Two of the US-born Olympians who abandoned America for Team China have suffered humiliating embarrassments during their time in the limelight in Beijing.
Up-and-coming free skier Eileen Gu barely survived her early efforts during the Genocide Games after losing a ski during her second jump on Tuesday.
Only a successful third jump handing her fifth-place kept her in the hunt for Olympic gold, according to the New York Post.
Far more was expected of Gu, though. After abandoning the U.S.A., the 18-year-old skier dropped her American name and adopted the name Gu Ailing to be acceptable to Chinese sports fans. Team China is banking heavily on Gu.
She had been winning accolades since her debut in the competition, and the Chinese government has put a lot of resources into her since she accepted Chinese citizenship. The lost ski on Tuesday has put a bump in that road to gold.
Despite Gu’s troubles, another U.S. defector had even more problems during her genocide Olympics debut.
California-born skater Zhu Yi, who defected to China in 2019, has become the stuff of social media angst in red China after taking two tumbles to the ice during separate events.
Born Beverly Zhu, the 18-year-old changed her name to Zhu Yi when she defected to China. Some Chinese fans questioned the government’s decision to assign Yi to the country’s Olympic team, and her first outing seemed to justify the complaints.
On Sunday, during her first appearance on Olympic ice, Yi fell and bumbled some of her other moves. Her appearance was so bad she ended up in dead last place.
Then, on Monday, Yi fell again during the games’ final team event.
Two other Americans have turned their backs on Team USA but thus far have not embarrassed themselves in Beijing.
Jake Chelios, the son of pro hockey player Chris Chelios, has been playing for a China-owned hockey team since 2019. Along with former NHL goaltender and Michigan native Jeremy Smith, he is now on Team China.
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