If you wanna pull this game then where is the cut off
everyone who isn’t Protestant isn’t American
Because even the original founding fathers had much more respect for Islamic culture compared to Irish or southern European (I say as I am both of those things)
Jefferson loved reading the Quran, I think he would be fine with a Muslim man being an American marathoner, not like that would be on the top of the founding fathers list anyways
For what it's worth I only met Talbi once and ran a few miles with him, and found him to be super friendly and came across as down to earth. I'm personally a fan based on that short interaction
Obviously not record eligible and insane tailwind - but everyone in the U.S. is an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant unless you are Native American. Gtfu haters!
Obviously not record eligible and insane tailwind - but everyone in the U.S. is an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant unless you are Native American. Gtfu haters!
He’s part of the WCAP program and therefore in my eyes 99 percent more American already than all the lazy American borns.
He can’t represent the U.S. in international competition until 2027 anyway. There are guardrails.
He could make the Moroccan marathon team immediately. Instead, he's taking the harder route to compete in a more competitive country – the one he resides in and loves – and is demonstrating his capability consistently. I am extremely impressed with him. Hicks too.
It may be (slightly) more difficult to make an American team in the marathon, due to depth of field and the need to perform on one day (trials). However, it is certainly more lucrative to be a top 3 American marathoner, which he will be in 2027 than a top 3 Moroccan, which he was in 2024.
Shoe contracts, American majors' appearance fees, first American bonuses, etc. American citizenship will be a huge windfall for both Talbi and Hicks and that is fine. Both these guys have lived in the US for many years and train here consistently. Talbi is married to a citizen and raising American children. Talbi amd Hicks are changing the country they represent the right way.
This isn't Turkey or various Persian Gulf petro-states buying Kenyan athletes who continue to train in Kenya, don't speak Turkish/Arabic, and probably know next to nothing about the new country they represent on paper.
Mantz would’ve run 2:03-flat to low today to finish 4th yet again. The tailwind made this a much faster race than last year w the slight headwind. About two minutes fast.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.