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The controversy around Eileen Gu, China's American-born Olympic star, explained

China's Eileen Gu celebrates during the women's freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
Lindsey Wasson/AP
China's Eileen Gu celebrates during the women's freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)

At 22, Eileen Gu is one of the highest-paid female athletes on the planet. She’s won five Olympic gold medals as a freestyle skier, attends Stanford University and works as a runway model in her spare time.

Born in the Bay Area, Gu has since obtained Chinese citizenship. When multi-million-dollar payments from Beijing’s sports bureau were accidentally revealed last year, her name was quickly scrubbed from the budget.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Wall Street Journal senior sports reporter Rachel Bachman.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom