Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations nikki-haley” target=”_blank”>Nikki Haley< 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 world-regions.
Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina and Ambassador to the UN, stumps for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), during a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, July 14, 2021.
(REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
US-BORN OLYMPIC FREESKIER EILEEN GU DODGES QUESTIONS ABOUT CITIZENSHIP AFTER WINNING GOLD FOR 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” target=”_blank”>San Francisco<
Gu, who has won a gold in the women’s freestyle and a silver medal in the women’s slopestyle, has repeatedly dodged questions about her citizenship and whether she had relinquished her U.S. citizenship to compete for China.
In a 2019 Instagram post announcing her decision to compete in the games for China, Gu said she is “proud of [her] heritage, and equally proud of [her] American upbringings.” At the time, Gu said the “opportunity to help 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.”
