zxcvzxcv wrote:
Many people here, born in another country, or with a foreign-born parent, could have taken the easy way out to get to the Olympics, like Pappas, Mondo, Torrence, the guy running for Belgium, and so on, but they didn't, competed hard, and in most cases never made it, but it was honorable.
Please. What is honour? Playing the USATF lottery?
Load of nonsense. Kid has dual citizenship and the Americans are just sour he chose the other one over them.
He is a very talented kid, but yeah a kid. You have no idea who made what decisions. Not a coward.
Whatley wrote:
nonsense citizenshipp wrote:
The kid is talented. No doubt.
He has Swedes in his family. Cool.
He's just NOT A SWEDE by any stretch.
Prediction: He will NEVER live in Sweden in his life.
He's grown up as an American, trained on American soil, eaten American Groceries, received the support of American Schools. On and On.
And, the first chance he got he decided to compete as a Swede, and completely avoid having to go through the tougher American Team and Olympic Trials.
The USA current lacks a lot to desire in many European folks eyes. Mondo, decided before that to abandon his country and compete for Sweden.
It's insulting. He took the easy way out. And he's not a guy who needed to do that.
Let the debate and the insults begin... This is LRC after all.
Tommie Smith was born in Texas but raised in Cali, he was no Texan.
I 'd have to go you must represent the country you were raised in.
Coward,.........really not the word that needs to be used here.
It would be very difficult to make the Olympic Texan team. He had more chances to be an Olympian representing the country of California!!!
DiscoGary wrote:
EuroVisionary wrote:
Again, this comes back to the entitlement I talked about in the WJR thread.
"He's American. He belongs to us!!"
F*** outta here!
What actually happened is that Mondo grew up in America and when he had to choose which country's colors to wear when competing he flipped off America and basically said "F*** off America. I'm not American, and I won't compete as one of you.".
OK Mondo. Noted. I don't like the guy and America doesn't need more people like this. I'd respect him more if he'd close the deal and move to Sweden. So ... GTFO Mondo!
I had no idea he said and did that! Wow, crazy! Can you send me a link to where he said "F*** off America."
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/930993371837091840/W9sTJW30.jpgover road wrote:
DiscoGary wrote:
What actually happened is that Mondo grew up in America and when he had to choose which country's colors to wear when competing he flipped off America and basically said "F*** off America. I'm not American, and I won't compete as one of you.".
OK Mondo. Noted. I don't like the guy and America doesn't need more people like this. I'd respect him more if he'd close the deal and move to Sweden. So ... GTFO Mondo!
I had no idea he said and did that! Wow, crazy! Can you send me a link to where he said "F*** off America."
All I know is that I don't want him representing USA.
This post was removed.
DiscoGary wrote:
EuroVisionary wrote:
Again, this comes back to the entitlement I talked about in the WJR thread.
"He's American. He belongs to us!!"
F*** outta here!
What actually happened is that Mondo grew up in America and when he had to choose which country's colors to wear when competing he flipped off America and basically said "F*** off America. I'm not American, and I won't compete as one of you.".
OK Mondo. Noted. I don't like the guy and America doesn't need more people like this. I'd respect him more if he'd close the deal and move to Sweden. So ... GTFO Mondo!
Pretty sure you said you moved away from America so you can't think it's all that wonderful and worth competing for.
Just go away wrote:
Why do people here talk out of their @$$, and pretend to know what they're talking about? He has spent every summer for the last 18 years in Sweden. He is fluent in Swedish as a co-first language. Obviously, he is half Swede- not just "having Swedes in his family". Also, competing for Sweden means that he doesn't have to double peak as would be required for the American system. I just don't understand this. You've never even met him, let alone know him. Why would you state your bull$hit as fact?
You´re making up stuff here. He doesn´t speak Swedish. He gives all his interviews in English.
DiscoGary wrote:
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/930993371837091840/W9sTJW30.jpgover road wrote:
I had no idea he said and did that! Wow, crazy! Can you send me a link to where he said "F*** off America."
Ah I see, Sean. So he actually never said anything like that and you’re just full of crap. Got it.
Mondo has been spending summers in Sweden and competing for his mother's club there since he was little. His older brother represented Sweden at World Youth when Mondo was 9.
As far as I know, Mondo was always going to compete for Sweden. Of course if he had a desire to compete for Team USA I'm sure his parents would have made that work, but to my knowledge, his desire has always been Sweden.
Here are some pictures I took of Mondo at the Pole Vault Summit at age 10, and oh hey look he's wearing a Swedish soccer top
https://twitter.com/polevaultpower/status/949482425456803840
Ben L Wrong wrote:
Whatley wrote:
Tommie Smith was born in Texas but raised in Cali, he was no Texan.
I 'd have to go you must represent the country you were raised in.
Coward,.........really not the word that needs to be used here.
It would be very difficult to make the Olympic Texan team. He had more chances to be an Olympian representing the country of California!!!
That made....0....sense.
DiscoGary wrote:
EuroVisionary wrote:
Again, this comes back to the entitlement I talked about in the WJR thread.
"He's American. He belongs to us!!"
F*** outta here!
What actually happened is that Mondo grew up in America and when he had to choose which country's colors to wear when competing he flipped off America and basically said "F*** off America. I'm not American, and I won't compete as one of you.".
OK Mondo. Noted. I don't like the guy and America doesn't need more people like this. I'd respect him more if he'd close the deal and move to Sweden. So ... GTFO Mondo!
I'm pretty sure it's his choice who he competes for, and honestly if he goes with Sweden I don't blame him. Especially if he saw this.
Can't we trade one of our fake Americans/Kenyan imports for him?
Sweden gets one of the WCAP guys, we get Mondo back?
I'll tell you one thing Mr. Sweden isn't going to do.
He's not going to pay Swedish Taxes on his pro earnings someday.
Little dweeb will frisk humor in blue and yellow and pay red, white, and blue taxes.
Count on it.
well, I am pretty sure that Mondo could give a crap less what people on here think. At the end of the day, Sweden does a much better job of financially supporting their top tier athletes.
I love track-and-field and could care less what country they represent. I appreciate great performances no matter what. He may not be representing the United States, but I believe that he will be representing his home state university jumping at LSU next year.
Mondo has, because of the accident of dual citizenship, made a choice. And the choice is seen in the US as, "No US", rather than the affirmative, "Yes Sweden".
Many other US athletes are dual citizens, and have chosen to try to compete for the US. That does not mean they are saying, "F you, St. Kitts!". So why is it interpreted as such when a dual citizen chooses his/her non-US governing body?
I, for one, think it's a healthy, positive thing that all you tubby couch pilots of the Let's Run "World Famous Message Boards" are jealous of and mewling about a supremely talented young athlete from an event other than distance running.
Diversity is good, pusscookies.
Well done.
it's obvious he was trying to avoid the more competitive USA athletes to qualify.
I watched an interview with Mondo's dad where they explained the rationale. Sweden wanted him to represent them from early on, but the dad was adamant he represent the US. Eventually, Sweden offered his dad a coaching position on the national team if Mondo would compete for Sweden, so now he competes for Sweden.
Seems like it wasn't 100% Mondo's choice, it was made before he was the ultra-dominant athlete he is now, and as others have pointed out, he can compete for the country he chooses.
