The Best Moments from World Cross Country (Off the Course)
January 14, 2026
2026 World Cross Country Prediction Contest
January 07, 2026
Blocking Visas wrote:
Phil Knight didn't tell the US Consulate ahead of time for WC 2022 Eugene so the international media had trouble getting visas. Many did not attend because no visa was issued.
The AIPS Chief misses his 1st WC because of PKs diss. PK did not want WA to hog seats from the fans so he culled 3/4th Media Credentials and most VIP Credentials. They were free to enter the US as tourists, buy tickets, etc.
You can't submit a visa application to any country without a passport. Most articles will assume this as common knowledge, as anyone who travels abroad knows this.
LetsRun.com wrote:
The odds of the US winning junior medals just went way up as neither the Ethiopian men or women will score in the junior team standings. The Ethiopian jr boys only had 1 visa approved and the girls 3 and it takes 4 to score.
The Ethiopian juniors have medaled in the team races 100% of the time they have competed in the past (men 36 straight since 1982, women 27 straight since 1990).
will you put an asterisk on that medal when you will mention that in future articles if any medal will be won by the US U20 teams?
* made possible by the US Embassy and our Great Orange Leader!
I agree that this is embarrassing for the US. Because of this, and some other international developments, this and the 2028 Olympics are probably the last major world track championships that will be held in the United States for quite some time. When it's time to come back to the North American, Canada or Mexico will probably get the next track and XC championship.
If the US continues to be overly active internationally, I could see the 2028 Olympics being boycotted (let's say the US invaded Greenland, probably all of Europe boycotts).
ShoeTubersHaveNoEthics wrote:
I agree that this is embarrassing for the US. Because of this, and some other international developments, this and the 2028 Olympics are probably the last major world track championships that will be held in the United States for quite some time. When it's time to come back to the North American, Canada or Mexico will probably get the next track and XC championship.
If the US continues to be overly active internationally, I could see the 2028 Olympics being boycotted (let's say the US invaded Greenland, probably all of Europe boycotts).
This is an Ethiopia problem, not a US. They age cheat at every world XC champs
This quoted post has been removed.
The problem is Ethiopia didn’t have proper documents because their athletes are not under 20. Ethiopia should be ashamed
They tried to cheat and got caught!
rojo wrote:
This isn't a good look for the US. Pisses me off really. There has to be a better way.
It seems like you could require Ethiopia to put a cash bond of say $10,000 and if anyone overstays their visa, you use that money to track them down and send them back.
I bet the athletes had issues that didn't match up with correct identification. Different world we live in since 911
not u20 wrote:
The Ethiopian U20 team is not U20 anyway.
No idea why their visas were denied but let's not pretend like Ethiopia has ever played fair. They have always been age cheating.
So no, I actually don't feel bad for them at all.
I agree. Although u want the best athletes maybe just maybe some of the under 20 athletes are not under 20? There is precedence...
If America cannot arrange visas for the participants in a championship, it is better not to assign future championships to them anymore. World Athletics would also do well to assign the World Junior Championships to another country as soon as possible....
rojo wrote:
This isn't a good look for the US. Pisses me off really. There has to be a better way.
It seems like you could require Ethiopia to put a cash bond of say $10,000 and if anyone overstays their visa, you use that money to track them down and send them back.
Or just approve their visas like any other country would.
I think many of you are way off base with your assumptions on this. This has nothing to do with race, or even the current administration. People from many countries have had trouble getting visas to the US for quite a few years now.
There is a music festival that I used to attend but haven't gone to for quite a while now. Most of the bands that attend are from Europe. They usually announce the roster of bands for the next year at the previous years festival. In other words, they have the roster set a year in advance. Over the past 5+ years, they have had to change roughly half of the roster every year from what was originally announced because members of bands don't get visas approved.
LetsRun.com wrote:
The odds of the US winning junior medals just went way up as neither the Ethiopian men or women will score in the junior team standings. The Ethiopian jr boys only had 1 visa approved and the girls 3 and it takes 4 to score.
The Ethiopian juniors have medaled in the team races 100% of the time they have competed in the past (men 36 straight since 1982, women 27 straight since 1990).
Your country is a joke, congratulations.
You know it's bad when the 2nd hand embarassment the rest of the world has felt for you the past 20 years turns into 1st hand embarassment by the largest population lacking self awareness on the planet.
Nothing in the world is sacred to the regime in DC.
JamesD2 wrote:
Separately, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Weini Kelati, who claimed asylum here in 2014 after World Juniors.
She was Eritrean - not Ethiopian.
And what I don't get is - why do we fear them claiming asylum? Send them back if don't want them here. She's now a US Olympian so it doesn't seem like it was a problem she claimed asylum.
rojo wrote:
This isn't a good look for the US. Pisses me off really. There has to be a better way.
Dude, you voted for him.
THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:
We are usually critical of Athletics Kenya but they held their Trials intentionally early to sort out visas. Now they have no problems, and look smart even if it costs them a couple of athletes who weren’t recovered from Tokyo. They care about Juniors a lot. They even entered full alternates which they rarely do from my recollection. So they have contingencies if they want to insert someone hurt by the timing of their trials potentially to boot.
1) Great point. Kenya anticiapted visa problems , held the trials early and there are no problems.
2) There were lots of Visa issues for 2022 Worlds under Biden. It's amazing how we automatically view everything with a political lense.
I’m not sure why my earlier post was deleted, as it was intended to be factual and relevant.
The current situation with Ethiopian athletes and the World Cross Country Championships raises the same core issue: international events depend on host nations ensuring access for all qualified athletes. Given the IOC’s response in the Indonesia case, it seems reasonable to ask how that precedent applies here.
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