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Eileen Gu, a celebrated Olympian originally from California but now representing China, has openly criticized President Trump’s comments directed at U.S. skier Hunter Hess.
In an interview with The Athletic, the 22-year-old Gu expressed her disappointment, stating that the president’s remarks about Hess do not align with the Olympic spirit.
“It’s unfortunate that the main headline overshadowing the Olympics is something that contradicts the essence of the Games,” Gu, who has won two gold medals, shared with The Athletic.
“Such comments are completely at odds with what the Olympics represent,” she added.
The controversy began when 27-year-old Hess faced criticism after discussing his mixed feelings about competing for his home country during a press event in Italy last week.
Hess, 27, sparked a backlash last week after telling reporters in Italy about his apparent conflict in representing his home country.
Hess said it was “a little hard” for him to “wear Team USA gear” as there was “a lot going on that” he isn’t “the biggest fan of.”
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Hess added.
Those words led to a strong rebuke from Trump, who called Hess a “real Loser.”
“If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote.
Gu, no stranger to controversy herself, said she empathized with Hess because of the strong criticism she has faced for her decision to leave Team USA to represent the oppressive homeland of her mother.
The Californian left the US Ski & Snowboarding team at 15 to represent China, where she competed for Red China at the 2022 Beijing Games.
“As someone who has got caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes,” Gu said. “I hope that they can ski to their very best.”
On Monday, Hess softened his criticism of his home country, saying that while he values the ability to speak his mind, he “cannot wait” to represent Team USA.