USATF Encouraging Athletes to lie on Rio Visa Applications: email attached

Shaking my head wrote:

It's not an USATF event, but you must wear USATF provided gear. If you don't have the gear already they will NOT provide it.

If you don't have the gear already they will not allow you to compete.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Shaking my head wrote:

It's not an USATF event, but you must wear USATF provided gear. If you don't have the gear already they will NOT provide it.

If you don't have the gear already they will not allow you to compete.

I stand corrected. I don't get how it's not a USATF team/event and yet they are trying to control who goes.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Shaking my head wrote:

It's not an USATF event, but you must wear USATF provided gear. If you don't have the gear already they will NOT provide it.

If you don't have the gear already they will not allow you to compete.

Who will stop you from competing? USATF does not run the Rio games.

Good thing I bought that 1996 USATF Olympic speedsuit off Ebay a few years back. I'll be submitting my application to Sandy Snow tonight for the 100m and 5k double. It's going to be a blast racing in the Olympic stadium representing the USA!!

Do you think there will be time limits for the 5k? I haven't ran in a few years...

Meh, this woman is just doing her job and trying to make things easier for athletes and agents by helping to cut some red tape. Good for her. This classification stuff on Visas is done all the time in industry.

My question is... can an athlete get the gear from a friend and still go? The athlete would technically "have" the gear then...

I'm on the short list of people ready to criticize USATF.

That suggestion for the visa isn't a lie. It's not perfectly true, but the point is to visit Rio. So, tourist classification seems good.

Interesting that the test event isn't IAAF sanctioned. It's a true "test" event in every sense.

For many athletes then, the Olympics is two trips to Rio, this one you have to provide your own logistics. In Rio, that's not so easy. Mixed blessings I guess?

Blah Blah Blah Blah wrote:

Mr. Obvious wrote:

If you don't have the gear already they will not allow you to compete.

Who will stop you from competing? USATF does not run the Rio games.

Did you not read the link?

USATF must enter the athletes into the meet.

The local organizers are requiring that athletes wear the national team uniform of their country. with that said, USATF will not issue any uniforms for this event, thus only those who already have team USA gear may apply.

Don't have an USATF jersey? Now you do!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nike-USATF-Singlet-Track-Field-USA-Olympic-Mens-L-Pro-Elite-Swift-Razorback-/182030840094?hash=item2a61e2311e:g:wBEAAOSwrklVOWAs

This visa thing is done all the time. Was also suggested for Visa's to Beijing last year. No biggie.

Visa wrote:

This visa thing is done all the time. Was also suggested for Visa's to Beijing last year. No biggie.

I think it's in poor taste for her to encourage anyone applying for a Visa to lie though. It may be done all the time but I highly doubt the Brazilian government would appreciate the US encouraging folks to lie on Visa Applications to their country.

Shaking my head wrote:

An athlete of mine just received an email from Kimberly Sims regarding an event coming up in Rio. There are a few issues with the event which is are very frustrating. It's not an USATF event, but you must wear USATF provided gear. If you don't have the gear already they will NOT provide it. Athletes also need to get a Visa for the event and she goes out of her way to encourage them to lie when applying for it. How can the Manager of International Teams encourage athletes to lie on a Visa application? That has to be breaking a law of some sort.

See the email attached.

http://imgur.com/qeew2R8

Will the USARF bail the athletes when they get arrested for visa fraud only if they are in uniform at the time of arrest?

Will we get another "underling speaking for herself not as an official spokesperson authorized by USATF to advise athletes about visa matters" type justification of this stupid stupid idea to lie about why they are going to Rio.

Aside from the idiocy of the visa thing why is the USA not funding a team. I'll bet you dollars to donuts USATF will send some Team USA Rio Coaches or staff to the event.

I wonder if Nicky Symmonds has enough gear to outfit himself as a Team USA member.

WiT

Al Pilk. wrote:

Visa wrote:

This visa thing is done all the time. Was also suggested for Visa's to Beijing last year. No biggie.

