Let the achievements of Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu speak for themselves

Athletes of Asian heritage have come to the fore at this month’s Winter Olympics. They broke records, reshaped perceptions and inspired millions worldwide.Yet in the United States, the conversation around two of the most successful athletes, Eileen Gu, the freestyle skier representing China, and Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu, has too often drifted from their incredible achievements to questions of identity, loyalty and partisan point-scoring. This speaks volumes about the anxieties of a deeply polarised society.Gu was raised in California by a Chinese mother and chose to represent China at 15. At the time, her decision drew little attention. Summers spent in China and Mandarin fluency kept her closely connected to her mother’s homeland.The backlash occurred as she won Olympic gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, with her choice of flag recast as a proxy for a debate over human rights and geopolitics. Despite the fact that at least seven other American-born athletes competed in this year’s Winter Olympics for different countries, Gu appears to be the primary target of criticism.Last month, she defended her Olympic freeski half-pipe title with a dazzling performance, winning gold – her third medal at these Games and the sixth of her career – and becoming the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history. Her success has fuelled a surge of interest in winter sports in China and turned her into a symbol of possibility for many young women.Sadly, elements in the US media and political sphere have cast Gu as a “traitor”, a mercenary who supposedly traded American freedoms for Chinese money, treating a young woman’s choice of flag as a referendum on geopolitics. Commentators rage over her endorsement income of about US$23 million last year. Others demand that the 22-year-old skier deliver definitive public judgments on Chinese politics, as if athletic excellence automatically comes with a diplomatic brief.01:23Eileen Gu pays emotional tribute to grandmother after gold win, hopes she made ‘her proud’