Olympians speak out in defense of Eileen Gu amid criticism for competing for China over US
As American-born Team China skier Eileen Gu faces mounting scrutiny in the Winter Olympics, two other Americans competing in Milan Cortina have spoken out in support of the controversial medalist.
Team USA veteran women's skeleton athlete Kelly Curtis, who also serves as a staff sergeant in the Air Force, admits she hasn't put much thought into Gu's decision to represent China over the U.S. Still, Curtis insists she only has respect for Gu due to her talent and accomplishments.
"I honestly have not given it much thought. She is the most decorated freestyle skier, so she's at the top of her run, and I have nothing but respect for her," Curtis told Fox News Digital.
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Meanwhile, another American citizen who chooses to represent another country in the Olympics directly supports Gu's decision to compete for China.
Team Israel bobsled captain AJ Edelman, who grew up in New England, has opted to represent Israel in Skeleton in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and in bobsled this year. He previously told Fox News Digital that, despite being a proud American, he would never consider representing the U.S. over Israel.
Edelman questioned those who have criticized her for choosing China.
"Every single athlete has a different athletic journey, and every single athlete chooses a path in their life of that athletic journey that is there's and there's alone. I think it is incredibly inappropriate for anyone to demand service of someone in sport for any particular reason that is not of that athlete's own will," Edelman told Fox News Digital of Gu and the criticism she has received.
"When it comes to Eileen or any other athlete who represents another country … that is of no one's right to question. It is absolutely inappropriate and extreme."
Edelman compared Gu's decision to his own choice to represent Israel.
"Any athlete is free to choose the athletic path that they take, and I'm going to respect that. In terms of my own decision to represent a country that is not the United States, I chose to do something that I thought would make an impact in a particular community. And I felt that community would best be impacted through the appearance or through representation through the state of Israel," he added.
However, Edelman made financial sacrifices to compete for Israel, which has a bobsled team with far fewer resources than the U.S.
He previously told Fox News Digital he had to live below the poverty line in order to maintain his commitment to leading the Israeli team for the last 13 years, and had to sell all of his bitcoin, which he says would have been worth millions today if he held onto it.
"It was all spent on bobsledding," he said. "I'd be a mega-millionaire if I still had it."
Gu meanwhile has become a multimillionaire, while representing China.
Gu is the highest-paid Winter Olympic athlete in the world, making an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone amid partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China, and western companies. Gu has said she represents China for her mother, who was born there.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, a fellow American-born figure skater who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for "striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics." In all, the two were reportedly paid nearly $14 million over the past three years.
Meanwhile, Gu has not addressed the alleged human rights abuses carried out by China.
In an interview with TIME Magazine, Gu was asked her thoughts on China's alleged persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
"I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media," Gu answered.
"I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general… So it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, well, this must be the truth.’ I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary-source people who are in a location and have experienced life there. Then I need to go see images. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books on how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search…
"It’s irresponsible to ask me to be the mouthpiece for any agenda."
Gu admitted that she's felt like a "punching bag" amid the backlash this winter.
"I do," Gu said when asked if she feels "like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics," per USA Today.
"So many athletes compete for a different country. ... People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it's not really about what they think it's about. And also, because I win. Like if I wasn't doing well, I think that they probably wouldn't care as much, and that's OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions."
Gu has previously said she was "physically assaulted" for her decision to represent China.
"The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed," Gu told The Athletic. "I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever."
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