I think it's in poor taste for her to encourage anyone applying for a Visa to lie though. It may be done all the time but I highly doubt the Brazilian government would appreciate the US encouraging folks to lie on Visa Applications to their country.

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

I'm wondering if they'll be doing the event while construction in the stadium is ongoing. Apparently quite a few delays in the stadium project, like most of the Rio projects.

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

Al Pilk. wrote:

I think it's in poor taste for her to encourage anyone applying for a Visa to lie though. It may be done all the time but I highly doubt the Brazilian government would appreciate the US encouraging folks to lie on Visa Applications to their country.

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

I'm wondering if they'll be doing the event while construction in the stadium is ongoing. Apparently quite a few delays in the stadium project, like most of the Rio projects.

It's a lie when you fill out the application and you don't disclose the actual reason why you're traveling to Brazil. Can you imagine how this story would look if Russia encouraged people not to disclose why they're coming to the US? Ridiculous to encourage such actions.

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

I'm wondering if they'll be doing the event while construction in the stadium is ongoing. Apparently quite a few delays in the stadium project, like most of the Rio projects.

It's obviously a lie, just read the description. The tourist visa is appropriate for AMATEUR sport competitions with NO MONETARY PRIZE or PAID ADMISSION.

1) Tourist Visa ( VITUR ):

Tourism trip;

visit to relatives and/or friends;

scientists, professors or researchers attending cultural, technological or scientific conferences, seminars (unpaid speakers*).

participation in artistic or amateur sport competitions, whenever no monetary prize or paid admission is involved.

Tourist visa holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activity in Brazil.

8) Letter by Sponsor or Invitation Letter

(Applicable only for participants in amateur athletic, scholarly, or performing arts events and/or competitions who will not receive payment from a Brazilian entity for their activities.)

Copy of letter by sponsors or invitation letter with detailed information about the event and the context of the applicant’s attendance (e.g. as speaker, participant, etc.).

From the consulate itself:

http://chicago.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/vitur_

(tourist_visa).xml

This is the visa they're supposed to get:

http://chicago.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/vitem_iii.xml

bfsdfsd wrote:

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

It's not a lie. They are visiting Rio. A Tourist's visa is appropriate.

I'm wondering if they'll be doing the event while construction in the stadium is ongoing. Apparently quite a few delays in the stadium project, like most of the Rio projects.

It's obviously a lie, just read the description. The tourist visa is appropriate for AMATEUR sport competitions with NO MONETARY PRIZE or PAID ADMISSION.

1) Tourist Visa ( VITUR ):

Tourism trip;

visit to relatives and/or friends;

scientists, professors or researchers attending cultural, technological or scientific conferences, seminars (unpaid speakers*).

participation in artistic or amateur sport competitions, whenever no monetary prize or paid admission is involved.

Tourist visa holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activity in Brazil.

This is the most nonsensical thing to complain about. There is absolutely no negative consequence that can result from this at all. It's as ridiculous as Salazar trying to get Bumbalough DQ'd when he placing had virtually no effect on the event.

Seyta wrote:

bfsdfsd wrote:

It's obviously a lie, just read the description. The tourist visa is appropriate for AMATEUR sport competitions with NO MONETARY PRIZE or PAID ADMISSION.

1) Tourist Visa ( VITUR ):

Tourism trip;

visit to relatives and/or friends;

scientists, professors or researchers attending cultural, technological or scientific conferences, seminars (unpaid speakers*).

participation in artistic or amateur sport competitions, whenever no monetary prize or paid admission is involved.

Tourist visa holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activity in Brazil.

This is the most nonsensical thing to complain about. There is absolutely no negative consequence that can result from this at all. It's as ridiculous as Salazar trying to get Bumbalough DQ'd when he placing had virtually no effect on the event.

Lying on a visa application most likely has consequences.

Wouldn't expect anything less wrote:

Lying on a visa application most likely has consequences.

Especially since everyone knows about it now. Even if it were on the DL it obviously shouldn't have been written in an email. But honestly I'm more outraged by the tone and lack of assistance -- why wouldn't USATF support their athletes traveling to a perfect practice venue for the olympics?