When do you become an Olympian?

you have to compete IN the Olympics to call your self that.

Otherwise you're just A qualifier

NeedsJuice wrote:

you have to compete IN the Olympics to call your self that.

Otherwise you're just A qualifier

Says you.

You have to compete in the olympics and finish your event. No dropping out whether its the 100m or the marathon.

Just a Joe wrote:

Are you an Olympian after you make the team or after you compete?

This is a contentious topic.

At one point in the last 10 years, the IOC only recognized athletes who actually started or played in an event. So if you went and got injured and DNS then you would not be recognized. If you played a team sport and never played, the IOC would not recognize you.

The USOC takes a little more liberal view. If you are named to the team, you are an Olympian. That gets tricky with the 1980 team of course.

Also, there are no "former" Olympians, the proper term is "past" Olympian.

Just a Joe wrote:

Are you an Olympian after you make the team or after you compete?

Depends entirely on how you define "Olympian". Most dictionaries will say something like "a competitor at the Olympic games"; so merely qualifying wouldn't count. But if you want to say it means something else that's up to you...

luv2run wrote:

The USOC takes a little more liberal view. If you are named to the team, you are an Olympian. That gets tricky with the 1980 team of course.

+1 for impressive catch

luv2run wrote:

At one point in the last 10 years, the IOC only recognized athletes who actually started or played in an event. So if you went and got injured and DNS then you would not be recognized. If you played a team sport and never played, the IOC would not recognize you.

The USOC takes a little more liberal view. If you are named to the team, you are an Olympian.

This is discrimination. Everyone who wants to go to the Olympics or identify as an Olympian should be recognized as such.

luv2run wrote:

Just a Joe wrote:

Are you an Olympian after you make the team or after you compete?

This is a contentious topic.

At one point in the last 10 years, the IOC only recognized athletes who actually started or played in an event. n.

Citation please?

Or move to Olympia, Washington.

I have a family member who played a team sport in the 2012 Games. I distinctly remember hearing that in order to receive a medal if the team won one, an individual must actually get into the game. In my family member's case, the coach subbed in the non-starters during an easier pool play match so everyone would be eligible for a medal.

What if you're a doper and made it to the Olympics by doping? Even competed and won?

Are you still an Olympian? (Aside from being a douche of the highest degree?)

Tell that to the 1980 "qualifiers"

When do you become an Olympian? I dont have any references for the official answer, if there is one. And as suggested, some organizations may have different answers. But the few post on LR thus far have suggested these standards, from lower to higher.

1) Qualify, make, or be picked onto an Olympic team, but end up not going due to injury, illness, or because you just didnt want to go ...though qualifying is probably the hardest part, and must be done before any of the standards below can be obtained, it is actually probably the least demanding definition of what an Olympian is.

1A) Same as above but no go because of a boycot

2) Qualify, make, or be picked onto an Olympic team, travel and go to the Games, but then due to injury, illness, or because you just didnt want to compete, you end up not starting and participating. Does this make you an Olympian?.

3) Qualify, make, or be picked onto an Olympic team, go to the event, suit up, and ride the bench the whole game and not play becuase you were at the end of the rotation and the game was close...for example

4) Qualify, make, or be picked onto an Olympic team, start the competition, and then dont finish. Some post have said this wouldn't make you an Olympian because you have to finish. Were they only thinking of races? So if you start the 1500 meters and drop after a lap because of a pulled hamstring or even a fall, you are not an Olympian? And what does finish mean when you are a member of a team that can sub in and out?.. and you are not in at the end of the game? This definition has problems.

5) Qualify, make, or be picked onto an Olympic team, start the competition, and finish. No one can dispute this?

And then I know in track and field, some have called those who finish in the top three at the US Olympic trials an Olympian, even though they didnt achieve the A standard and could'nt go. I would say this is a stretch.

And then again, I remember a few years ago, there was a guy from a Arab nation (I think Iraq) that was an Olympian, because he qualified, went, started, competed, and finished the 5km. That falls under definition number 5. I think his time was mid 16's. It was listed as a PR. He was an Olympian.

And then theres the Special Olympics

make the team wrote:

NeedsJuice wrote:

you have to compete IN the Olympics to call your self that.

Otherwise you're just A qualifier

Says you.

I think this is pretty clear. Any reasonable person would define an Olympian as somebody who was in the olympics, not just as somebody who qualified.

Otherwise, I could be a californian, because I once was offered a job in california. I totally could have lived there if I wanted, but didn't, so I'm a californian, right?

I qualified as a pacing partner for Bob Kennedy

"Also there are no "former"Olympians, the proper term is "past" Olympian."

Not quite.

Check out the US Olympian's Association:

"Once an Olympian, always an Olympian, never former, never past."

To reference a not current year Olympian is easy, " So and so, 1968 Olympian."

You're wrong wrote:

Tell that to the 1980 "qualifiers"

Quentin Cassidy isn't going to like your tone of voice

After you qualified and arrived at the athletes village and after the opening ceremonies before your competition.

End of discussion.

At conception. It's when 97% of an athletic fate is decided.