crazy person wrote:
Here's what I see on most of these age threads: wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. Somebody from another country is stealing something from our kids, blah, blah, blah.
These kids got out of whatever dumpy situation they were in their home country, and now have a chance to live a productive life rather scrape by as a dirt farmer. I'm not saying everybody from Ethiopia and Kenya is a dirt farmer, but many people that move to Indianapolis from that part of the world are not in best of places. Now they are whomping on American kids in a niche sport. Nobody is fudging their age so they can go and win the world youth championships.
Please find something more useful to complain about.
Not true. Many African nations "fudge" their ages to get into the World Youth Championships and the World Junior Championships and the World Junior Cross Country Championships. It has been happening for at least 20 years. Look back at the performances that used to be made at the World Junior and Youth level and then look at how the level has crept up in the EPO-era to an unheard of level. The times in the steeple and 5000m rival that of the Olympics and World Athletics Championships. The level of the performers is just as high because these "Juniors" are always just one year away from competing in the Olympics and Worlds.
I have no dog in this fight, it isn't me they are cheating medals and WJRs out of, but before you argue that it isn't true, look into it.
Look up the World Youth Championships and the World Junior Championships (Wikipedia has a great synopsis) and see how many greats run the Worlds and Olympics the following year.
And if you believe that a 19 year old should be able to make the Olympic Team of a nation as deep and strong as Kenya or Ethiopia ... then don't bother looking it up ... you can't be helped.