China’s Eileen Gu flew into Beijing this week ahead of the Olympics, after travelling from her home in the US. And that last fact – that she still lives in the US despite switching to compete for China in 2019 – made her the subject of a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. Haig and I debate the situation at length in an animated podcast. There are two main issues here:

1. For someone who has reportedly renounced her US citizenship, Eileen Gu still spends an awful lot of time in the US – something that may be against US law. [UPDATE: Sources conflict on this, but I’m told it’s possible to renounce and then apply for a tourist visa or even an O or P visa, which would allow longer-term stays.] Conversely, if she does still have her US passport tucked away at home, then China has made a rather large exception to its strict nationality law, which forbids dual citizenship. It’s an issue that has faced several athletes recruited by China in recent years from ice hockey to soccer, and it’s a topic I explore at length in my new book Sporting Superpower. (What’s that? You haven’t downloaded a copy yet?! Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered – click here now!)