We are more than familiar with the press getting excitable over controversy, to the point where they will strive to generate it when they cannot find any. Keeping in mind that these are the same cranks who claim to despise division in this country, their desire to conjure political wedges is all the more unacceptable. That they have chosen the Olympics to wield this aspect of their craft has been an expected dose of distemper.
Sports reporters are basically relegated to the minor leagues of journalism, but they are no less biased than their brethren in the news majors. This means whenever they attempt to veer into the socio-political arena, they do so with a ham-fisted manner. It’s like watching the difference between a butcher deftly using carving knives, and a meat packer using a handsaw on a carcass in an abattoir.
The first week of the Olympiad in Milan has been filled with instances of athletes being prodded to go on the record and condemn some of the activity taking place in this country. As these soundbites were trumpeted across the media sphere, what was never explained was why we should care what a 20-year-old snowboard shredder or a middle-aged rock-slider has to say about complex political policies.
🇺🇸Team USA curler Rich Ruohonen:
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 10, 2026
“I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray. We are playing for the people of Minnesota and the… pic.twitter.com/3S8uMk90zS
What makes these efforts from the press all the more intolerable is the bifurcated approach to these issues in reference to one athlete in particular. In the women’s skiing categories, one of the stars is Eileen Gu, and the approach to her appearance in Italy is a lesson in abject contradiction. While U.S. athletes are encouraged to get vocal and slam the administration, California resident Gu is regarded as a darling of the games, despite a glaring opportunity being avoided.
Gu competes under the Chinese flag, despite being born and reared in San Francisco. This is because her mother is a first-generation Chinese resident, and Gu announced years ago she desired to promote her sport to young girls in that nation. But more elements are in play with this skier, and the media being leery about approaching those topics is a hilarious dose of professional sloth.
More than a competitive option of convenience, Eileen’s choice of national placement is rather deep. Her mother is involved in her homeland, and Eileen spent summers in China, not only visiting but also attending school. The country embraced it when she switched her allegiance with the International Olympic Committee, and this is cause for some investigation, something the press has been loath to engage in.
China does not recognize dual citizenship, so this connection becoming established creases the forehead. Then last year, it was discovered how the Chi-Coms tabbed Gu as one of a pair of Olympic athletes they dedicated millions of dollars towards her training. The government worked to erase any reference to this support, eliminating Gu’s name from the government documents and memory-holing media reports mentioning this program. This is the kind of built-in intrigue that the press should salivate over.
Instead, our media responded to this with blaring silence. And despite her relationship with the Communist leadership being more extensive than draping a different flag over her shoulders, you will not find challenging questions or calls for her to condemn the Chi-Com human rights abuses from the press. That is only reserved for those competing for the nation that allows their bleating to take place.
Gu instead has been hailed by our media. There was a glowing profile on “The Today Show”, and almost every news item about her is favorable, with no more than perfunctory mention of her shift in national allegiance. Time Magazine decided that, despite the U.S. sending over 200 athletes to Cortina, they would grant Gu a cover profile.
“The numbers say that I’m, competitively, the best freeskier that’s ever lived.”
— TIME (@TIME) January 22, 2026
TIME’s new cover: Three-time Olympic medalist Eileen Gu on her ascent to freestyle-skiing stardom, her decision to represent China in global competitions, and her mindset ahead of the 2026 Winter… pic.twitter.com/DNui6F5WDT
The nadir of hypocrisy was seen from Nicolle Wallace, who gushed over Gu for comments against the government. Not the commie authoritarians, but the Trump administration. Nicky not only praised her for speaking out against the administration’s comments on the athlete complaints, but she said Gu was “more brave than most” for speaking out against our president, not Xi.
From Monday, after reading a quote from American-representing-China Eileen Gu criticizing Trump, Nicolle Wallace, "these folks who have nothing to gain, right, by sticking their toe into politics, are more brave than the law firms, than the universities that capitulated, than the… pic.twitter.com/JwxwO8gi0p
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) February 11, 2026
This is completely bizarre logic. Eileen is dubbed a warrior, as she remains mum about the oppressive government she represents, and the press will not dare to even broach the topic of China. Yet they claim all involved are “brave”, including themselves. Then there is the paradox of Gu saying the political comments from the White House shamefully take away from the spirit of the Olympics, after the press DEMANDED that politics be dredged up at the games.
This is the press wanting discussions to go in only one direction, decrying responses after encouraging the initial provocative commentary. Shying away from any mention of the Chinese leadership is the polar opposite of brave; it is shriveling in the face of communist reprisals, both for the athlete and for the corporate media.
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