The world’s most commercially successful female athlete has delivered a gracious response to Vice President JD Vance after he publicly questioned her decision to compete for China instead of the United States.
Eileen Gu is a 22-year-old Olympic freestyle skiing champion who reportedly earns approximately $23 million annually through endorsements and brand partnerships. According to sources, she recently addressed Vance’s criticism following her performance at the 2026 Milano Winter Games.
The controversy started after Vance appeared on Fox News on February 17, where he weighed in on Gu’s choice to represent her mother’s homeland rather than the country where she was born and raised.
“I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance stated during the interview. He added that he planned to “root for American athletes” and “people who identify themselves as Americans.”
When reporters confronted Gu about the Vice President’s remarks following her qualification round on February 19, she didn’t hold back.
“I do,” Gu acknowledged when asked if she feels like a target for certain political factions. “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 ha te China. So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.”
The San Francisco native, who switched her competitive allegiance from Team USA to China at age 15, offered an even sharper assessment of why her decision generates such intense scrutiny.
“People are more bothered about it because I win,” she explained. “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.”
Her official response to Vance came in a conversation with USA TODAY, where she deployed humor to defuse the tension: “I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet.”
Gu’s commercial success has been extraordinary by any measure. While she earns only an estimated $20,000 from competitive skiing itself, her endorsement portfolio with global brands in luxury fashion, technology, and sportswear has transformed her into what some observers consider the highest-earning female athlete in the world.
Born to Chinese immigrant mother Yan Gu and an American father, Eileen attended Stanford University and grew up skiing at Lake Tahoe. She has consistently maintained that financial considerations played no role in her decision to represent China, telling TIME Magazine last month: “I’m glad that there’s enough money in the sport now for people to think that’s a consideration.”
Instead, Gu has framed her choice as an opportunity to grow freestyle skiing in a market where the sport lacks deep roots, particularly among young women. “The US already has the representation,” she told TIME. “I like building my own pond.”
The athlete also demonstrated solidarity with American freeskier Hunter Hess, who recently expressed discomfort representing the United States under the current administration, drawing a harsh rebuke from President Donald Trump on social media.
“As someone who’s been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes,” Gu said.
Her gold medal performance in the halfpipe finals on February 21 cemented her status as the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history, with six total medals across two Winter Games.
But the triumph was followed by devastating personal news: moments after leaving the course, Gu learned that her grandmother, Feng Guozhen, had passed away.
Arriving late to the post-competition press conference, a visibly emotional Gu paid tribute to the woman whose middle name she carries.
“She was so strong, she was a figh ter and I think what’s so interesting is that a lot of people just cruise through life but she was a steamship,” Gu said. “This woman commanded life and she grabbed it by the reins and she made it into what she wanted it to be and she inspired me so much.”
Gu revealed that she had seen her grandmother before departing for the Olympics, when Feng was already seriously ill. “I didn’t promise her that I was going to win but I did promise her that I was going to be brave like she has been brave and that’s why I keep referring to this theme of betting on myself and being brave and taking risks.”
The athlete competed in three separate events at Milano, a grueling schedule she compared to “a marathon, but the pace of a 100m dash.”
“Every day is the Olympics. I have to give 100 per cent every day. So there’s no day that I can just chill a little, because every day matters,” she explained.
Despite the political backlash, personal tragedy, and intense competitive pressure, Gu maintained perspective on her achievements. “I walk away as the most decorated free skier of all time, male or female, and the most gold medals of any free skier ever, male or female. And that is something that I’m so, so proud of.”
