China’s naturalised Olympians walk fine line between love and scorn

A woman uses an escalator near an advertising billboard showing Gu at a shopping mall in Beijing on Feb 9, 2022. Freestyle skier Gu has inspired ecstasy and adulation among Chinese fans, but figure skater Zhu has endured a torrent of online abuse after two blunder-filled performances. — AFP

BEIJING: Eileen Gu and Beverly Zhu were both born and raised in the US before deciding to represent China, but their contrasting fortunes at the Beijing Olympics highlight the fine line between love and condemnation for the host nation’s naturalised athletes.

Freestyle skier Gu has inspired ecstasy and adulation among Chinese fans, but figure skater Zhu has endured a torrent of online abuse after two blunder-filled performances.