American-born Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who competes for China, reportedly received millions in funding from the Chinese government, according to a recent report.
The Wall Street Journal reported that in 2025 “a public budget” showed that “the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau was set to pay Gu” and Zhu Yi — a U.S.-born figure skater, “a combined $6.6 million.”
However, their names were later “deleted from the budgets soon after they emerged,” according to the outlet:
In 2025, the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau was set to pay Gu and another athlete a combined $6.6 million.
That figure emerged in a public budget that was released in early 2025. It accidentally included the names of Gu and figure skater Zhu Yi or Beverly Zhu, another U.S.-born Olympic athlete who competes for China. The document didn’t break down their individual payments, though it’s likely that Gu, a three-time Olympic medalist, received a larger share of the funding.
In total, Beijing’s sports bureau was set to pay Gu and Zhu nearly 100 million yuan, or $14 million over the past three years. The most recent allocation was for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics,” according to the budget.
The money from the Chinese government to Gu comes as she is “already one of the highest paid female athletes in the world,” according to the outlet.
Breitbart News’s Warner Todd Huston reported in January that in an interview with TIME, Gu, who is a “two-time gold medalist” defended her decision to compete for China, stating that “the U.S. already has the representation.”
Gu also reportedly claimed that “the potential to earn more representing Chinese companies didn’t cross her mind.”
Breitbart News also reported that Gu criticized President Donald Trump’s words about Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess, after Hess said it was “a little hard” for him to “wear Team USA gear.” Hess also stated that there was “a lot going on” in the United States that he wasn’t “the biggest fan of.”
In response to Trump labeling Hess a “real Loser,” Gu said she found Trump’s “critique of Hess inconsistent with the spirit of the Games.”
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