I'm starting this thread only to say the downhill skiing seems extra crazy this Olympics. Guys hitting 87 mph and already a crash, dude with a bloody face, general insanity of the ride down the mountain.
So did I and came across it while flipping around the tv. First thing I saw was a German crashing out on the downhill at about 70 or so mph. I prefer the Summer Games, but there are some intriguing events in winter. Not figure skating, though.
Once I was reminded, I recall some controversy over NHL players not participating, but it never made my mental calendar
I watched for 30 seconds last night just in time for pairs figure skating and a full blown body slam after an edge was caught with 10 seconds to go in a routine
Climatologically, this is being hosted at somewhere that's fairly a rough fit. Ober-Gatlinburg- Far East sort of conditions.
So, apparently, the most popular athlete in China is a girl who walks, talks, and acts like an American, plus was born and grew up here. Hm. Also just won gold.
japan put out a figure skating pair last night and the dude was from Idaho. Normal American name. Never thought I'd see that from Japan edit now I'm not sure what country and i don't see anything on google but was definitely a surprise
The one from the Bay area? Ya, she's fluent in Mandarin. I don't know if she is a Chinese citizen or not, but she must have a Chinese passport to represent them. And China doesn't recognize dual citizens, which means she must have renounced her citizenship to the US to them. Which is awkward. Not that this affects US citizenship. She is as American as apple pie, whether people like it or not.
I had actually looked this up a few days ago. Dad is American and mom is a first gen Chinese immigrant. From wiki: Born in the United States to an American father and first-generation immigrant mother of Chinese origin, Eileen Gu has competed for China since June 2019 by requesting a change of nation with the International Ski Federation.[1][16][17][18][1] Her goal was to compete for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics.[18][19][20] In announcing the change, she said that through skiing she hopes "to help inspire millions of young people" in China and "to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations."[18][19] In interviews, she has said, "Nobody can deny I'm American, nobody can deny I'm Chinese"[21] and "When I'm in the U.S., I'm American, but when I'm in China, I'm Chinese."[22][23] China does not recognize multiple citizenship after the age of 18. It is unclear what Eileen Gu's citizenship is, and there has been plenty of debate and ambiguity over the subject. While Chinese media has reported that Gu accepted Chinese citizenship and renounced her American passport, as would be required by Chinese law if she were a citizen, there is evidence that this is not the case.[24] Furthermore, citizenship is not required to compete for China as those with permanent resident status are also eligible. Gu herself has remained quiet on the subject, and refused to disclose her nationality.[25] In contrast Zhu Yi, who is also US born and competing for China at the 2022 winter Olympics, has formally and explicitly renounced her US citizenship.
Apparently China made a big effort to flip as many athletes with Chinese ancestry as possible to bolster their success in the 2022 Olympics. And it seems to have worked.
Nominally speaking, I don't mind. As a US Soccer fan, I'd hardly be right in griping about dual nationals and the girl is free to choose as she sees fit. However, in her case, I saw the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai at her event, sitting with the president of the IOC and Gu is clearly being used as a prop for the Chinese government to promote some political interests. This in a Games in which everyone in charge was very clear about not making political statements so as not to offend the sensibilities of the Chinese government. So, I, in part, understand this girl's position and resent it, at the same time. She's playing for her mother's people, despite selling some convoluted idea she's just as Chinese as American. Fine. But, she's also a tool in the China's attempt to sanitize and manipulate. She's headed to Stanford in the fall, so it's not like she's a dumb athlete used as a pawn. She probably saw an opportunity a couple of years ago and took it, now having to deal with the blowback.
She likely saw all of the horrible things happening in America and decided she couldn't represent a country that is trying to implement Jim Crow 2.0 and prevent black people from ever voting. Much better to play for China, who is not doing those things.