Labeled a ‘traitor’ by Turkish-American basketball star Enes Kanter Freedom, American-born Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu is now getting support from another Olympian, Megan Rapinoe.
Speaking on her podcast, A Touch More, Rapinoe credited Gu with an ‘excellent business decision’ for choosing to represent China rather than the United States at the Winter Olympics.
Gu and another athlete got a combined $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. In total, the pair has received $14 million over the last three years from the Bureau, which allocated the funding as ‘striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics,’ according to a budget reviewed by the Journal.
Spokespeople for Gu did not respond to requests for comment from the Journal.
Previously, Gu told The Athletic she represented China, her mother’s native country, because she has a chance to make a bigger impact with the People’s Republic.
Whether or not Gu was financially motivated to represent China, Rapinoe seemed to approve of the idea.
Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu of Team People’s Republic of China poses for a photo
Eileen Gu attends the Prada Fall/Winter 2026 Womenswear Fashion Show in July
A World Cup champ and a gold medalist for the US, Rapinoe understands Gu’s choice
‘No shame in that game,’ she told her podcast cohost, partner and WNBA legend Sue Bird.
The pair also applauded the way Gu shut down what some considered to be a disparaging question about the two silver medals she won in Cortina.
‘That might be the best answer I’ve ever heard to a question like that,’ Bird said. ‘Perfect response.
‘I love what she said. … She done bopped that man, so hard.’
Gu has refrained from public criticism of China’s communist regime in Beijing, which has been blamed for persecuting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the western part of the country.
‘I haven’t done the research,’ she previously told Time. ‘I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media.
‘I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general,’ she continued. ‘So, it’s not like I can read an article and be like, “Oh, well, this must be the truth.” I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary source people who are in a location and have experienced life there.’
China has been accused of a series of ongoing human rights abuses in the northwest province of Xinjiang since 2014.
Beginning in 2016, China created a mass detention program of Muslim minorities, according to secret documents uncovered by the Los Angeles Times in 2019. In 2022, a report from the United Nations accused China of ‘serious human rights violations’ in Xinjiang.
China has denied the allegations, which the country called ‘groundless’ in an official statement.
‘The lawful rights and interests of workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are protected and there is no such thing as “forced labor,”‘ read China’s statement.
Enes Kanter Freedom accused Gu of choosing to represent ‘the worst human rights abuser’
Gu attends Victoria’s Secret’s celebration of The Tour ’23 at Hammerstein Ballroom in 2023
Kanter Freedom, who blames the abrupt ending of his NBA career on his criticism of China, told Fox News earlier this month that Gu is a ‘traitor’ for picking China over Team USA.
‘I’m just going to say it, she’s a traitor,’ the Swiss-born, Turkish-raised Kanter Freedom said. ‘She was born in America. She was raised in America, lives in America, and chooses to compete against her own country for, literally, the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China. She built her fame in a free country, and then chooses to represent an authoritarian regime.’
Gu’s decision has led to criticism for years and, as she told The Athletic, a physical attack while attending Stanford University of her native California.
‘Physically assaulted on the street,’ Gu told The Athletic. ‘The police were called.
‘I’ve had death threats,’ she added. ‘I’ve had my dorm robbed.’
She also claimed a petition, started by the parents of Chinese-American students, was launched to keep her out of the school.
Gu is seen competing in the Big Air competition, where she ultimately finished in second
Uyghurs hold signs as they demonstrate in front of the Chinese consulate in Istanbul in 2020
The Daily Mail has sought further comment from Stanford police and school spokespeople, who referred the request to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. The Athletic, meanwhile, did not hear back from Stanford’s public safety office.
A Stanford spokesperson also released a statement to the Daily Mail, although not specifically about Gu.
‘Stanford University’s top priority is the safety and well-being of every member of our community,’ the statement began. ‘Our dedicated Department of Public Safety (DPS) is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for everyone on campus. In addition to DPS, students have multiple mechanisms through which they can report incidents of concern and receive support from the university.
‘We take pride in the rich diversity of perspectives that thrive here and actively promote and protect the free and open exchange of ideas.’
