Is Solomon Haile really 20 years old?

a step back wrote:

3) Say he really was 20. Why would he go back to high school when he could easily earn money on the roads? For the "fame" of being a high school runner? He's not the fastest runner in DC, but he could probably pull in a few hundred dollars a month if he chooses his races wisely. Is he trying for a college scholarship? If he's as old as you all think, he more than likely already completed his secondary educaton in Ethiopia. There are any number of jucos, D-II programs, and NAIA schools that would take a flier on a 20 year old with his resume. So he's basically writing off two years of his life where he can't get paid for running in order to earn a scholarship? Doesn't make much sense.

Your logic is circular. Haile was quoted that he came to America in hopes to get an agent an make money. When I became evident that was not going to happen, he and his extended Ethiopian family concocted a plan to get him into an American high school, where he could prepare for his next con, an American college scholarship.

I care because he's a f***ing cheater.

Please get off this message board and stop spreading rumors about Solomon. He has a birth certificate, so I dont really understand your argument. Get off these boards ytrewq.

How many Africans are named Solomon Haile in the American School system today?

I am a high school teacher and former track coach in Virginia. I've taught many students over the years whose real age was in question because of their physical appearance. Some foreign students actually don't know their real age or birthday because of the circumstances of their birth.

I've had students openly admit to me that they were 21 or 22, but started school late because of when they came to this country. Obviously, I would never allow this to occur for an athlete on my team. There was speculation that an 11th grader on the track team was already 20 when the school year began. He never returned for his senior year. According to VHSL rules, any student who begins the school year at age 19 or older is not eligible to compete.

I'm no longer coaching anymore and never heard of this kid until he won this past weekend. After looking at the pictures and info about him competing in road races, I don't believe that it is impossible for him to be over the age of 19 and competing in high school. Again, I've had students openly admit to me that they were older than the documentation provided to the school system.

This simple fact of the matter is that if this kid is 21 or 22 and running 14:40ish, he's not that special. On my own team we have a slew of true freshmen and sophs who were every bit as good as that last year and not one of them was 21 even. He's a wanna-be in a b-list confrence in college XC. Good luck making all-SoCon or Patriot League. Theres gotta be at least 300 (probably more) 20 year olds in college XC who can run 14:40. Congratulations on beating up on a bunch of kids who may never amount to anything in the running world, Halie or Segmunse! Hey, at least he didn't take advantage of any middle schoolers.

I love taking advantage of middle schoolers!

When I am 20 years old, i'm going to be a junior in college- not a junior in high school. To me, this seems just A LITTLE bit unfair.

look...he's on my high school xc team and all he tries to do is help the good freshman get better...he's not a cheater...if he was too old to run in high school he would've left already...he wants the best competition out there...sooner or later he might actually get it if u ppl get off ur a$$ and go train

Lame.

So if i come back to high school, help out the freshman on the team, and ask for the best competition around, its alright for me to destroy haile over 5k? I'll get on finding a school that'll let me run! O wait....im too old! Butttt im younger than haile :)

So if i come back to high school, help out the freshman on the team, and ask for the best competition around, its alright for me to destroy haile over 5k? I'll get on finding a school that'll let me run! O wait....im too old! Butttt im younger than haile :)

This guy just broke a great course record at the Manhattan Invitational

Uh... wrote:

When I am 20 years old, i'm going to be a junior in college- not a junior in high school. To me, this seems just A LITTLE bit unfair.

Agreed. I didn't turn 21 until my SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE.

Same here, turned 21 my senior year of college. Enough people have raced this prick BEFORE he went to HS to know he's a flat out cheat. No one will do anything about it because he's African, because he's black. If he were from Europe or Japan hell would be raised. But he's a third worlder, so people back off. Pathetic.

I just heard about this controversy.

What evidence is there to show that Semunguse Solomon is indeed Solomon Haile?

Currently I just see a bunch of results to guys with similar names.

Feel free to post or email me.

wejo, there are a lot of results and other details in the following links:

http://sc.milesplit.us/forums/SC/topics/49774

http://va.milesplit.us/forums/Virginia/topics/52061/1

It's not helpful when people keep saying "leave him alone, you're just jealous" etc. There is a lott of evidence that he is in fact 20 or 21. If he could simply clear this up then it would be fine.

There are not really official birth certificates from Ethiopia; many don't even know their own birthdates besides around the time of some drought.

Solomon has competed internationally, he has been shown to have been looking for a manager multiple times, he may have even accepted prize money.

Solomon may be a nice guy, but that's still not fair to the other competitors. There are many, many coaches in Maryland outraged over the controversy. I have heard many things firsthand.

I talked with the Sherwood cross country team manager; he said that the Sherwood coach sat down with Solomon in private about the age controversy. Later, the team manager asked the coach if Solomon was really 17; the coach replied "It is what it is." He didn't even answer him.

I have another friend who works at Georgetown Running Company, which sponsors a team of runners. The other day, a group of Ethiopians came by to try to get a sponsorship. Guess who was among them? Solomon Haile. It turns out that he lives in the Sherwood district not with his sisters as he's told reporters and stated in interviews; he lives with these other Ethiopians.

Finally, my same friend who is the Sherwood team manager said that Solomon tried to get into 2 other schools than Sherwood but was turned down because of such limited date of birth evidence.

"Solomon Semunguse (20) and Vanessa Hunter (32) each set event records, beating strong fields to win in 31 minutes 30 seconds and 35:26, respectively. Semunguse (in photo) is clearly talented but admitted he is not considered particularly fast in Ethiopia, where winning usually indicates Olympic-caliber speed. But he has been racing often while abroad, hoping to attract the attention of a manager, he said, while staying with his sister in McLean."

Here's the photo. Looks like Haile to me.

It would be nice to see the Washington Post write an article about the age controversy and bring it out in the open to the public.