WASHINGTON — It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices. Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old freestyle skier, and Alysa Liu, a 20-year—old figure skater, were both born to Chinese immigrants in California, and both were brought up in single-parent households. Both are elite athletes who turned in gold-medal performances at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics last month.But public opinion diverges over their choices about the countries for which they compete. Gu chooses to represent China, while Liu waves the U.S. flag. Those decisions are generating heated debates over loyalty — an issue interwoven with money, values and politics on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.In China, many laud Gu for identifying herself as Chinese and competing for the honor of the motherland. But plenty praise Liu, too, for her free spirit and genuineness — sometimes with a subtle nod to her father’s role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests that landed him in the United States.In the U.S., Gu’s choice has raised eyebrows among politicians, including Vice President JD Vance, and even prompted a congressional proposal threatening to tax 100% on athletes such as Gu who compete for countries like China and Russia in the Olympics.“Any American who works with a foreign adversary has not only betrayed our country but must be stripped of all benefits from doing so,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee.To a large extent, Gu’s is a story of China’s economic success, when i …
