ZHANGJIAKOU, China —Eileen Gu, the American-born skier who now competes for China, spent much of her recent gold medal news conference sidestepping questions about her citizenship.
Gu is the most prominent of a number of Olympic athletes in Beijing, including skaters and hockey players, who were raised in America but now compete for China. The IOC allows athletes with dual citizenship to compete but requires them to hold a passport for the country which they represent in the Olympics. China does not permit dual citizenship, at least according to the laws on its books. However, the process for renouncing American citizenship carries significant long-term repercussions for anyone wishing to remain connected in any way to America.