Discussion » Questions » Sports » Eileen Gu, and Olympic skier, born and raised in the US, is repesenting China in the Games.
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Eileen Gu, and Olympic skier, born and raised in the US, is repesenting China in the Games.

Can she officially be considered a Commie?

Posted - February 9, 2022
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Responses


  • 34251
    Given that she gave up her US citizenship to represent China....yes. She is officially a communist. 
    She also fell more than once during competition.  Hope they are not mean to her later.
      February 9, 2022 9:11 AM MST
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  • 44603
    She won a gold. To give up US citizenship is an abomination and  she should be treated the same as all other non-citizens.
      February 9, 2022 9:52 AM MST
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  • 34251
    Good for her that she won.  But yes she is a non-US citizen now.
      February 9, 2022 12:58 PM MST
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  • 13277
    Why does it bother you?
      February 9, 2022 1:05 PM MST
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  • 34251
    I just realized this is not the young lady who fell. That is a different one also born in California  and competing for the Chinese.  This was for ice skating. Zhu Yi. (Beverly  Zhu)
      February 9, 2022 2:08 PM MST
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  • 6023
    I don't see anywhere that she gave up her US citizenship.
    Her father is American, and her mother is Chinese.
    In interviews, she has said, "Nobody can deny I'm American, nobody can deny I'm Chinese" and "When I'm in the U.S., I'm American, but when I'm in China, I'm Chinese."

    One can compete for any nationality, with approval from the International Olympic Committee.
    It does not require giving up your citizenship.
    (Remember those Russian athletes competing for other former-soviet countries, when Russia was banned from the Olympics?)
      February 9, 2022 12:59 PM MST
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  • 34251
    Unless something was changed recently or they make a special allowance for her, China does not recognize dual citizenship. 
      February 9, 2022 1:02 PM MST
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  • 6023
    They don't need to, for her to compete for them.
      February 9, 2022 1:05 PM MST
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  • 34251
    Under Olympic rules athlete's are supposed to be nationals of the country they are competing for and not competed in the past 3 yrs for their former country.  Now if she is not a Chinese citizen (national) or someone made a special allowance for her and the other athletes whom are not Chinese born. 
      February 9, 2022 2:04 PM MST
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  • 6023

    The IOC gives waivers all the time, for Americans to compete for other countries.
    In Olympic competition, examples abound, going back decades, of athletes from all over the world competing for other countries -- some after defecting to the United States from behind the Iron Curtain before its fall, others because their nations have been broken by war, some because they've married and emigrated elsewhere and still others because they're looking for an easier path, competition-wise, to their Olympic berth.

    As far as I can tell, the only reason anybody cares is because she refuses to be baited into answering questions about politics.
    Which, IMO, shows she is smarter than the average athlete.  Because when athletes get involved with politics in the media - they are basically told to "shut up".  

    How come nobody is complaining about Louie Vito? From Columbus, Ohio, competed in the 2010 Olympics, where he took fifth in the halfpipe. But this year he's competing in the men's halfpipe event for Italy.

    How about Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian? Born in Wayne, New Jersey, lives in Texas and won a bronze with the U.S. in the 2014 Games. But she has been bobsledding for her father's home country, Jamaica, for the last six years.

    Born in San Francisco, the snowboarder Jenise Spiteri will compete for Malta where her father was born.

    It's not because they hold dual citizenship.  It's because those countries aren't in a political squabble with us, currently.
    Miss Gu has done a great job of staying out of politics, and people need to stop trying to drag her into them.

    This post was edited by Walt O'Reagun at February 9, 2022 6:23 PM MST
      February 9, 2022 2:26 PM MST
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  • 34251
    I did not say they do not make allowances nor deny that other countries do the same thing.   But for her and others to compete allowances were made. She is simply being silent about what happened exactly for her to be able to compete.  
      February 9, 2022 4:43 PM MST
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  • 17592
    Yes, rather real or pretend, she has given herself that honor.
      February 9, 2022 12:04 PM MST
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  • 6023
    From what I can find about her online ... no.
    She wanted to compete for China "to help inspire millions of young people" in China and "to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations."
    This is in keeping with her Stop AAPI Hate activism.

    btw - according to a recent story on NPR, skiing sports are on the decline everywhere except China.
    If you are an activist/model involved in sports, and want to get your message to the largest group of skiers - you target China.


    EDIT:  And look at this - an article from Forbes says she can expect endorsements for both Chinese and American products.
    Sounds like capitalism, to me.

    Forbes article This post was edited by Walt O'Reagun at February 9, 2022 6:24 PM MST
      February 9, 2022 1:03 PM MST
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