I don't mind foreign athletes coming to the United States and then going back home to represent their home countries. I get more annoyed at U.S. athletes, going to U.S. universities, getting all the benefits and resources available at U.S. colleges, from coaching to weight training to high level of competition and then deciding to represent another country even though they've barely even visited, much less grew up there, because they know they can't make the U.S. team.
Mondo is a special case, because he visited every year, and that was the plan to represent Sweden from the very beginning, and he is quite open about it.
It's people like Nick Ponzo, Jasmine Camacho Quinn, and even 400M hurdler Gianna Woodruff. All born and raise in the U.S., went through the U.S. education system, and now compete for other countries. It's their right, to be sure, but don't pretend like you're actually Italian or from Puerto Rico or Panama. It drove me crazy when the announcers were going gaga over Ponzio as the crazy Italian. I'm like, you do know he's from New Jersey, right? And it's well known that JCQ only represents Puerto Rico because she bombed out in the U.S Trials in 2016. Again, which is her right, but let's not pretend it's anything but a cop out that you aren't good enough to make the American team.
Just now, I saw a story about how the rise of the Dominican Republic team is due to Felix Sanchez, without even bothering to mention that he was born, raised, and lived in the Bronx his whole life. Just be honest.
Say, Nick Ponzio, an American representing Italy. I mean, they did that with the "Chinese" snowboarding in the winter Olympics last year. At least broadcasters were up front about the obvious reasons why she renounced American citizenship. ($$$$$)
I give credit to athletes like Rai Benjamin, Wadeline Jonathas, and Barbara Pierre who switch their allegiance back to the U.S. because they know they are getting the advantages of living and training here, and want to actually represent their country.
The Kenyans in the US Army program, well, that's a whole 'nother thread.