Fair or Foul? Sonia O'Sullivan slams the fact that two Kenyan born Turks go 1-2 at 2016 Euro Cross

The 2016 Euro XC Champs are in the books.

Results can be found here :

After the race, legend Sonia O'Sullivan, who competed both for Ireland and Austrlia during her career, slammed the fact that two Kenyan-born Turks went 1-2 in the women's race.

https://twitter.com/soniaagrith/status/807928776562769920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

She elaborated on tv as explained. Hear it for yourself.

https://twitter.com/RTEsport/status/807920305318432768

Here is what she said according to The Independent.

"I don't think they are legitimately running for the country. They haven't grown up there. There is no connection there.

"They are basically being paid to run for Turkey.

"Whoever allowed that to happen in the IAAF are not brave enough to distinguish between cases where people have legitimate reasons for people moving countries. For refugees or reasons other than going to be a part of a team.

"When you run for your country, you should really be buying people from other countries.

"It's being discussed at the highest levels and I'm sure that Sebastian Coe is talking about it but it has taken them such a long time to change the rule.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/sonia-osullivan-slams-iaaf-rules-after-fionnuala-mccormack-is-denied-european-medal-by-two-kenyanborn-athletes-35284906.html

So what do you think? O'Sullivan herself ran for two countries. How do you decide what is legit and what isn't?

Somewhere out there, there a bunch of American kids dreaming and training to make the 2028 US Olympic track team. Somewhere out there, also, are a bunch of Kenyan kids dreaming and training to make the same 2028 US Olympic track team

We had a bunch of them already bump up against each other in this tear's Oly trials. While we are (rightfully) taught to be gracious and sportsmanlike and accepting etc, I gotta think that at some point it becomes a disincentive for native grown US kids to continue living that dream

I'm okay with immigrants representing their adopted countries in athletic competition. But I think there should be limits - e.g. one must have been naturalized before the age of 7 to be eligible to do so. (7 is an arbitrary number for illustrative purposes only and can be a different number. Definitely before puberty though.)

I am, btw, an immigrant

So in the mens GB went 1,2,3 - result!!!

elmore345 wrote:

So in the mens GB went 1,2,3 - result!!!

The real hoot is that Turkey isn't even IN Europe IMHO any more than Israel is (the latter also ran, with a team of Ethiopian Jews). I think some people are muddling up Europe with Eurasia...

The Scot wrote:

The real hoot is that Turkey isn't even IN Europe IMHO any more than Israel is (the latter also ran, with a team of Ethiopian Jews). I think some people are muddling up Europe with Eurasia...

Well... the part of Turkey that is north of the Bosporus Strait is actually in Europe, technically speaking. So yeah, they have more of a case for inclusion in a Euro championship than Israel does.

Ha ha ha

The British imported more athletes in the last decade than any other state. Some Brit XC teams sound like a USA college team when interviewed.

Spain, France, Belgium etc. Transfer from Africa and elsewhere on an industrial scale! And yet Turkey gets it in the neck. Is it because they outdo the others or cos talent importing is wrong.

As for Sonia. She draws a wage from commenting today but doesn't mention the obvious. The Irish results are possibly the worst ever. No team better than sixth.

Ha ha ha

The British imported more athletes in the last decade than any other state. Some Brit XC teams sound like a USA college team when interviewed.

Spain, France, Belgium etc. Transfer from Africa and elsewhere on an industrial scale! And yet Turkey gets it in the neck. Is it because they outdo the others or cos talent importing is wrong.

As for Sonia. She draws a wage from commenting today but doesn't mention the obvious. The Irish results are possibly the worst ever. No team better than sixth.

Ha ha ha

The British imported more athletes in the last decade than any other state. Some Brit relay teams sound like a USA college team when interviewed.

Spain, France, Belgium etc. Transfer from Africa and elsewhere on an industrial scale! And yet Turkey gets it in the neck. Is it because they outdo the others or cos talent importing is wrong.

As for Sonia. She draws a wage from commenting today but doesn't mention the obvious. The Irish results are possibly the worst ever. No team better than sixth.

Can you repeat that? I didn't hear you.

You know Farah came over as a kid and started running way after that? Hardly an import.

