I know, I know. Sure, I promised to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China—and with good reason. To repeat, the Chi-Comms are truly awful. They are indisputably an authoritarian repressive regime rife with human rights abuses and outright genocide. Let’s also not forget where this damned COVID virus that has dominated our lives for more than two years originated. Evidently many joined the boycott. Viewership ratings were down precipitously from just four years ago to the tune of 42%. And even if you were not specifically tuning in, it was hard to miss the marquee stories of the 2022 winter games continually being reported in the media.
While the drop in viewership can no doubt be attributed at least in part to so many not wanting to have anything to do with an event held in Red China, there are other reasons why NBC television and their associated streaming services might have hemorrhaged viewers during the 2-week competition. Sparsely attended venues devoid of enthusiastic international fans gave these games a rather empty feel. After Russia was caught committing perhaps the biggest drug doping scandal in sports history in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, Russian athletes are still farcically allowed to compete; not representing their nation, but rather the Russian Olympic Committee. And of course this came right back to bite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the biggest story coming out of Beijing was yet another Russian athlete testing positive for a banned drug—and still being allowed to compete in the Women’s Figure skating competition.
And then there is the story of California Girl Eileen Gu.
Eileen Gu, the daughter of a Chinese mother and an American father was born and raised in San Francisco, CA where she attended University High School. She was a standout athlete there and under the tutelage of her mother, became a world-class skier, excelling in the freestyle aerial versions of the sport. After achieving much acclaim and success on the junior skiing circuit on Team USA, Gu made the decision to switch allegiances and ski under the Chinese banner which ultimately led to her decision to represent the People’s Republic of China in the Olympics. According to Gu:
“Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”
Well, these are some inspiring and lofty motivations, no doubt. On the surface her apparent selflessness is hard to scrutinize. But……Consider:
- For an American athlete to participate under the flag of another nation in the Olympics based upon the heritage of a parent or dual citizenship is nothing new. Yet, these are typically athletes who were not good enough to make the U.S. team and the only way to fulfill the Olympic dream was to compete under the banner of another nation. Not true for Ms. Gu, as she is the preeminent skier in her disciplines and could just as easily won multiple medals for the U.S., where she was born, raised, educated, trained, and enjoyed every other privilege of American life.
- China does not allow dual citizenship as many other nations do. While she would not publicly admit to such, Gu most likely would have had to renounce her American citizenship and relinquish her U.S. passport to participate with the Chinese Olympic team.
- Inspiring young Chinese girls to take up skiing is a lovely thought, yet Ms. Gu has evidently not considered that Red China is perhaps one of the most repressive regimes that civilization has ever known. Behind the horror stories of genocide and forced labor pervasive in Communist China for decades, it is not unusual to also hear tales of children as young as four who show athletic promise be torn away from their families into years of brutal training regimens to prepare them for the world stage.
- And while Eileen Gu can be considered “just a kid” of 18, she is evidently smart enough to have been aware of the above and recognize that Communist China hardly has the best interests of their young girls at heart when they first click into their first pair of skis. After all, NBC sports commentators continually went out of their way to fawn over Gu’s apparent intelligence, touting her stellar academic career at Pacific Heights’ University High School, near perfect SAT scores, and acceptance to prestigious Stanford University.
Of course, one could legitimately ask why athletes should not vie in competition simply for the love of the game? Certainly a beautiful sentiment, but let’s not kid ourselves. International sport, and the Olympics in particular, are more than just tinged with uber-nationalism. Geopolitics play a strong role in athletic competition and all too often, athletes find themselves as pawns in those struggles. That will likely continue indefinitely.
In the lead up and aftermath of the 2022 Beijing games, Eileen Gu has been at the center of praise for her valor and also derision for her decision to participate with one of America’s greatest rivals in sport and beyond. She has evidently been the subject of death threats and other promises of bodily harm. This is truly pathetic, yet not too surprising in our world of social media relative anonymity. At the very least, Eileen Gu could arguably be deemed a (former) American who turned her back on her country and in addition to her Olympic medals, be worthy of 30 pieces of silver.
View Comments (47)
american propaganda at its finest
The Chinese are pleased with your compliance and you will be a great propagandist for the PRC. As far as I am concerned Comrade Gu can return to her new home country, China.
The medals will be forever tarnished by treatment of the Chinese population, Uyger people (slave labor, organ harvesting, indoctrination), and treatment of Olympic athletes (isolation, psychological damage, not being permitted to compete)... called 'Genocide Games' for a reason. Perhaps Eileen Gu should bow out gracefully and return to Chy-na.
Is her nickname "Fang Fang"???
This drivel sounds exactly like the hollow sound-bites that the CCP puts out all the time, where they sanitize their bad behavior and utter corruption with sweet-sounding platitudes and word salad :
"“Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”"
Traitor....go back to China....
There have been some interesting background stories written about her mother’s background and rumored her father is unknown to her as her Mom chose to use a “bank” to father her child late in life. Chinese/American journalists believe the CCP must approve any move made by her mother, a Chinese citizen. Eileen Gu may have always been expected by her mother to represent her home country of China.
I am posting one link as to why some consider her to be a traitor. Another news source alludes to more devious intentions, which I do not feel comfortable printing as I cannot verify.
https://gnews.org/2061654/
Sounds like money may I say mat have been involved. Gu should be allowed to live in the CCP.
American citizens who renounce their citizenship are put on a registry. Gu is not on that registry. A Canadian hockey player who played for China said he was not required to give up his Canadian citizenship. And the International Olympic Committee does not require an athlete to be a citizen of the country they represent at the Olympics. At least 2 Americans represented Great Britain in the Olympics. Why did no one complain about them? While I am not happy about Gu's decision to represent China, she broke no rules and very likely continues to be an American citizen. And her behavior, charting her own course, is a very American thing to do, and not very Chinese at all
Agree , I think some accusation are product of fanatic patriotism and 0 good sense .
I think that is very positive for US , to show that freedom of speech e xpresion is reel..
She have golds medal.for her .
And show in US and occidental we have the free choice ..
Call here a traitor is been more with the philosophy
of China .
So thank you Miss Gu for your grace , hability and smile.
Ignorance is the danger in the world
No healthy and beautiful .Athlete .
God willing
Rafael.
Bravo
All I can say is : what are you doing in US if you love the country that will abuse you, go back to china.
Well...if she wishes to show how the current Chinese culture treats Uyghers, free thinkers, free speech, free press, freedom of religion, women's rights and political opinions...then I suggest she packs her bags, and heads straight over to her selected Nirvana which obviously offers greater freedoms and liberties than are available in her native USA! Oh yeah...and you'll have to give up your passport too MS. Gu, as the CCP does not recognize dual citizenship. Good luck moron!
Viewership may be down in the US, but overall it appears to be up. More Chinese tuned into this Winter Games than past ones. I believe Eileen is genuine in her goals to unite the 2 nations of people, and to promote the sport she loves to women in China and have reached out to millions. For someone with the 2 persons closest to her from China, and having spent 25% of her life in China growing up, I can see the reasons for her choice. The animosity here against her is because she inspired people and won medals for China. Look, she did not do it for any government, she wanted to inspire women in China. We are certainly not accusing common everyday women in China for committing crimes against humanity. We Americans should be proud of what Eileen has achieved.
Traitor...CCP puppet...
You should be deported to the CCP!