David Torrence request to compete for Peru granted!

Funny that you bring up immigrants. The problem with Torrence and Pappas is the opposite. If they were to immigrate to another country and then represent that country, I'd say go for it. No one really has a problem with immigrants like Meb representing the US. The problem comes when you live and train in one country all your life but then you grab a passport from another one right before the Olympics without ever thinking of immigrating there.

An Olympic tourist.

It would be a cool vacation to South America, especially if he can get Peruvian taxpayers to pay for it.

How many American runners have aspired to run like Bernard Lagat?

Lots of them.

How many of the American runners actually ended up running like Bernard Lagat?

??? 0.000000001???

How many children in Bahrain are inspired by Ruth Chebet?

?

How many children in Bahrain will end up running like Ruth Chebet?

?

Can he play the Siku?

Good for him! Every single person here has thought about qualifying for the Olympics the easiest route possible. My teammates and I have had many conversations about it over the years.

Now DT can focus his training for the games minus the "will I qualify" anxiety. It also opens up an extra slot in the trials 1500 final for the rest of our 1500 crew. AND Peru gets represented by a potential 1500 finalist/medalist.

Go DT!

Correction:

How many of the American runners actually ended up running like Bernard Lagat?

0.000000000

rjm33 wrote:

Correction:

How many of the American runners actually ended up running like Bernard Lagat?

0.000000000

That's the point, you fool. Only a very, very few will ever even approach his level, but his presence has certainly helped American running as a whole advance. Chris Solinsky has said that the race he was most proud of was finishing 2nd to Lagat at the 2011 US champs, because Lagat was, in Chris's words, "the best in the world". Do you think that Lagat was maybe an inspiration for Chris? But you know what, since Solinksy was never quite as good as Lagat, he might as well have never run at all.

rekky run run her wrote:

Why didn't David run for Peru a long time ago, like at the Pan American Games?

According to the interview on the LRC front page, he always planned to end his career running for Peru. When he asked about it several years ago, he was basically told it was impossible. He recently found out it's not that hard.

Thank you very much for your opinion and response with the term "you fool".

I think I may change my mind based on your convincing argument.

Sincerely,

Joe Rogan

New DT Fan wrote:

Good for him! Every single person here has thought about qualifying for the Olympics the easiest route possible. My teammates and I have had many conversations about it over the years.

Now DT can focus his training for the games minus the "will I qualify" anxiety. It also opens up an extra slot in the trials 1500 final for the rest of our 1500 crew. AND Peru gets represented by a potential 1500 finalist/medalist.

Go DT!

That is not true. I have the Olympic standard in the marathon but will likely never be top 3 in US and get to go to an Olympics games. I would never considered taking an opportunity like this to run for another country when I have lived my whole life in the US even if I had parents who had lived there. I would consider it disrespectful to America as the country that has given me so much opportunity.

I doubt I would ever have run as fast as I have being born and raised in most countries in the world. There's something special about representing your country and going to the games in another countries singlet just wouldn't feel right.

OT Qualifier wrote:

There's something special about representing your country and going to the games in another countries singlet just wouldn't feel right.

What about someone who has two countries? Why should they have to pick?

We don't make children choose one parent. Why should it be any different for a country?

Citizenship is a purely legal matter. US law allows dual citizenship. So why shouldn't people like Torrence, who has fairly strong ties to Peru, take advantage of the opportunity afforded him by law.

What is more American than obeying the law???

Lol what are you talking about? Alberto Fujimori was born in Peru and lived there for a long time.

Pity people on Letsrun are too ignorant to do some researching and realize that there is a fairly large-sized Japanese-South American community in Peru, Brazil, etc.

trollism wrote:

Why are people not going psychopathic over this then?

The people who oppose it, seem to be quite calm about it.

Why is the whole Pappas thing so much worse?

Because people on here love to find a reason to tear down a successful woman.

He says he tried wrote:

OT Qualifier wrote:

There's something special about representing your country and going to the games in another countries singlet just wouldn't feel right.

What about someone who has two countries? Why should they have to pick?

We don't make children choose one parent. Why should it be any different for a country?

Citizenship is a purely legal matter. US law allows dual citizenship. So why shouldn't people like Torrence, who has fairly strong ties to Peru, take advantage of the opportunity afforded him by law.

What is more American than obeying the law???

DT's mom is Peruvian (born in Peru). Why not honor his mother's country of birth?

Seems like it makes more sense for both Torrence and Peru for him to run in Rio for Peru than for him not to run in Rio. What the hey.

If that's how you feel then you definitely should run in the Olympics in another country's singlet. And if someone else feels differently then they should take the opportunity. Exactly how does an American athlete representing another country affect your life?

Hey Debs.

Take a look at what you just posted and ask yourself if it makes any sense at all.

It does NOT make any sense.

............. wrote:

Ridiculous. I would be angry if I was an athlete from Peru who Torrence just took a spot away from.

Haha honestly who else in Peru would even have the B standard in the 1500? He's undoubtedly one of the only middle distance runners even competing for Peru in the Olympics.

OK. I did and I have no idea what you're talking about. I'd be happy to clarify if you bothered to be a bit specific but gosh,there's nothing like being cryptic to make yourself look shrewd.