“I’ve had death threats”: Eileen Gu opens up about facing criticism for representing China as a US-born skier

22-year-old freestyle skier Eileen Gu revealed that she received death threats for representing China over the US at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The San Francisco-born skier, is ethnically half-American from her father's side and half-Chinese since her mom, Yan Gu, emigrated from China to the United States in the 1980s. While speaking with The Athletic in an article published on February 19, Gu revealed that she was physically assaulted for her controversial 2019 decision to represent China in the Olympics.

Gu alleged that she was "physically assaulted on the street" while she was on the campus at Stanford University, where she had enrolled in the fall of 2022.

"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 on one should ever have to endure, ever."

Gu made her decision to compete for China when she was just 15 years old and reasoned that she wanted to be a role model for young Chinese girls.

"In the U.S. growing up, I had so many idols to look up to. But in China, I feel like there are a lot fewer of those. I'd have a much greater impact in China than in the U.S., and that's ultimately why I made my decision."

More about Eileen Gu's life in Stanford University

Eileen Gu still lives in the U.S. and took the current school year off at Stanford University to prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Gu is active as a student and is majoring in international relations; she has also joined the sorority.

Gu, while speaking to The Athlete, revealed that her life in university has been affected by her choice. There is a petition to keep her out started by prospective parents and Chinese Americans,

"Sometimes I feel like I'm carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders."

While talking about her mixed ethnicity in a 2019 Instagram post, Gu said,

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"I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love."

Eileen Gu won silver at the Women's Big Air final on February 17 and is the only female skier competing in all three freestyle events: Slopestyle, Big Air, and Halfpipe. Gu holds two Olympic golds and three silvers.

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