Why has this thread become about US citizenship? Ches threads pop up often and ususally the gist is: his mistake was ever running in a non-Nike shoe. I do not agree with this. I guarantee I am the most anti-Nike reader of this site. I wouldn't wear them. But that cannot be said for all of you. So, we usually see the opinion that lack of Nike contract, Nike support services, Nike coaching, and Nike shoes is what stopped him being in the Cheptgai/Kiplimo/Ingebritsen league.. i don't think so, but that's the way these threads - and there have been many - often go. If he had just gone to BTC, he'd be great!
But then this thread surfaces. Most of you seem to think that he is attempting to be a US citizen and failing to do so. That may or may not be true. What is really strange is that this alleged fact (he desperately wants US citizenship and is frantically trying ot get it but can't) is somehow stopping him from performing up to your expectations. No longer is Haas the problem. Shumacher would have him winning DL races. No longer is Skechers the problem. With the swoosh on his feet he'd be top-10 in various events at the end of every year. No longer is training without Fisher the problem. If he had real teammates, he'd wiuld have won The Ten!
No. None of those are slowing him down. The most recent version of this topic was about a month or so ago and all that was exactly the problem. Now, it's his theoretical immigration battle. But here's one major flaw: plenty of people have US citizenship. None of them have World Records in any event Ches is or could be good at. None of them won any of those events at the most recent WC and OG. US citizenship seemed to have been good for Kannouchi, but everyone since then hasn't been able to get to the top of the heap even with it. Even Lagat lost a step. He was faster with Kenyan citizenship.
Look at the top-10 in the recent WC XC. Or go top-20. How many Kenyan citizens do you see? How many US? US citizenship seems to be an impediment to success since the Shorter/Rodgers/Benoit eras. Sure, an outlier will show up. Jenny Simpson and Rupp have succeeded. But Kenyan medalists and major event winners are not outliers. Their success is assumed.
So it doesn't even seem certain that Ches is desperately trying to get US citizenship. Establish that first. But then please explain how it would help him. That he'd be faster with it seems to be a given on this thread. No one says how it would help him. It is not even clear he wants it, but:
Why would he be a better runner with a change in his CIS status?