Last Sunday, two young women stood on the halfpipe podium in Livigno. Both were born in the United States and attended Stanford University. Both chose to compete for countries outside of the United States. One of them won a bronze medal and received great coverage on ESPN. The other has spent the past two weeks competing under the weight of what she calls “two countries on my shoulders” while taking on political criticism and online vitriol.
One skier who has spoken out about receiving death threats is Eileen Gu. Zoe Atkin didn’t do that. And the gap between the two experiences is a story that most reports are still careful to tell.
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Settings that no one recognizes
Picture: The wealth of geeks
Atkin was born in Newton, Massachusetts. Her father is British and she has been eligible to represent Britain since birth. She competed for Team GB for years, and the U.S. largely saw it as a human story: talented American-born skier, British passport, end of conversation.
Gu’s situation is even more confusing – not because the athletes don’t change flags, but because of the way China handles nationality. China does not recognize dual nationality. Gu has repeatedly refused to publicly clarify her U.S. citizenship. Public U.S. government records also do not show that she formally waived that right, a detail that has been mentioned in previous reports. This ambiguity has existed for many years, and the culture wars have been fueled by the ambiguity.
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The difference is real. It still doesn’t explain how disparate America’s treatment of the two women is.
What did the United States actually say?
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom posted on social media attacking Mr. Gu’s decision to represent China at the 2026 Winter Olympics. (Screenshot from New York Post/X)
Gu described being physically attacked, having his dormitory robbed and receiving death threats for his strong opposition on behalf of China. These claims have been widely reported. The criticism didn’t stop in the comments section. Vice President J.D. Vance kept the controversy in the political arena by speaking out during the Olympics and answering questions about her choice. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom attacked her decision. Online, arguments often skip sports altogether and go straight to the language of loyalty: traitor, betrayal, taking sides.
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Atkin’s reaction was quite the opposite. Warm coverage. celebration. A medal story will always be a medal story.
Variables no one wants to name
The variable that best explains this gap is not citizenship documents. This is China.
Citizenship can be technical. There was little response. Photo credit: Annie M (@alexa_filmvibes) via Unsplash.
Gu made it clear during the Olympics that people “group China as a whole” and “just hate China,” she argued, adding that the anger was less about her personal decisions and more about what the flag represented. She also said winning would intensify the reaction.
This part is important. Switching flags is not a problem. China is. The same is true for Gu Sheng.
Counterarguments to honest statements
To all this, people have a unanimous response: Britain and China are not equal choices. One is a close democratic ally. The other is a geopolitical rival whose human rights record is well-documented and whose state-sponsored sports are closely scrutinized. Recent reports have also detailed the financial support Gu received from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in previous years, part of a wider political debate.
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However, this was not the strongest outpouring of outrage. The most intense anger is about identity and belonging—about who counts as one of us, and who has to explain himself. When this language is applied to Gu rather than Atkin, it is difficult to pretend that the reaction is purely about principle, despite the basic symmetry of the decision.
What did Gu do?
Gu Ailing celebrated her gold medal win at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the first time she chose to represent China at the Olympics but faced backlash. Photo credit: Eileen Gu/Instagram
Gu’s decisions are always influenced by status and opportunities. She talks about being American in America and Chinese in China—about choosing the path where she can have the greatest impact. At age 15, she told time: “America is already represented. I like building my own pond.”
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She has since won six Olympic medals in two Olympics, earned tens of millions of dollars in recognition at her peak, and continued her studies at Stanford University. She has not publicly renounced her American identity. However, most opponents dismissed her decision as a binary choice.
Questions asked from the podium
On Sunday, Gu stood at the top of the podium. Atkin stood three steps below. Both men applauded. Only one of them was treated like her medal required a loyalty oath.
They are from the same country. They made the same basic category choices. The line between celebrity and suspect isn’t just marked by athlete eligibility rules or citizenship documents.
It runs through the flag — and about who can hold it without being asked to prove it.
What it was, the Internet spent two weeks carefully refusing to reveal.
