Clarity on who is "American": My Opinion

No one cares about your opinion or how they appear "in your eyes".

These discussions are so stupid and petty, not to mention racist. If they're US citizens, they're Americans and entitled to everything that goes along with that distinction. End of story.

Yep, completely agree, 'melting pot.' Can't understand this debate and think it's xenophobic and disrespectful to a lot of great athletes who 'we' should be proud of.

Also, OP, this:

"Sydney Maree is not American, as he competed for South Africa."

is wrong. First of all SA was banned from international competition. Second he came to the US as a frosh at Villanova in '76, and could sometimes compete for Villanova in more international type meets, but couldn't really participate fully until he became a permanent resident in '83 and a citizen in '84. SA didn't re-join the international track community until '92, two years before their first democratic election. At that time Maree said he would not compete for SA (even though he didn't make US team) because of his loyalty to the US after everything the US had done for him.

HAVING AN ALL kenyan marathon team- what a joke

Do you really think Running is the criteria for who is American and who isnt?

Shows how shallow your views on citizenship are.

Please get real. We live in a global village now, and anyone at anytime can change citizenships LEGALLY and represent his new country in the appropriate time period. Everyone you mentioned is American period.

I suggest you are questions like: Are American records set by druggies like Barry Bonds legitimate.

He's not making a blanket statement on who is AMERICAN. He is simply offering what I believe to be a pretty good assessment of the authenticity of being able to represent the USA in track & field. Of course they are all American citizens. Nobody in their right mind would dispute that. However, competing for one nation and then competing for another as an ex-pat IS somewhat disingenuous. It isn't a whole lot different from competing as a pro and then being precluded from competing collegiately or from competing for one university for four years and then being precluded from competing for a different university. Whether or not the OP even believes his own premise, I think he was merely offering an opinion as to why the debate even exists.