Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories

It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices.

“Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories WASHINGTON (AP) — It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices”

Associated Press

Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old freestyle skier, and Alysa Liu, a 20-year-old figure skater, were both born to Chinese immigrants in California and were both brought up in single-parent households.

Associated Press

Both are elite athletes who turned in gold-medal performances at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics last month.

Gu chooses to represent China, while Liu waves the U.S. flag, and those decisions are generating heated debates over loyalty that are interwoven with money, values and politics on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Gu's path has become a symbol of China's economic pull and the commercial opportunities available there.

She was born in San Francisco to a Chinese mother working in finance, and the article says no information about her father is available.

Associated Press

Gu competed for China in the Winter Games in both 2022 and 2026, and she has landed endorsements worth millions of dollars from major Chinese brands as well as multinationals eyeing the Chinese market.

In 2022, when she won two golds and one silver in Beijing, Gu was a national idol and fondly known by her Chinese nickname, Frog Princess, and video clips of her eating Chinese snacks went viral on social media.

She has long said her decision to compete for China has more to do with getting girls involved in her sport — with a greater opportunity for growth there than in the United States — than about pure dollars and cents.

But controversy over Gu’s citizenship has cast a shadow over her popularity, with members of the public questioning her loyalty and wondering aloud if she has given up her U.S. passport to comply with the Chinese law against dual citizenship, and Gu has dodged the question.

Hu Xijin wrote, "Today’s China is stronger, and it can provide Gu with interests that cannot be realized if she represented Team U.S.A.," and added, "She has the sharp judgment to pick Team China, and this is the magnetic effect resulted from China’s growth.

Alysa Liu has chosen differently and will not skate for China.

“Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories WASHINGTON (AP) — It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices”

Associated Press

She was born to Arthur Liu through surrogacy, and her father fled China when he was wanted by the authorities for his involvement in the 1989 student movement that ended with a bloody crackdown in the heart of Beijing and forced many student activists into exile.

The article says hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed when the military quelled the protests on June 3-4, 1989.

Arthur Liu told Nikkei Asia, "Chinese people still have no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion, and there are still political prisoners in China," and he said he would not allow his daughter to compete for such a government.

He only let his daughter compete in Beijing in 2022 with assurances from the State Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee about her safety after the FBI had warned him that he and his daughter were targeted in a Chinese government spying operation.

In 2022 Alysa Liu placed sixth in women’s single skating; in 2026 she became the first American woman to win Olympic figure skating gold in 24 years.

Asked about the comparison with Gu, Alysa Liu told Newsweek, "Oh, my God, I think this discourse is really silly because we’re both half Chinese," and her father said on a YouTube chat, "Everyone is entitled to her own ambition."

Public and political reactions in both countries have amplified the contrast between the two athletes.

In China many laud Gu for identifying herself as Chinese and competing for the honor of the motherland, while plenty praise Liu for her free spirit and genuineness.

Associated Press

In the U.S., Gu's choice has raised eyebrows among politicians, including Vice President JD Vance, and prompted a congressional proposal threatening to tax 100% on athletes such as Gu who compete for countries like China and Russia in the Olympics.

Rep. Andy Ogles said, "Any American who works with a foreign adversary has not only betrayed our country but must be stripped of all benefits from doing so."

Gu responded to Vance by saying, "I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet," USA Today reported, and Rep. Lisa McClain slammed Gu for not even having "the respect for the country which has given them so much to represent that country."

Observers noted that citizenship change is common in competitive sports but that Gu's case has provoked unusually strong reaction; Susan Brownell said, "It does really appear," she said, "that part of the issue here is if you’re good enough to beat the U.S."

Artist Badiucao illustrated the comparison with two drawings and wrote, "In a world of Eileen Gu, be Alysa Liu."

AP sports writer Stephen Wade in Tokyo contributed to this report.