OLYMPIC DIVIDE: Alysa Liu’s historic figure skating gold for Team USA has sharpened comparisons with American-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, as both Bay Area-raised daughters of Chinese immigrants were recruited by China during a push to bolster its Olympic roster — but only Gu chose to compete under Beijing’s flag. Liu remained loyal to Team USA, and ahead of the 2022 Beijing Games, federal authorities said her family was targeted in an alleged Chinese government spying operation tied to her father’s pro-democracy activism, adding a geopolitical backdrop to the athletes’ diverging Olympic paths.
OLYMPIC DIVIDE: Alysa Liu’s historic figure skating gold for Team USA has sharpened comparisons with American-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, as both Bay Area-raised daughters of Chinese immigrants were recruited by China during a push to bolster its Olympic roster — but only Gu chose to compete under Beijing’s flag. Liu remained loyal to Team USA, and ahead of the 2022 Beijing Games, federal authorities said her family was targeted in an alleged Chinese government spying operation tied to her father’s pro-democracy activism, adding a geopolitical backdrop to the athletes’ diverging Olympic paths.
