Eileen Gu will be leaving the 2022 Winter Olympics with a nice souvenir — a gold medal. Gu won the women’s freeski big air event in Beijing in her final run of the event.
Gu for GOLD.
Eileen Gu wins Women's Big Air gold with a double cork 1620 on her final run. #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/VMC8T19xvB
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 8, 2022
Eileen Gu wins GOLD! 🥇
The 18-year-old is taking home the Olympic gold medal in women's freeski big air. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/6plW8t7kLR
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 8, 2022
Any gold medal win is bound to spark some reactions on Twitter. To put it mildly, Gu was no exception.
Plenty of people simply praised Gu for her achievement.
https://twitter.com/CarlZha/status/1490896051573723140
Few things make me happier than seeing @SFUHSorg alumnx achieve success. Congrats Eileen Gu on your historic #Gold win! pic.twitter.com/XBbk6GNtU3
— Cameron (@kramlich) February 8, 2022
Eileen Gu is my girl crush
— angela ☕️🧸 (@angelayvng) February 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/jessicawluther/status/1490887830411055105
I wish Eileen Gu was representing #TeamUSA, but damn is she fun to watch
— Shaun Kernahan (@ShaunKernahan) February 8, 2022
And that’s an element that can’t be ignored. While the Olympics tries to minimize the impact of politics, it’s not possible. It’s especially not possible in the case of Gu, an American-born athlete competing for China.
That drew a strong reaction from former United States senator, Claire McCaskill of Missouri.
I don’t get it. And never will. I think it is wrong for an American to compete for China. China is represses free speech, is well known for their human rights violations. Did she abandon her US citizenship or not? (China does not have dual citizenship) ugh. #EileenGu
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 8, 2022
To be fair to McCaskill, she was hardly alone. Plenty of people had a lot to say about Gu’s gold medal win and the country she represents. And the responses to the political element of this gold medal were diverse.
In press conference after her big air gold, Eileen Gu sidesteps question about whether she still has her U.S. citizenship.
Instead thanks U.S. team for their support over the years.🤔
— Alex Azzi (@ByAlexAzzi) February 8, 2022
Annnd NBC just showed IOC President Thomas Bach with Peng Shuai right behind Eileen Gu when celebrating her gold medal run in the freestyle skiing final.
China did this on purpose, just like with the Uyghur in the Opening Ceremony.
China is evil.
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 8, 2022
Eileen Gu just absolutely sidestepped a question on what she thought of the Peng situation; she said she was glad to see Peng "happy and healthy and doing her thing." Impossible question for her, and strikes at the heart of the contrast here. https://t.co/XraD24fKaM
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) February 8, 2022
"'She used her action to demonstrate confident Chinese people are the most beautiful!' a commentator on China’s state broadcaster proclaimed as Gu stepped on the top spot on the podium."https://t.co/tcxAKtlpCK
— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) February 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/pei4y/status/1490907956262883331
“Just be quiet” is often good advice, though it’s also usually easier said than done.
For her part, Gu is aware of the criticism doesn’t seem all that broken up about it.
Eileen Gu asked about criticism of her on social media.
"If people don't like me that's their loss, they'll never win the Olympics."
Got to say fair enough. https://t.co/nTwuGcOHPK
— James Toney (@jtoneysbeat) February 8, 2022
Gu was not the first gold medal winner of the Beijing Olympics and she will not be the last. It’s unlikely, though, that any other gold medal winner will bring such a strong reaction.
