U.S. Republican Senator Rick Scott wrote on 11th: "If Eileen Gu is willing to criticize the United States and support communist China, she needs to re-examine her values."
Eileen Gu, who was born in the U.S. and competes for China, has been heavily criticized on American social media this week after commenting on Trump's recent criticism of U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess.
Eileen Gu was born in San Francisco and is the highest-paid Olympic athlete in the world. She is expected to earn $23 million in 2025 alone through collaborations with Chinese and Western companies. She has stated that she represents China because of her mother, who was born in China.
Comment: Eileen Gu merely said that politics should not overshadow the Olympics. She did not attack the United States or engage in ideological confrontation. Senator Scott, an anti-China hardliner, deliberately labeled her as "criticizing the United States," which is an attempt to mischaracterize her.
Gu's decision to compete for China is a legal, voluntary, and open choice; her income comes from market recognition and has nothing to do with values. Attacking athletes based on their income is a populist rhetoric used by American politicians.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856893566492810/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.