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By Cole Sullivan
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The Olympics concluded well over a week ago, yet American figure skater and two-time gold medalist Alysa Liu has remained firmly in the spotlight following her tremendous showing at the Winter Games in Milan.
Another athlete who generated plenty of attention was the most decorated freestyle skier of all time, Eileen Gu. Gu represents China — where her mother is from — despite being born and currently living in the United States.
Her decision to represent China came back in 2019, and she has cited opportunity as a major factor. Gu has spoken about the chance to make a name for herself in a country outside the U.S., as well as the impact she believes she can have compared to competing for the United States, which already has so many inspirational athletes.
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"The U.S. already has the representation," Gu told Time last month. "I like building my own pond."
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While Eileen Gu has many supporters of her decision, she has also faced significant backlash — particularly during her time in Milan, where she captured two silver medals and one gold for China.
Liu, who is also Chinese American, was one of the athletes to come to her defense.
"I think people are hypocritical for shaming her for representing China," Liu said via The New York Times. "Y'all would have told her to go back to China. Now that they're back in China, you're mad."
Liu and Gu’s relationship dates back roughly seven years. While there is a two-year age gap between them, both grew up in California and have spent considerable time on the Winter Olympic circuit in their respective sports.
Born in Clovis, California, Liu moved to Oakland at a young age, while Gu was raised just across the bay in San Francisco. Both athletes ultimately left Milan with plenty of hardware.
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