"Did You Come Because You're Broke?" Harsh Days for US National 'Jung Skista'

Cold Reaction of Chinese People Amid US-China Conflict

Gu Ailing (Eileen Gu), who became a national star by winning two gold medals for China at the Beijing Winter Olympics, returned to China from the United States after 10 months, but the reaction from the Chinese public has been cold. This is because, amid escalating US-China tensions, more people are viewing her with suspicion, as she is presumed to hold dual nationality of both countries.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Chinese local media such as the Beijing Youth Daily on the 21st (local time), Gu Ailing announced her arrival in Shanghai on her social media (SNS) the day before. She also posted photos at the airport and exercising at the gym.

However, Chinese netizens responded sharply. On Weibo (China's version of Twitter), comments such as "Did you come back to China because you ran out of money?", "You change your nationality whenever you need to," and "Please clarify whether you are American or Chinese" were posted one after another.

Beijing Winter Olympics gold medalist Gu Ailing [Image source=Yonhap News]

Gu Ailing, a Chinese-American, left for the United States on April 30 last year to continue her studies at Stanford University, where she was enrolled. She returned to her homeland after 324 days. However, criticism has intensified recently amid suspicions that she has not renounced her US citizenship and is effectively maintaining 'dual nationality.'

One Chinese netizen asked, "Gu Ailing said she would naturalize as Chinese when she was 16 in 2019, but she still has not given up her US citizenship," and questioned, "Why should Chinese people be enthusiastic about an American?"

Gu Ailing was born to an American father and a Chinese mother. Born in California, USA, as a US citizen, she has competed as a Chinese national team member in skiing events since around 2019, when she turned 16.

At last year's Beijing Winter Olympics, she earned the honor of winning two gold medals and one silver medal. Despite having lived in the US for a long time, she spoke fluent Chinese, winning the hearts of the Chinese people. She earned the nickname "national hero" and secured endorsements from about 20 famous Chinese brands such as Anta, JD.com, and Luckin Coffee. It is reported that she earned nearly 100 billion KRW in total, including prize money for medals during this period.

However, in China, which does not allow dual nationality, Gu Ailing's ambiguous nationality has been a constant subject of controversy. Questions about her exact nationality have been raised several times in China, but each time Gu Ailing has avoided giving a direct answer. Currently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) website lists her as a "dual nationality holder."

Additionally, Gu Ailing attended the "TIME100 Summit 2022," hosted by the US weekly magazine TIME in June last year, where she stated she would serve as an ambassador for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympics bid for Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, sparking controversy. At that time, some Chinese netizens strongly criticized her, saying, "Does it make sense for Gu Ailing, a Chinese national team member, to work for the US Olympic bid?"