, the US' biggest adversary in the modern world. Because she still lives here, enjoys the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy, used those freedoms to speak out about domestic politics, then took the cowards way out to keep the checks from Beijing coming. That's the opposite of "All-American."