Alexi Pappas will be representing Greece

I understand why she would do this, but it is such an obvious farce. This is taking a short cut to international competition and it really brings her down a peg in my eyes. Something about it just lacks dignity in my eyes.

She has no legitimate basis to represent Greece. She wants to go to the Olympics and they want another athlete to represent them there. Has she ever even been to the country?

She's just doing it so she can get the Olympic Rings tattoo and be with the "in crowd" in Eugene.

As a Grecian, what will she earn?

Joe Schmo wrote:

Katja goldring is running for Israel . Must be nice to have parents from a country you've never been to.

Tell me how much you know about the State of Israel and how they feel about their diaspora? I can tell from a statement like this you don't have the first iota of an axiomatic clue.

AI wrote:

I understand why she would do this, but it is such an obvious farce. This is taking a short cut to international competition and it really brings her down a peg in my eyes. Something about it just lacks dignity in my eyes.

She has no legitimate basis to represent Greece. She wants to go to the Olympics and they want another athlete to represent them there. Has she ever even been to the country?

If that is indeed relevant, how come you morons don't make a fuss every time athletes any where in the world, especially white ones, represent other countries?

Alistair Cragg is one example.

I don't know if these facts are straight but if they are, it's a comparable example and there are probably many many comparable examples in the annals. There have been sprinters who grew up or spent time in America representing West Indies nations, etc.

What is a legitimate basis?

Citizenship? Parentage? Ethnicity? Linguistic ability? Passing a citizenship test again? Having visited the country? Having had residence in the country for such and such a period of time? Maybe the geniuses on the Lets Run forum can come up with a consensus on this, for every single dual citizenship country.

Look, I don't care either way. I just get upset that the idiot comments in threads like these seem to suggest that the community of runners is no better than a gullible mob in the hey day of Ancient Roman imperialism and corruption. It's not the persons in question whose defense I care about. It's the implications of these illogical, unfactual mob emotions.

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

5:30 miler wrote:

Ignorate all you want but she's actually a very good runner. Good move for her.

Great move if the avenue is open! I'm all for it if Greece (or whatever country happens to be involved) doesn't have any of their own athletes under the relevant qualifying marks.

i don't get too excited about these types of stories when it doesn't involve a medal contender. That is the reason for the "who" remark.

not all Olympians are created equal. Sarah Attar and Lolo Jones both are both Americans and Olympians. I only consider one of them to be a serious athlete. People like Pappas fall somewhere in the middle.

Ugh, you couldn't find a better comparison than that? Comparing a woman of Saudi Arabian extraction to an American female (Black American, mixed American, etc.) in contemporary athletics is apples to oranges. #facepalm

With the threads on Alexi Pappas, we are finding out just how uneducated, poorly read, poorly traveled and ignorant contemporary members of our running community (presumably in America) are.

Phil Fondacaro wrote:

coach deez nuts wrote: *Cough* Lagat *Cough

Ten years from now, Lagat will be living in the United States, Pappas will not be living in Greece. Lagat did not become an American citizen to avoid the Kenyan Olympic trials, Pappas chose Greece to avoid the US Olympic trials.

And, Lagat's wife is Canadian, and their children are America-born.

She is the female Craig Lutz

My big fat Greek passport wrote:

As a Grecian, what will she earn?

After 10K years the Grecians are mostly Turk, African, Semitic, and Barbarian nowadays. The Ancient Greeks have been long extinct.

bun and pony? wrote:

times are a'changing wrote:

Who would have thought...

Alexi Pappas writing about Alexi Pappas....who would have thought.

Some gems:

By Alexi Pappas / TrackTown USA

EUGENE, Ore. –

"It is with great pleasure and pride that I announce that I will hereby be representing Greece, where I am a dual citizen by birth, in international competition."

"Taking big steps to grow has always expanded my family of teammates and the scope of my athletic potential. Embracing change was the key to my growth"

"nor would I have met my teammate and dear friend Jordan Hasay, and the wondrous “Bun and Pony” would not have been born."

"I do know that this step will open the door for new levels of athletic success and will expand my ability to inspire other runners in the USA, Greece and beyond."

"Taking big steps to grow has always expanded my family of teammates and the scope of my athletic potential."

What a beautiful combination of bad writing and immodesty !

Should I feel bad sniping? Maybe. But are there too many people in this world who like to write on the internet about how great they are? Definitely. So....I'll sleep OK, I guess. Run. Perhaps tell us about your running. But don't pat yourself on the back. Leave that to others.

Oh, and....

"I do know that this step will open the door for new levels of athletic success and will expand my ability to inspire other runners in the USA, Greece and beyond."

Again, run. Perhaps talk about your running. Great. But a middling national class runner who's convinced they're "inspiring" runners around the world? And says it out loud? Geez. Advertised delusions of importance.

Amazing that some folks can't just be happy with a nice gift they were given. Hey, I'm lucky enough to be very talented at a sport and make a living at it. But no, that's not good enough. I ALSO need to convince myself (easily, I'm guessing) that I'm INSPIRING others.....and again, ADMIT IT !!

You dolt!

Sad but men force sex after wrote:

My big fat Greek passport wrote:

As a Grecian, what will she earn?

After 10K years the Grecians are mostly Turk, African, Semitic, and Barbarian nowadays. The Ancient Greeks have been long extinct.

I understand why she did it, but don't respect her decision.

^ The most annoying person on the boards in probably two years. However, I want to thank you for your attempts to use big words; I needed a good chuckle this evening. Thank you!

brogan1 wrote:

Interesting how when Bernard Lagat made the switch most people here were not supportive since he was doing it so he could avoid Kenya's more competitive Olympic trials. Many people seem supportive of Alexi Pappas.

Lagat was Kenya's best miler and would not have had a problem making the Kenyan Olympic team when he represented the USA. When Lagat choose to represent the USA, he trained in the U.S., lived in the U.S., married to an American and gave up his Kenyan citizenship.

TrackCoach wrote:

brogan1 wrote:

Interesting how when Bernard Lagat made the switch most people here were not supportive since he was doing it so he could avoid Kenya's more competitive Olympic trials. Many people seem supportive of Alexi Pappas.

Lagat was Kenya's best miler and would not have had a problem making the Kenyan Olympic team when he represented the USA. When Lagat choose to represent the USA, he trained in the U.S., lived in the U.S., married to an American and gave up his Kenyan citizenship.

*cough* married a Canadian

But I agree with your point.

She's an opportunist. Honestly so so uninspiring.

At least she didn't lie about not knowing the rules ala Diego Estrada. He, like. Pappas, wanted to go to the Olympics and found a willing partner country.

Just be honest about the intent. It's BS to say you want to represent your "heritage" if so, how come she didn't announce anything in a non-oly year. Will she represent them at Worlds? Why not if It's all about the heritage.

She is waaaay to flighty to take seriously.

I have no problem with Pappas running for Greece. In 1984 I considered trying to get my sister-in-law who was in the Peace Corps in a country which did not have a national record in the marathon to get that country's Olympic committee to let me run for them.

Snore. wrote:

She's an opportunist. Honestly so so uninspiring.

She is going to get a handful of Kalamata olives and some dolmas that's it...