February 13, 2026 9:33 am

Eileen Gu’s Terrible Choice

Gu skis for China, a choice that is a little like deciding to represent a fascist country during the 1930s.

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Eileen Gu of the People’s Republic of China after the women’s freestyle skiing slopestyle final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, February 9, 2026.

Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images via Getty Images

It isn’t easy being Eileen Gu.

The champion freestyle skier said the other day, after she had to settle for a silver medal in an event at the Olympics, that “sometimes it feels like I’m carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders.”