Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories

It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices. Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old freestyle skier, and Alysa Liu, a 20-year—old figure skater, were both born to Chinese immigrants in California, and both were brought up in single-parent households. Gu chooses to represent China, while Liu waves the U.S. flag.