Eileen Gu did not miss a beat at the Winter Olympics when asked about Vice President JD Vance’s comments on her decision to represent China. The freestyle ski star, already one of the most decorated athletes of these Games, answered with a smile and five words that traveled fast, “I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet.” The remark came after Vance suggested that athletes who grow up in the United States should compete for Team USA.
Vance said, “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.” He added that questions about eligibility were ultimately up to Olympic officials, per The Guardian.
Gu, 22, was born in San Francisco to an American father and a Chinese mother. In 2019, she switched her competitive allegiance to China. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, she won two gold medals and a silver, becoming a breakout star in both countries. At the Milano Cortina Games this year, she has already collected two silvers and advanced to the halfpipe final, where she is favored to medal again.
JD Vance tried to criticize Eileen Gu.
She turned it into a compliment in few words.
Eileen Gu’s ‘Sweet’ Reply To JD Vance’s Olympics Criticism
I’m flattered,” Gu said, per USA Today, when asked about the comment. “Thanks, JD! That’s sweet.” pic.twitter.com/pAkCc83csp
— 𝐷𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑙. (@EnimolaDaniel) February 20, 2026
With five Olympic medals, she is now the most decorated female freeskier in Olympic history.
When reporters relayed Vance’s comments to her after a qualifying run, Gu’s response was brief and pointed. “I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet,” she said.
She went further, addressing the broader debate around her choice.
Eileen Gu responds to JD Vance’s criticism about her representing China at the Winter Olympics. https://t.co/IcRe9nhvEY
📷: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
📷: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/bOHzubi5Jz
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 20, 2026
“So many athletes compete for a different country,” she said. “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,” she added. “If I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much.”
The Olympic Charter allows athletes who hold nationality in more than one country to choose which nation they represent. Questions about Gu’s citizenship status have circulated for years. China does not permit dual citizenship, and Gu has declined to publicly detail her passport situation, saying only that she feels “just as American as I am Chinese.”
Before these Games, she shared, “The US already has the representation. I like building my own pond.”
Gu’s success has made her a global brand. She has appeared on magazine covers, signed major endorsement deals and become one of the most recognizable faces in winter sports. That visibility has also made her a lightning rod.
🚨 BREAKING: VP JD Vance minces no words when asked about American-born Olympic athlete Eileen Gu betraying the US to compete for China — our adversary
“Someone that grew up in the USA, benefited from our system, freedom and liberty should want to compete with the USA.”
“I’M… pic.twitter.com/4gRVNqwahR
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 17, 2026
Earlier in the week, former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom criticized her on television, calling her a “traitor.” Gu has said she tries not to let political noise distract from her focus on competition.
Vice President Vance has been visible throughout the Games, leading the U.S. delegation and attending the opening ceremony in Milan. His comments about Gu landed in a media cycle already primed for culture-war flashpoints.
On the snow, however, Gu’s routine remains steady. She has spoken often about inspiring young girls in sport, saying she has held that goal since childhood. “I have said, I do what I do because I want to inspire the next generation of young women,” she said this week. “If people don’t believe me, at a certain point, that’s just on them.”
By Saturday, the halfpipe final will decide her next medal. The political debate will likely continue. Gu, for her part, seems content to let the scoreboard do most of the talking.
