At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu Ailing, the Representative Team of China, attracted the attention of all of China and even the world. We Chinese think that it is normal for her to represent the Chinese team. However, many Americans are also asking: Why did she represent the Chinese team when she was born and raised in the United States?
I won't mention the reasons that are already familiar to everyone (including the reasons she gave when she made her decision to represent China in 2019). However, what I want to share with you today may be something you didn't expect. However, it is definitely helpful for us to answer this question better.
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, two more former ski Olympic champions will appear on the field. They all had one thing in common, they were all members of the American ski team, but later, they all left the American team and joined another country's representative team! One was to win an Olympic gold medal before leaving team USA! One was to win gold at the Olympics after leaving team USA.
01 The story of Olympic gold medalist Wilder
Let's look first at his achievements. Snowboarder Victor Wild, born in 1986, won bronze medals in parallel giant slalom at the 2013 FIS World Snowboarding Championships and two gold medals in parallel slalom and parallel slalom at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, making him the first ever snowboarder to win two gold medals at the same Winter Olympics.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, he won the bronze medal in the parallel giant slalom event.
So, what is the story behind him?
Initially, he was a member of Team USA. However, after the 2010 Winter Olympics, the American Ski and Snowboard Association closed the alpine snowboard program. According to a 2014 report, Wilder was seen by U.S. snowboard officials as "a terrible kid, someone who doesn't understand the place of alpine (skiing) in the [U.S.]' snowboarding power structure." U-shaped pools are king, with the importance of slope slalom skiing gradually rising, while snowboard cross-country races come in third place. ”
A former coach in Wilder reportedly said the budget for the alpine snowboard program was $135,000 before it was shut down. Of course, this little bit of money is not enough to maintain an internationally competitive team, so it has to be closed.
At this time, Wilder certainly did not want to admit his fate and end his career. As a result, he decided to vote with his feet: Leave America!
Mr. and Mrs. Wilder
In 2011, after marrying Russian snowboarder Alena Zavarzina, he applied for Russian citizenship. At the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, he won two gold medals for Russia. Of course, he also began a new journey in life!
After winning the first gold medal, Wilder said with deep feeling: "Russia is a country that makes it possible for me to win. If I had stayed in the United States, I might still be sitting at home, doing some ordinary work, doing something mundane. I've always wanted something different... I won this gold medal for Russia, it's amazing. Some people might think, 'This guy is still American.' ’ ...... That's not true! I'm not the kind of American who thinks it's easier to compete in the Olympics in a country where snowboarding is underdeveloped. I chose a harder path to success, and I've come all the way. ”
Of course, Russia did not treat him badly! For winning two gold medals, he received more than $400,000 in prize money from the Russian government. He also got a brand new SUV.
The Russian government not only funds its Olympic Committee and athletes, but also provides cash prizes for them to win medals. Wilder also received the Fourth Class Meritorious Fatherland Award from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
02 The Story of Sarah Schlepper
Alpine skier Sarah Schleper was born in 1979 in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This time, she also came to Beijing and became one of the flag bearers of the Mexican team at the opening ceremony.
Why not the United States? Wasn't she Born in the United States?
Schrepper and another athlete entered the room holding a Mexican flag
In the women's alpine skiing competition at the Beijing Olympics, she finished 37th. But don't underestimate her!
She is a five-time Olympic champion! Won four gold medals for the United States and one for Mexico. In 2022, she represented Mexico for the second time.
In fact, as early as 2011, he retired after 15 years on the American Ski Team. But then, she remained competitive as ever, and with other plans for her life, she wasn't quite putting her skis on the shelf.
She once told The New York Times: "I'm retired, but I've never really let it go entirely." In my opinion, I never really gave up on ski racing. ”
Screenshot of a related media report in Colorado
In 2007, she married a Mexican, which led to a new passport and a trip to Mexico for skiing. She represented Mexico for the first time in international competitions in the 2014/15 season and represented Mexico at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Speaking about her nationality change in her Olympic resume, Schrepper said: "I wanted to be Mexican because Mexico is beautiful. I love everything about my country (Mexico). A lot of people ask me how I feel as a Mexican, and some Americans don't understand why I chose to be Mexican and haven't had the opportunity to see how beautiful this country is. I am very happy because I love Mexico and everything it means to be Mexican. ”
03 The U.S. Olympic Committee's funding mechanism and the impact of the pandemic
You may have noticed, why did Wilder leave the United States? Of course, because there is no other choice. So why did it end up in such a field?
It depends on the operating mechanism of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Unlike many other Olympic sports powers, the United States does not have a government-funded sports ministry. The U.S. Olympic And Paralympic Committees pay for themselves primarily through corporate sponsorship and proceeds from the sale of broadcast rights agreements. Of course, most of the operating funds of its dozens of sports management institutions also need to be earned by themselves.
In 2020, this mechanism failed due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Some sports governing bodies, such as Archery usa and swimming in the United States, have seen membership fees and event revenues fall or disappear.
With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed until July 2021, the typical fundraising model of the U.S. Olympic movement has been completely disrupted. The U.S. Olympic Committee conducted a survey in early 2020 that they and U.S. athletes would lose up to $800 million in revenue by August 2020, in part because of event cancellations.
In April 2020, the Wall Street Journal had an exclusive report that at the time, some sports governing bodies were seeking help from one place where they had not previously received funding: the U.S. government. Because, under the federal economic relief program, some employers apply for loans to pay wages, rent, and utilities. So, some sports governing bodies felt they met the criteria and were seeking or planning to seek assistance with tens of thousands of other businesses and nonprofits at the time.
Screenshot of the Wall Street Journal exclusive report
Of course, the U.S. Olympic Committee will also directly support some elite athletes, providing health insurance for more than 1,000 athletes and providing financial support for training centers. These training centres generally assist the relevant National Authorities indirectly.
epilogue
After reading Wilder's story, what impressed me the most was this sentence: the United States is "in a country where snowboarding is not developed"!
What a coincidence! Gu Ailing is exactly a snowboarder!
Also, with a 'no coincidence, no book' flavor, Wilder left the U.S. team in 2011 and three years later represented Russia at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, which was held in Russia. Gu Ailing, who left the U.S. team in 2019, represented China at the Beijing Winter Olympics three years later in 2022, which was held inside China.
As for Schrepper, her words in an interview should be listened to by every American 100 times! Especially those Americans who think the United States is the best country in the world! And those Americans represented by Trump who think mexico is a 'shit pit'! Of course, especially the following sentence: "I want to be Mexican because Mexico is beautiful." I love everything about my country (Mexico). ”
Of course, don't these words sound a bit familiar? If you replace the three words 'Mexico' with 'China', imagine that these words came from Gu Ailing's mouth! How do you feel?
In addition, after I learned about the funding mechanism of the Us Olympic Committee and the impact of the pandemic on it, I think: now it seems how wise It is for Gu Ailing to make the decision to join the Chinese team in 2019! As a result, she herself has received all the guarantees for preparing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics!
Imagine if she were a member of team USA, would she have been in such good conditions to train and prepare well?
The answer, of course, is no.
Therefore, I would like to say: Gu Ailing is lucky, and it is wise to choose to represent China! She won not only the gold medal but also the Chinese people behind her who supported her and encouraged her! (End)