Eileen Gu Says Backlash Over Representing China Led to Assault and Threats at Stanford
Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu has described being physically assaulted, robbed and threatened with death on the campus of Stanford University — all in the wake of her 2019 decision to compete for China instead of the United States.
In a candid interview with The Athletic, the 22-year-old laid out a harrowing account of what followed one of the most controversial decisions in recent Winter Olympics history.
“Physically assaulted on the street,” she said. “The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed.”
“I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever,” she said.
The Decision and the Fallout
Gu first announced her decision to represent China in a 2019 Instagram post, ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. She framed the move as an effort to bridge cultures.
“I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love,” she wrote at the time. “Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”
The response was far more hostile than that message of unity might suggest.
Stanford Offered No Shelter
Gu enrolled at Stanford in 2022. Even that step drew resistance. According to The Athletic, a petition was launched by parents of prospective students and Chinese Americans calling for her to be kept out of the university.
Gu, who still lives in the United States, persisted and enrolled regardless.
The Stanford Police Department referred The Athletic to its department of public safety, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, according to the sports media outlet.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders,” she said via The Athletic.
A Record-Setting Competitor in Milan
The revelations come as Gu competes at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where she is the lone female freeskier contesting all three freestyle events — slopestyle, big air and halfpipe.
Her résumé already places her in a category of her own. Gu owns more medals across those three disciplines than any freeskier in history, with five.
Her path at the 2026 Games has hit scheduling complications. After advancing to the Big Air final on Sunday night, she voiced frustration over a clash that will force her to miss one of three planned halfpipe training sessions, calling it “really unfair and difficult for me to deal with.”
She answered on the snow Monday night. On her final attempt, she stomped a left double-cork 1260 with a toxic grab, vaulting from sixth place into silver-medal position.
Gu’s prominence extends well beyond the slopes. According to Forbes, she is the highest-paid athlete — male or female — competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics, earning $23.1 million annually. Just $100,000 of that total comes from prize money in skiing. The rest flows from her marketability and brand partnerships.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