Name of athlete From nation To nation Year

Ljudmila Ninova-Rudoll Bulgaria Austria

Mark McKoy Canada Austria 1994

Valentina Fedjuschina Ukraine Austria 1999

Serhiy Osovych Ukraine Austria 2003

Nora Edletzberger Turkey Austria 2008

Hanna Skydan Ukraine Azerbaijan 2015[3]

Evans Kiplagat Kenya Azerbaijan 2016[4]

Andrey Makarov Russia Belarus 1998

Aleksandr Furso Russia Belarus 1999

Takhir Mamashayev Uzbekistan Belarus 2001

Sergey Litvinov Russia Belarus 2004

Mohammed Mourhit Morocco Belgium 1997

Yelena Golesheva-Scheers Russia Belgium 1998

Stefanija Statkuviené Lithuania Belgium 1998

Olivier Sekanyambo Democratic Republic of the Congo Belgium 1999

Élodie Ouédraogo Burkina Faso Belgium 2000

Hassan Mourhit Morocco Belgium 2003

Irina Sustelo Portugal Belgium 2005

Atelaw Yeshetela Ethiopia Belgium 2008

Svetlana Bolshakova Russia Belgium 2008

Mira Preradović Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina 2002

Borivoje Stanić Serbia and Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003

Mirjana Kalajdžić Serbia and Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003

Predrag Momirović Serbia and Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina 2004

Tanja Glicic Serbia and Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006

Maja Jancic Serbia and Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006

Milan Radulović Serbia and Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006

Lucia Kimani Kenya Bosnia and Herzegovina 2007

András Haklits Hungary Croatia 1998

Roland Varga Hungary Croatia 2008

Lisa Nemec United States Croatia

Marianna Zachariadi Greece Cyprus 2008

Dimitrios Chondrokoukis Greece Cyprus 2013[5]

Róbert Štefko Slovakia Czech Republic 2004

Josef Karas Canada Czech Republic 2005

Robert Kiplagat Andersen Kenya Denmark

Wilson Kipketer Kenya Denmark

Larisa Netšeporuk Ukraine Estonia

Eduard Hämäläinen Belarus Finland 1997

Natalia Kilpeläinen Russia Finland 2005

Wilson Kirwa Kenya Finland 1998

Francis Kirwa Kenya Finland 2005

Frantz Kruger South Africa Finland 2007

Abdelkader Bakhtache Algeria France 2006

Eunice Barber Sierra Leone France 1999

Abdellah Béhar Morocco France

Saïd Berioui Morocco France 2009

Abdessemad Bouhattach Morocco France 2003

Mickaël Conjungo Central African Republic France

Ahmed Douhou Ivory Coast France 2002

Lueyi Dovy Gabon France 2002

Sylvie Mballa Éloundou Cameroon France 2002

Hanan Farhoun Morocco France 2006

Fanjantenaina Félix Madagascar France 2009

Bouchra Ghezielle Morocco France 2005

Hind Dehiba Morocco France 2004

Latifa Essarokh Morocco France 1996

Rachid Ghanmouni Morocco France 2010

Fatima Hajjami Morocco France

Abderrahim El Haouzy Morocco France

Numidia Kafri Algeria France

Heni Kechi Tunisia France 2004

Fatiha Klilech-Fauvel Morocco France 2003

Sylwia Korzeniowska Poland France 2010

El Hassan Lahssini Morocco France 2001

Irba Lakhal Morocco France 2002

Driss Maazouzi Morocco France 2000

Rakiya Maraoui-Quetier Morocco France 1998

Margaret Maury Kenya France 2002

Françoise Mbango Etone Cameroon France 2010

Rodica Daniela Moroianu Romania France

Simon Munyutu Kenya France 2006

Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida Cameroon France

Emmanuel Ngom Priso Cameroon France 2009

Issa-Aimé Nthépé Cameroon France 1999

Teresa Nzola Meso Ba Angola France 2003

Nicole Ramalalanirina Madagascar France 1998

Ferenc Salbert Hungary France

Mohamed Serbouti Morocco France

Ismaïl Sghyr Morocco France 2002

Yvon Sialo-Ngboda Central African Republic France 2007

Melanie Skotnik Germany France 2005

Brahim Lahlafi Morocco France 2006

Jérôme Romain Dominica France 1999

Nouredine Smain Algeria France 2005

James Theuri Kenya France 2006

Cheikh Tidiane Touré Senegal France 2000

Dauphin Tumatai French Polynesia France 2007

Ibrahima Wade Senegal France 2000

Larbi Zeroual Morocco France 1999

Fabien Bernabe Spain France 2015

Ousmane Diarra Senegal France

Halina Górecka Poland West Germany 1965

Jürgen May East Germany West Germany 1967

Andrzej Badeński Poland West Germany 1974

Józef Szmidt Poland West Germany 1975

Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz Poland West Germany 1984

Wolfgang Schmidt East Germany West Germany 1987

Nischan Daimer Armenia Germany

Andrei Tivontchik Belarus Germany 1994

Alina Astafei Romania Germany 1995

Nastja Ryjikh Russia Germany 1995

Luminita Zaituc Romania Germany 1996

Irina Mikitenko Kazakhstan Germany 1998

Nkechi Madubuko Nigeria Germany

Florence Ekpo-Umoh Nigeria Germany 2000

Alexsey Bogdasin Kazakhstan Germany 2006

Sergey Lytvynov Jr. