WASHINGTON — It’s as charming as it’s divisive: the story of two Chinese language American athletic geniuses who’ve a lot in widespread however make such totally different decisions.

Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old freestyle skier, and Alysa Liu, a 20-year—outdated determine skater, have been each born to Chinese language immigrants in California, and each have been introduced up in single-parent households. Each are elite athletes who turned in gold-medal performances at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics final month.

However public opinion diverges over their decisions concerning the international locations for which they compete.

Gu chooses to symbolize China, whereas Liu waves the U.S. flag. These selections are producing heated debates over loyalty — a problem interwoven with cash, values and politics on each side of the Pacific Ocean.

In China, many laud Gu for figuring out herself as Chinese language and competing for the honour of the motherland. However lots reward Liu, too, for her free spirit and genuineness — generally with a refined nod to her father’s position in the 1989 Tiananmen Sq. democracy protests that landed him in the US.

Within the U.S., Gu’s selection has raised eyebrows amongst politicians, together with Vice President JD Vance, and even prompted a congressional proposal threatening to tax 100% on athletes corresponding to Gu who compete for international locations like China and Russia within the Olympics.

“Any American who works with a international adversary has not solely betrayed our nation however should be stripped of all advantages from doing so,” stated Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee.

To a big extent, Gu’s is a narrative of China’s financial success, when its spectacular progress has made it alluring for these with Chinese language roots to return for higher monetary good points.

Gu was born in San Francisco to a Chinese language mom working in finance. No details about her father is offered. Gu competed for China within the Winter Video games in each 2022 and 2026, and she or he has landed endorsements value tens of millions of {dollars} from main Chinese language manufacturers in addition to multinationals eyeing the Chinese language market.

In 2022, when she received two golds and one silver in Beijing, Gu was a nationwide idol and fondly recognized by her Chinese language nickname, Frog Princess. Video clips of her consuming Chinese language snacks went viral on social media. Her performances in Italy have been carefully adopted and celebrated in China.

She has lengthy stated her determination to compete for China has extra to do with getting ladies concerned in her sport — with a higher alternative for progress there than in the US — than about pure {dollars} and cents.

However controversy over Gu’s citizenship has forged a shadow over her reputation, with members of the general public questioning her loyalty, questioning aloud if she has given up her U.S. passport to adjust to the Chinese language legislation towards twin citizenship. Gu has dodged the query, making it anybody’s guess.

Hu Xijin, a former social gathering newspaper editor in China, argued that what’s necessary for China is attracting skills like Gu and chalking it up as a win over the US.

“Immediately’s China is stronger, and it will probably present Gu with pursuits that can not be realized if she represented Crew U.S.A.,” Hu wrote in a social media submit. “She has the sharp judgment to choose Crew China, and that is the magnetic impact resulted from China’s progress.”

For Liu, skating for China is out of the query.

Liu was born to Arthur Liu by means of surrogacy. In contrast to Gu’s mom, Liu’s father fled China when he was wished by the authorities for his involvement within the 1989 pupil motion that ended with a bloody crackdown within the coronary heart of Beijing and compelled many pupil activists into exile. A whole lot, maybe hundreds, have been killed when the navy quelled the protests on June 3-4, 1989.

“Chinese language individuals nonetheless haven’t any freedom of speech, no freedom of faith, and there are nonetheless political prisoners in China,” Arthur Liu not too long ago advised Nikkei Asia. “Clearly, I wouldn’t permit my daughter to compete for such a authorities.”

Whereas the Chinese language authorities embraced Gu with flattering publicity and tens of millions in state funding for her coaching, Liu stated he solely let his daughter compete in Beijing in 2022 with assurances from the State Division and the U.S. Olympic Committee about her security. The FBI had warned him that he and his daughter have been focused in a Chinese language authorities spying operation. That yr, Alysa Liu positioned sixth in ladies’s single skating.

This time, she grew to become the primary American girl to win Olympic determine skating gold in 24 years. Her story unfold wildly in China’s social media, garnering praises corresponding to “free spirit” and “extra real.” Some, nonetheless, pledged loyalty to Gu and prompt that Liu’s success was nothing for the Chinese language individuals to get enthusiastic about.

With Liu’s rise, her father’s story bubbled up in China’s social media, although any point out was often transient and cryptic as a result of the 1989 Tiananmen Motion — generally called 6-4 for the date of the navy crackdown, stays a deeply delicate political taboo in China 37 years later. Whereas some known as the elder Liu a freedom fighter, others denounced him.

The comparability between his daughter and Gu was so prevalent that Arthur Liu was requested about it.

“Everyone seems to be entitled to her personal ambition,” the daddy stated in a YouTube chat with Zhang Boli, one other former pupil activist. “The 2 have chosen totally different paths, and folks instantly see the distinction. The distinction is so sharp that individuals can not assist however remark.”

Requested concerning the comparability not too long ago, Alysa Liu advised Newsweek: “Oh, my God, I feel this discourse is de facto foolish as a result of we’re each half Chinese language.”

The backlash towards Gu in the US this time appeared to start out with Vance, who advised Fox Information through the Video games that “I definitely assume that anyone who grew up in the US of America, who benefited from our schooling system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this nation an awesome place, I might hope that they need to compete with the US of America.”

In response, Gu stated, “I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s candy,” USA Immediately reported.

Ogles’ invoice apart, Rep. Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican, slammed Gu for not even having “the respect for the nation which has given them a lot to symbolize that nation.”

Citizenship change is nothing new in aggressive sports activities, and different Chinese language People or Chinese language Canadians have performed for Crew China. However they haven’t riled up public opinion as Gu has, famous Susan Brownell, a professor on the College of Missouri-St. Louis who research Chinese language sports activities and the Olympic Video games. “It does actually seem,” she stated, “that a part of the problem right here is for those who’re ok to beat the U.S.”

Badiucao, a Chinese language-Australian artist, illustrated the comparability in two drawings: one in all Alysa Liu skating triumphantly together with the Statue of Liberty, the opposite of Gu draped in an outsized, blood-dripping piece of Chinese language foreign money, its picture of Mao Zedong wanting over her shoulder.

“In a world of Eileen Gu,” the artist wrote, “be Alysa Liu.”

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AP sports activities author Stephen Wade in Tokyo contributed to this report.