China’s Olympic champion skier Eileen Gu is facing criticism online after videos emerged of her dancing intimately with a French swimmer accused of disrespecting a Chinese sports coach.
The video, which surfaced as the Paris Olympics came to a close, shows Gu interacting intimately with Games swimming champion Leon Marchand in a Paris nightclub.
At one point, Gu can be seen holding an Olympic gold medal while making a kissing gesture, leading to speculation that the medal belonged to Marchand and that the pair are romantically linked.
Gu won two golds and a silver medal for skiing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics while Marchand clinched four golds and a bronze in Paris.
This made the Frenchman the first swimmer since US legend Michael Phelps to win four individual golds at a single Olympics.
The controversy has its roots in an incident after Marchand won the 200m individual medley on August 2.
The French swimmer faced criticism from Chinese netizens for being “arrogant and disrespectful” after he appeared to ignore a handshake request from Zhu Zhigen, coach of the Chinese bronze medalist Wang Shun.
Although Marchand apologised, claiming he was unaware of the coach’s gesture, thinking he was trying to help with a lane rope, discontent continued.
This extended to Gu when it was revealed that she had frequently interacted with Marchand on Instagram during the Olympics.
Gu deleted the interactions after Marchand became the subject of controversy which prompted a mixed reaction on mainland social media.
While some viewed her actions as patriotic, others labelled them opportunistic.
On Weibo, sports commentator Li Pingkang said: “There’s nothing wrong with commenting, knowing, or even being friends with someone, but immediately distancing yourself when it might cause controversy proves that she is opportunistic and utilitarian.”
Born and raised in the US by a Chinese mother, speculation has swirled that Gu holds dual citizenship since she competed for China in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Many people contend that there is no record of Gu renouncing her US citizenship.
This has led to criticism that she might have dual citizenship – a nationality status not officially recognised under Chinese law – and is using it for personal and commercial gain.
Strained Sino-US relations have intensified the scrutiny of Gu’s credentials.
The fact that she publicly took a pro-China stance while continuing her relationship with Marchand in private has led to accusations that she is “two-faced”.
Chinese netizens even used the popular skincare routine slang, “Morning C, Evening A” – originally meaning to use Vitamin C products in the morning and Vitamin A products at night – to criticise her for “being Chinese by day and American by night”.
Also, at the Paris Olympics, Gu actively shared her experiences and interactions with other athletes on social media, sparking criticism over self-promotion and limelight hogging.
After Chinese divers Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi won their gold medals, Gu attended their press conference.
Social media commenters have overwhelmingly expressed discontent about Gu and Marchand.
“The two are a perfect match – an arrogant and rude guy with a sophisticated, self-serving girl!” one person said.
Another netizen said: “Don’t expect an American-born Chinese who was raised abroad to have any real sense of belonging to China. It’s all about mutual benefits.
“Brands should be more cautious in their choices. We have our own tennis champion Queen Wen (Zheng Qinwen) fighting for the country. Let’s hope the endorsements turn to her!” wrote another person.
