WRIC                        02-17-2026

A BBC reporter, in their report, bluntly stated that an unusual battle was unfolding at the Milan Winter Olympics—not on the ski slopes or ice rinks, but online.

At the heart of this debate are freestyle skier Eileen Gu and figure skater Alysa Liu. They share many similarities: both are Chinese Americans born and raised in the United States, and both dominate their respective fields.

Social media is also abuzz with comparisons: Liu and Gu have similar backgrounds. Both are winter sports champions, both have parents who were early immigrants to the US—intellectually Chinese Americans—both are of mixed race, and both were raised by single-parent Chinese parents. However, they also have significant differences. Liu is simple and cheerful, while Gu is shrewd. This is evident in an early video of the two together. I believe this difference stems from the influence of their different family upbringings.

Eileen Gu (left) and Alysa Liu: Their drastically different paths in life amidst ice and snow. BBC Photo.

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom posted on the X platform calling Eileen Gu a “traitor” and accusing her of “being born, raised, and currently residing in the United States, yet choosing to stand against her own country—China—one of the world’s worst human rights abusers.” He added, “You can’t enjoy the freedoms of an American citizen while simultaneously becoming a global public relations tool for the Chinese Communist Party.”

This is reminiscent of a statement Gu made in 2020 when facing questions about her nationality: “When I’m in the United States, I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese.”

According to data from the sports business publication Sportico, Gu earned $23 million last year, almost entirely from endorsements.

Under Chinese law and Olympic regulations, she cannot legally represent two countries. According to Olympic regulations, Gu must be a Chinese citizen to represent China. However, her name is not on the U.S. National Archives’ list of people who have renounced their citizenship.

An article titled “5 Things You Didn’t Know About Eileen Gu” published on the German-language page of the International Olympic Committee in January 2021 mentions at the end that Gu holds “dual citizenship.” However, this conflicts with Chinese law: China does not recognize dual citizenship.

Red Bull, one of Eileen Gu’s sponsors, stated on its website in 2022 that she had renounced her U.S. citizenship, but the website removed this information after media inquiries. Eileen Gu herself has consistently refused to disclose her nationality.

Alysa Liu, a figure skater representing the United States and also born and raised in the U.S., has become the subject of praise on social media by Eileen Gu ‘s critics.

Alysa Liu has no ambiguous nationality, no “burden of two countries,” and no suspicion of supporting authoritarian regimes. On the contrary, her family is closely connected to the Chinese democracy movement.

Alysa Liu’s father, Arthur Liu (also known as Liu Junguo), was a key figure in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student movement and served as the chairman of the Guangzhou Students’ Autonomous Federation. He was later rescued by “Operation Yellow Bird” and went to the United States, where he is now a lawyer.

Wu Renhua, a scholar specializing in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, posted on the X platform that he and Alysa Liu ‘s father, Arthur Liu, were old friends with a friendship spanning over thirty years. He claimed that the CCP had attempted to bribe and win over Alysa Liu , but this was rejected by both Arthur Liu and Alysa Liu . After their attempts to bribe and win over her failed, the CCP resorted to harassment and intimidation, leading the FBI to take protective measures against Alysa Liu .

According to CNN, in October 2021, the FBI knocked on Alysa Liu ‘s door, stating that her father’s political background made the family a target for Chinese espionage.

In a recent cartoon created by Badiucao, a Chinese dissident artist residing in Australia, Arthur Liu is depicted as “Tank Man,” preventing the CCP from suppressing the democracy movement.

On February 11, Alysa Liu won a gold medal for the United States in the team figure skating event at the Italian Winter Olympics.

Her name was deleted from Beijing municipal budget documents.

Winning a silver medal would be something any athlete could be proud of, but Gu Ailing’s performance is becoming a sensitive topic on Chinese social media.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a municipal budget released in early 2025 showed that the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau planned to pay a total of approximately $6.6 million to Eileen Gu and another Chinese-American athlete, Zhu Yi (or Beverly Zhu), for that year. The document did not list their individual compensation, but as a three-time Olympic medalist, Gu’s share of the funding was likely larger.

The report stated that, in total, the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau planned to pay Gu and Zhu nearly 100 million yuan (US$14 million) over the past three years. According to the budget, the most recent allocation was intended to help Gu qualify for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics and achieve excellent results.

Shortly after Gu and Zhu’s names appeared in the budget document and attracted attention, they were removed.

This huge expenditure sparked heated discussion on social media in 2025, given the numerous economic difficulties facing China. Subsequently, related comments were also removed.

Clearly, this places an even heavier “national burden” on Gu’s shoulders.

After winning her second silver medal at the Italian Winter Olympics early Tuesday morning, Eileen Gu adopted a different stance, no longer discussing the “burden of two countries.” “Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience, and doing it five times is even more difficult,” she said. “Looking at it from the perspective of ‘losing two gold medals’ is absurd. I’m showcasing my best skiing skills and performing unprecedented maneuvers, and that’s enough.”