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Post by Admin on Feb 16, 2022 2:11:30 GMT
China should avoid portraying Eileen Gu as a patriot because even though the U.S.-born phenom is skiing for the Chinese team now, it’s uncertain what nationality she will choose in the future, warned the outspoken former editor of China’s Global Times newspaper.
Publicity about Gu’s performance at the Winter Olympics should instead be limited to sports, Hu Xijin wrote in a social media post late Sunday. Phrases like winning glory for the country should be replaced with winning glory for Team China, he said.
“China’s national honor and credibility cannot be risked, and the country’s room for maneuver must be greater than that of any individual,” wrote Hu.
Gu’s popularity in China surged last week after she won gold in the Women’s Freestyle Big Air event. In addition to adoring coverage in local media, government agencies also celebrated Gu’s achievement. The country’s top anti-graft watch dog posted a video interview with Gu to its website, while the Ministry of Transport published a story about the skier’s grandmother, who had worked as one of its engineers.
The 18-year-old and her representatives, however, have avoided questions about her nationality and if she gave up her U.S. citizenship when she decided in 2019 to compete for China.
Hu warned that it may not be possible for Gu to be American in the U.S. and Chinese in China as she hopes because of the “deteriorating U.S.-China relationship.” That said, the former editor did not begrudge her success, writing that Gu could become the country’s most commercially valuable athlete if she can win another gold medal and act properly.
“Gu deserves the commercial returns as long as she minimizes the political factors,” Hu wrote.
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Post by Admin on Feb 16, 2022 21:41:07 GMT
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said there "is no in-between" when it comes to Olympic athletes choosing to represent certain countries and that "you're standing for freedom or you're standing for human rights abuses." Haley's remarks, made during an interview with Real Clear Politics published Tuesday, specifically targeted Eileen Gu – a U.S.-born Olympic skier who participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on behalf of her mother's homeland of China. "In terms of the citizenship, look, China or the U.S.? You have got to pick a side. Period," Haley told the outlet. "You’ve got to pick a side because you're either American or you're Chinese, and they are two very different countries. … Every athlete needs to know when they put their flag on, you're standing for freedom or you're standing for human rights abuses. There is no in-between." Gu, who was born in San Francisco, has faced criticism from her own homeland for representing China in the games amid the country's horrific treatment of the Chinese Uyghurs. Haley made reference to the human rights abuses faced by Uyghurs in China, saying she still has trouble processing some images of those who are imprisoned. "I can't get the images out of my head of people on their knees blindfolded, knowing what's about to happen to them," Haley said. "I can't imagine in any way supporting that or propping up China." Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, said it is her "hope and prayer" that Americans understand "that China is the one that gave us COVID. China is the one stealing intellectual property. China is the one committing human rights abuses. And China is the one that has become a surveillance state that is now going to start dictating to our American companies, which is why they've started to leave." "At some point, we need to understand it is time to move on from China," she concluded.
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Post by Admin on Feb 17, 2022 4:05:22 GMT
Eileen Gu has reportedly made a whopping $42 million in endorsements since the start of last year in a telling revelation that vindicates her controversial move to China. The American-born Gu angered some in the US team when she switched allegiances to compete for China before the Beijing Games. After winning gold in the Big Air event last week, she collected a silver medal on Tuesday in the slopestyle. Gu uncharacteristically went down in her second run, but managed to put together a solid 86.23-point third run to climb up to second and secure her second medal from two events, with the halfpipe still to come. The 18-year-old, whose mother was born in China and whose father is American, made the switch in 2019 to represent China at its home Olympics. "My biggest goal is to inspire young girls in China and worldwide to have interactions with the sport, to be able to try skiing," Gu said. "It's such a niche sport, people haven't heard of it. "So to have a young girl sitting at home watching TV, and the first time they hear about free sking, they hear about it from a young teenage girl, a young bi-racial teenage girl who can kind of reflect themselves on the TV. "And they'll be like, 'Hey she looks just like me, she's just like me. If she can do it I can too.' And so I think that is so important." Gu is also laughing all the way to the bank, with her decision to compete for China resulting in massive endorsement and sponsorship deals. She is arguably the face of the Beijing Games, appearing on TV ads and billboards all around the country. Sales of her red Anta ski suit have reportedly surged 20-fold on Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com, while local news outlet Tianxiashangwang reports that Gu has earned more than 200 million yuan ($A42 million) since the start of 2021.
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Post by Admin on Feb 18, 2022 3:24:38 GMT
Eileen Gu makes history! With her GOLD medal in the freestyle skiing halfpipe, Eileen Gu is the first freestyle skier of any gender to win three medals at a single #WinterOlympics.
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Post by Admin on Feb 19, 2022 22:30:11 GMT
Eileen Gu | Ski Freestyle Women's Big Air Slopestyle Halfpipe | Beijing Olympics
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