Even if he knew he could run the US trials, he still would have taken the spot on the Mexican team. It's hard to pass up a 100% sure spot in the Olympics.
I think Diego has always planned on running for Mexico in the Olympics. Heck, if I were him, I would in a heart-beat. Makes no sense for him to come in 8th in the US trials.
Definitely agree. He knows making the U.S. would be very very hard. This was just an easy way to make a decision he was already going to make.
Diego passed up the chance to run for Mexico last year to leave open the possibility to run for the US. See:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=24969&PageNum=2
"Then, an impressive track season in 2011 left Estrada at a crossroads. He'd run the world championships "B" qualifying time for the 5,000m, and Mexico offered him the opportunity to compete in Daegu. Estrada was torn, saying, "I was looking forward to representing Mexico at a world champs, but when I got selected for Daegu, I realized that if I took that opportunity, I would have to sit out three years before I could represent the U.S. That's when I took a step back and decided to [decline Mexico's offer to run in Daegu] and start my citizenship process." Estrada became a U.S. citizen on Oct. 28."
So once he thought he couldn't run for the US this year and Mexico said you can run at the Olympics, it made sense to pursue that. Its impossible to say what would have happened if he had received accurate info from the start.
I can't blame DE at all - chance of a life time regardless of uniform. Now I can blame USATF for not having their s*** together and having the right answer. As to why the person at USATF who gave DE's coach the "wrong" answer did NOT check w/ the legal dept - now that is the question, isn't it! (On a highly sarcastic level, maybe they were too busy sitting in their office.)
He would come in a lot higher than 8th in the US trials.
Yes he did it was not Diego's first choice but he is not going to pass up an opportunity to run in the Olympics. Diego will proudly represent Mexico in the Olympics. The Olympics are bigger than anyone on person or country and to be part of them is something special.
When it comes right down to it, who gives a damn what country he runs for. Estrada busts his butt and goes for it every time out. The guy has a great attitude and is a perfect illustration of how you succeed. Whether he runs for the red, white, and blue or the red, white, and green, I'll be cheering for him. Go Diego!
Would this work for German Fernandez as well? As far as I know he was born in Mexico right...dual citizenship?
German Fernandez ran Jr. World Cross for the US as a freshman. I think for him to run for Mexico, he would have had to declare that he was going to run for Mexico and then wait 3 years after his last US competition. But it has been 3 years, so maybe he could?
