Eileen Gu’s response to US vice-president JD Vance speaks volumes after he criticised her for representing China over the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics.Gu, 22, won the gold medal in the women’s halfpipe freestyle ski final in Vatellina, landing a score of 94.75 points with her third and final run.Her second run, which scored 94.00 points, would have also been enough to win the event ahead of China team-mate Li Fanghui and Team GB’s Zoe Atkin.She also won silver medals in the women’s big air and slopestyle events, and is now the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history.

Gu was born in California to a Chinese mother and an American father, and represented the United States at junior levels and in the 2018/19 Freestyle Ski World Cup.In 2019, however, she decided to formally request a change of nationality to China ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which were to be held in Beijing.She said at the time: “The opportunity to inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love.Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire a young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”Gu, who is an undergraduate in international relations at Stanford University, has soared in popularity in recent years.She is now not only one of the most well-known female athletes on the planet, but also one of the highest-earning.As per The Athletic, the 22-year-old earns $23.1 million per year from various brand and sponsorship deals, endorsements and modelling contracts. It is reported that only $100,000 of that amount is made up of her skiing earnings.