Phoebe Tonks
Fresh from their success at the Winter Olympics 2026, Alysa Liu has wasted no time in standing up for her fellow competitor, Eileen Gu, as she called out the double standard the snowboarder faced for representing China.
Both athletes are proud Chinese-Americans, yet while Liu competed at this year’s Games under the US flag, Gu opted to represent Team China instead, sparking a vicious backlash from critics who argued she was a ‘traitor’ for her decision.
In the run up to, and throughout the Olympics, Gu had explained that she chose to compete for China, despite being born in the US, as she wanted to provide more representation for her mother's native country.
This prompted a barrage of hateful comments, including from Vice President JD Vance, which later gained traction on social media and even sparked resentment among some of her fellow athletes.
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One person who is firmly in Gu’s corner however, is Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu, who herself, is the daughter of a Chinese immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1989.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Liu hit out at Gu’s critics, as she branded them ‘hypocritical’ for their double standards.
In particular, Liu took issue with being branded an ‘American hero’ while her fellow athlete was labelled a ‘traitor’ instead.
"I’ve known Eileen since I was 13 or something," the ice skater said. "We’re from the Bay Area. She’s super nice, and her mom is from China."
The gold medalist continued, "I think people are hypocritical for shaming her for representing China. So in my head it’s a bit hypocritical, because her mom is an immigrant. Y’all would have told her to go back to China. Now that they’re back in China, you’re mad."
Liu added, "And it's sport. It doesn't matter what country we represent. Sport is sport, and she has a love for competition, she has love for the game. I think that's all that matters. There's no shame in going where the opportunity is.”
Questions of loyalty weren’t the only awkward moments Gu experienced at the Olympics this year either, as she was subjected to a ‘ridiculous’ line of questioning by a reporter during a press conference after she picked up a gold medal in the women's halfpipe and two additional silver medals in big air and slopestyle.
Rather than focus on her success, a reporter asked if she viewed her 2026 finishes as “two silvers gained or two golds lost.”
This prompted Gu to immediately clap back with a laugh: “I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself. How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder.”
“The two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing,” she continued. “I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before and so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”