Why does Alexi Pappas get crucified running for Greece but not Justine Fedronic who did the same thing with France?

"[Nicholas] Scarvelis [UCLA SP & DT] grew up in Santa Barbara, attending Dos Pueblos High but will compete for Greece, the birthplace of his grandparents, in Rio de Janeiro."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stepter-714412-scarvelis-usc.html

He must have started eating Greek yogurt a few weeks ago, like Pappas.

Allotting entries to the Olympics & Worlds by nation has become a silly joke. There was hope when the Worlds began in 1983 that they might someday just take the top competitors in each event regardless of nation. But that will never happen, due to sports politics. They want to be able to brag that 150+ countries are competing at their meet. And we would have 15 Kenyopians in the 10,000, and no one but Kenyans in the steeple, and sometimes all Americans in the 110H.

No one crucified Aisha Praught either for running for Jamaica.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=6549388&thread=6549360#6549388

Greek Yogurt wrote:

"[Nicholas] Scarvelis [UCLA SP & DT] grew up in Santa Barbara, attending Dos Pueblos High but will compete for Greece, the birthplace of his grandparents, in Rio de Janeiro."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stepter-714412-scarvelis-usc.html

He must have started eating Greek yogurt a few weeks ago, like Pappas.

Allotting entries to the Olympics & Worlds by nation has become a silly joke. There was hope when the Worlds began in 1983 that they might someday just take the top competitors in each event regardless of nation. But that will never happen, due to sports politics. They want to be able to brag that 150+ countries are competing at their meet. And we would have 15 Kenyopians in the 10,000, and no one but Kenyans in the steeple, and sometimes all Americans in the 110H.

Isn't grandparentage stretching the ties to the "ancient" homeland a bit thin? Your parentage maybe......but grandparentage?????

Didn't an American basketball player (older center now with Portland Blazers) compete for Germany in Olympics through grandparentage. Kobe asked him to speak ONE sentence in German.

Another one bites the USA wrote:

No one crucified Aisha Praught either for running for Jamaica.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=6549388&thread=6549360#6549388

I did. Maybe I didn't do it enough. OTC-E is almost all furriners now. Nike's training ground for runners who will try to defeat Amerikuns at the Worlds and Olympics.

Can you cite the rule? Not trying to be a jerk--I want to read it and I haven't been able to find it. I understand forfeiting the right to represent the US but I'm interested in the part that says she can't compete at a US national champs.

Turn away child wrote:

You should petition USATF to make this a rule. Wait, it's already the rule.

jerry2846 wrote:

I believe if Alexi wants to compete for Greece in the Olympics more power to her. However, all actions comes at a cost. I would like to see that anyone that competes for another country in international competition forfeit the right to represent the United States or compete in our national championships.

Er... wrote:

Can you cite the rule? Not trying to be a jerk--I want to read it and I haven't been able to find it. I understand forfeiting the right to represent the US but I'm interested in the part that says she can't compete at a US national champs.

Turn away child wrote:

You should petition USATF to make this a rule. Wait, it's already the rule.

USATF wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on if they barred a U.S. citizen (which Pappas is) from competing at the U.S. national championships. Pappas has already barred herself from representing the U.S. since she chose to represent Greece in international competitions.

Turkey is a NATO ally of the USA. Pappas and most Greeks are ethnic Turks.

Er... wrote:

Can you cite the rule? Not trying to be a jerk--I want to read it and I haven't been able to find it. I understand forfeiting the right to represent the US but I'm interested in the part that says she can't compete at a US national champs.

Turn away child wrote:

You should petition USATF to make this a rule. Wait, it's already the rule.

Download the IAAF Rules here:

and then read IAAF Rule 5 on pages 23-26. They make it burdensome to switch back if you have already switched, requiring a 3-year wait . . . unless you bribe the proper people at the IAAF (Rule 5.4(e)(i) and 5.4(3)(ii).

Regarding the U.S. championships, for the USATF Championships, see:

"Only citizens of the United States who are eligible to represent the U.S. in all levels of international competition are eligible to compete in Championship events. Dual Citizens should note that they must be eligible to represent the USA." And that's determined by the IAAF as above.

For the Olympic Trials, see:

"An Athlete must be U.S. citizen and eligible to represent the United States in international competition . . . "

You are welcome.

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks.

Les wrote:

Er... wrote:

Can you cite the rule? Not trying to be a jerk--I want to read it and I haven't been able to find it. I understand forfeiting the right to represent the US but I'm interested in the part that says she can't compete at a US national champs.

USATF wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on if they barred a U.S. citizen (which Pappas is) from competing at the U.S. national championships. Pappas has already barred herself from representing the U.S. since she chose to represent Greece in international competitions.

She's not barred yet, because she has not yet represented Greece by running as a member of a Greek team. But if she does, as she plans to, then she is barred from the USATF Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials, because of the IAAF rules. Her retaining U.S. citizenship for purposes other than running does not matter.

FYI, up until around 1980, foreign athletes did regularly compete in AAU national championships--and sometimes won the titles.

Er... wrote:

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks.

You can also get the USATF Rules here:

and look at Rule 1 on page 8, "only citizens of the United States who are eligible to represent the United States in all levels of international competition are eligible to compete."

This is why. wrote:

Justine Fedronic actually grew up in France. Alexi Pappas has possibly never even been to Greece or spoken a word of Greek until 5 minutes ago.

True. Born in Germany. Father is from Martinique, which is part of France. Mother is Hungarian. Has dual citizenship with France and Hungary and speaks both of those languages fluently. Grew up in France until age 6, after which her family moved to California. Declared that she would compete for France in June 2013.

"I do not have US citizenship"

This is something I've definitely never heard before. I started following the sport in the late '70s. I remember Greg Meyer won the 1979 Canadian Cross-Country championships, in Halifax, running for the Greater Boston TC (I was competing as a juvenile). And I remember in the early 80s Americans coming to Victoria, BC, to run in our national cross-country / world champs selection meet. But I don't recall ever hearing of a non-US citizen winning the AAU champs. Can you give some examples?

Greek Yogurt wrote:

FYI, up until around 1980, foreign athletes did regularly compete in AAU national championships--and sometimes won the titles.

Thanks, found the TaFNews lists.

Did you really look for the rule? It's Rule #1.1(a).

Eligibility:

(a) In the Open Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field

Championships, the Junior Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships,

the Men's and Women's Race Walking Championships, the Men's and Women's

Open, Junior, and Masters Cross Country Championships, and the Men's and

Women's Long Distance Running Championships, only citizens of the United

States who are eligible to represent the United States in all levels of international

competition are eligible to compete. (In the Men's and Women's Race Walking

Championships, Men's Long Distance Running Championships, and Masters

Cross Country Championships, others may compete in a separate non-scoring

division or race.)

jerry2846 wrote:

I believe if Alexi wants to compete for Greece in the Olympics more power to her. However, all actions comes at a cost. I would like to see that anyone that competes for another country in international competition forfeit the right to represent the United States or compete in our national championships.

Proves my point.

Greek Yogurt wrote:

FYI, up until around 1980, foreign athletes did regularly compete in AAU national championships--and sometimes won the titles.

But foreign runners weren't allow to win NCAA championships.

Ever hear of Henry Rono?

Of course they are. American colleges are not limited to Americans.

Please name one Kenyan who country-jumped to the U.S. because they could not make the Kenyan team?