Global Participation in the Olympics

Last week’s blog started with a paragraph about the start of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. My wife and I are spending our evenings watching the Olympics. We both enjoy it, but my focus is on trying to identify lessons that I can attribute to global trends. It is not surprising that the NBC coverage emphasizes the US participants.  It is likely that every country, large or small, that broadcasts the Olympics and sends a delegation to take part, is focused on its own delegation. Unlike the Summer Olympics, most sports in the Winter Olympics are unfamiliar to the global public. The only informative exposure that most of us have is through the broadcasting of the events.

Meanwhile, the participating athletes need facilities where they can train. They travel the world to train and compete before they can reach the level of the Olympics and attract the financing to have a chance of success. The US has the largest delegation (232), and as I said, it’s not surprising for the TV coverage in the US focuses on US athletes. However, there were some surprises. Perhaps the biggest one had to do with Eileen Gu; there was a slew of complaints on social media about her coverage (NBC is getting ripped for its coverage of Eileen Gu):

Freestyle skiing superstar Eileen Gu has been one of the top performers at the 2026 Winter Olympics so far and is getting plenty of coverage by NBC. That’s angered a ton of people though.

Gu has been representing China since 2019 despite being raised in the United States. For many Americans who are sickened at the notion of someone being raised in America and choosing to represent one of its biggest international rivals, NBC’s ongoing coverage and compliments of Gu throughout these Olympics are unbearable…

As is obvious from the piece, Ms. Gu is not a member of the American delegation. She is a member of the Chinese delegation. She is not alone.

Below is the relevant rule in the Olympic Charter that allows athletes to choose which country they want to represent (Chapter 2, rule 41 of the Olympic Charter):

A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as he may elect. However, after having represented one country in the Olympic Games, in continental or regional games or in world or regional championships recognized by the relevant IF, he may not represent another country unless he meets the conditions set forth in paragraph 2 below that apply to persons who have changed their nationality or acquired a new nationality.

 I asked AI (through Google) for lists of US citizens that chose to compete under different flags in the 2026 Winter Olympics and 2024 Summer Olympics. Tables 1 and 2 are the results:

Table 1 – American citizens representing other countries in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Table 2 – American citizens representing other countries in the 2024 Summer Olympics

People posting on Reddit gave somewhat more nuanced answers about why.

The choice of American athletes to participate under different flags is obviously available to all athletes who qualify. This Valentines Day, one couple stood out (Heated Rivalry and Marital Bliss: Two Wives Go Head to Head in a Scary Olympic Sport – The New York Times):

It is a wild idea to throw yourself down a frozen track headfirst on a tiny sled, picking up speeds that would earn a ticket if you were driving, whipping around icy bends in a blur. It is an even wilder idea to do so in competition with your spouse. Kim Meylemans, 29, of Belgium, and Nicole Silveira, 31, of Brazil, are both competing at the Winter Olympics in Italy in the sliding sport known as skeleton. The final races and medal ceremony are set for Saturday.

Figure 1 – Kim Meylemans and Nicole Silveira, wives competing in Olympic skeleton (Source: NYT)

The “nation-selection” for qualified individuals obviously is not restricted to sport. I asked AI (through Google) the more general question of “Reasons for qualified individuals to choose a country different than the one they live in.” Here is what I got:

Qualified individuals often relocate to new countries seeking better career prospects, higher salaries, and advanced specialized training.

Key drivers include a superior quality of life, greater political/economic stability, safer environments, and personal growth through cultural immersion. International experience also builds valuable, diverse skills that boost employability.

• • • • Career Advancement& Opportunities: Seeking better job roles, higher salaries, and opportunities in specific industries (e.g., tech, finance).
      • Better Quality of Life & Environment:Seeking safer, more stable, or cleaner environments, with better healthcare and education systems.
      • Education & Professional Development:Access to top-tier universities, specialized training, and gaining international experience to enhance resumes.
      • Economic & Political Stability:Moving away from countries with high inflation, economic downturns, or political unrest to secure financial stability.
      • Lifestyle & Cultural Exploration:Desire for a change of scenery, a different climate, or to experience new cultures, languages, and lifestyles.
      • Personal Growth & Network Building:Developing soft skills like adaptability, problem-solving, and building a global professional network.
      • Family & Safety:Relocating for family reunification or to provide a safer environment for children. 

Recent political developments have given me a very personal reasoning to address the issue of “choosing” nationality:

The Trump administration is dramatically expanding an effort to revoke U.S. citizenship for foreign-born Americans as it works to curb immigration, according to two people familiar with the plans. Over the past several months, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that’s responsible for legal immigration, has been sending experts to its offices around the country or reassigning staff members to focus on whether some citizens processed through those offices could now be denaturalized, these people said.

I am one of the 50 million Americans citizens who were not born in the US. So is my son. My next blog will expand on this issue.