USATF Encouraging Athletes to lie on Rio Visa Applications: email attached

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

No, if you're getting paid while you're there then you may need a work visa, not a tourist visa

HardLoper wrote:

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

No, if you're getting paid while you're there then you may need a work visa, not a tourist visa

Technically if the athlete pays for the visit with her own money, no matter how she earned it and does not run for prize money I guess she could argue she was primarily there to see the sights.

If her sponsor pays any of the bills than I think it is work no matter if there is prize money or not. She is a brand ambassador representing her sponsor and it is a business trip.

Surely of she is at an official Team USA it's business.

But if it is not officially a Team USA Event just an event only open to Team USA members wearing nothing but Team USA gear that USATF just submits the paper work for as a favor to the tourist I'm sure it tourism.

Any way you slice it the e-mail is just an example how conflicts are resolved at USATF.

Shaking my head wrote:

An athlete of mine just received an email from Kimberly Sims regarding an event coming up in Rio. There are a few issues with the event which is are very frustrating. It's not an USATF event, but you must wear USATF provided gear. If you don't have the gear already they will NOT provide it. Athletes also need to get a Visa for the event and she goes out of her way to encourage them to lie when applying for it. How can the Manager of International Teams encourage athletes to lie on a Visa application? That has to be breaking a law of some sort.

See the email attached.

http://imgur.com/qeew2R8

Having spent probably a week - maybe more - on getting my 'media' visa for China, I can tell you honesty on those things doesn't necessarily help you. If I had to do it again, I guess I'd be honest (as I don't want to end up in a Chinese prison) but man was it a pain.

But I think a journalist has a much better chance of being thrown in jail in China than a track athlete in Brazil in 2016.

Brazil is odd visa wise a friend recently went to Rio using her US passport to fly out of NY her Albanian passport, avoiding getting a visa, to enter Rio and leave.Then reentered the USA with her American passport

This is obviously spam. Are you all brain dead?

Oh wait. There's a Nigerian princess with $1 million dollars dear sir if help you getting out of country her.

But I think a journalist has a much better chance of being thrown in jail in China than a track athlete in Brazil in 2016

Then you'd be safe in both situations, lucky you.

Uh. Hello McFly! wrote:

This is obviously spam. Are you all brain dead?

Oh wait. There's a Nigerian princess with $1 million dollars dear sir if help you getting out of country her.

Email is attached to the thread. Sadly but true USATF did encourage the athletes to lie about coming to Brazil on business and check tourism.

Time to represent!! wrote:

Good thing I bought that 1996 USATF Olympic speedsuit off Ebay a few years back. I'll be submitting my application to Sandy Snow tonight for the 100m and 5k double. It's going to be a blast racing in the Olympic stadium representing the USA!!

Do you think there will be time limits for the 5k? I haven't ran in a few years...

Good luck B. Lawlor!

HardLoper wrote:

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

No, if you're getting paid while you're there then you may need a work visa, not a tourist visa

Who is getting paid? This is track and field. 95% of athletes are loading up credit cards to get to Rio.

Bottom line is they are not technically employed in Rio.

Your opportunity is here! wrote:

Don't have an USATF jersey? Now you do!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nike-USATF-Singlet-Track-Field-USA-Olympic-Mens-L-Pro-Elite-Swift-Razorback-/182030840094?hash=item2a61e2311e:g:wBEAAOSwrklVOWAs

That's from the 2008 Beijing kit (dark blue). I assume that athletes would need to have the 2012 London kit (red). You can buy the 2008 kit (and previous "retro" uniform tops) on usatf.org, but you won't be able to buy the 2012 kit until the 2016 Rio kit replaces it as the national team uniform.

bfsdfsd wrote:

This is the visa they're supposed to get:

http://chicago.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/vitem_iii.xml

I don't think that's right. That's the visa you're supposed to get "For individuals who will be paid for their participation in athletic or performing arts events."

The whole point of the USATF email is that the athletes are NOT getting paid by USATF. If they go it's entirely on their nickel. So a tourist visa is appropriate.

Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Friday 6:00 PM

Mostly Cloudy

5PM EDT weather in Rio

Mostly Cloudy

81°F

Precipitation: 0%

Humidity: 89%

Wind: 5 mph

Shaking my head wrote:

See the email attached.

http://imgur.com/qeew2R8

Even if the tourist visa is the correct visa for someone going to compete in the test meet while they are touristing this is another example of oddly worded USATF messages.

USATF has a communications section with people paid to write stuff. I would think Managers like Ms Sims would have their communications vetted especially after the Symmonds uniform requirement lawsuit.

As you see I'm not a great written communicator so I'd be damn sure I get someone from corp commo to look over anything I sent out with my USATF title.

My Dad always said "Don't Mention This To Mom" and I knew if I did Mom would surely paddle my sweet young butt.

I just Googled it, there is a special temporary visa for paid athletic competition. Thus if they collect prize money they should have gotten this visa. Or, if there is no prize money they told them not to mention the competition to save the hassle of getting questioned about it.