Anyone else remember this from a few years ago?
"When Athens won its bid for the Games a few years ago, Greece got an automatic berth to participate in the Olympic softball matches. There was one huge problem; Greece did not have a softball team and knew little about the sport. Quickly, with the help of the International Softball Federation, Greece began to put together a team of American girls with Greek heritage."
frustrated US citizen wrote:
i do not know the tax situation of his parents, but i do know that he grew up, lives and continues to train year-round in the US with all the inherant benefits as a citizen of the US. it would seem to me that with dual citizenship, the appropriate act to take would be to represent the country of his birth, growth and development. a traitor is someone who betrays a cause; in this case, the USATF, and the development of the United States Track and Field Team. Gio chose to betray USATF by representing a team of another country, therefore, he is a traitor.
Reminds us all, what exactly has USATF ever done for him?
i guess the biggest problem i have with all this is that i cheered for him at several meets and i feel betrayed, since i supported his efforts. he is an incredible talent, and i would like to see him promote the USATF in the same way that i do. even though i have not competed for USATF in the pole vault, i have competed in US National Championships with the desire to represent my country. i will continue to support the USATF and the athletes--i hope that the athletes will do the same.
Why, were you selflessly supporting him in his quest for personal excellence or were you cheering for what you thought to be a selfish validation of him potentially representing you and the government you identify with in competition?
Avocados Number wrote:
I like the idea of doing away with national anthems at medals ceremonies and sporting events. Great writers, actors, ballet dancers, musicians, and scientists don't have to "stand tall on the podium proudly representing our country" in order to be acknowledged for their accomplishments. Why should athletes? And, conversely, why should a national anthem be played as an implicit national endorsement of whiny thugs who happen to run fast, jump high, hit hard, or rebound well?
Olympic fan wrote:
Uh, maybe because your country selected you to go represent us? Not everyone goes to the World Champs, the Olympics, the Pan-Am games, etc. Your country selects you for the national team.
No, "your country" does not select a team, a national governing body (sanctioned by IOC/USOC and/or IAAF) selects the team. The IOC or IAAF could easily side-step that contrivance and simply invite the top X athletes from the performance lists or any and all that meet whatever are determined to be performance standards. However, that would probably mean that simpletons the world over who fail to identify beyond national affiliation would tune out and cause a ratings (and therefore financial) hit.
He was born and lived in Mexico most of his life... you ignorant f***...!!!! read before you open your mouth.
Gio jumps at Mt Sac. He's a nice guy. Doesn't matter where he's from. Mt Sac has jumpers from all over the world who train their. From Mexico, U.S., China, Israel, Japan, etc. that I know of. Gio is a great athlete. Give him your support. People love to train in L.A.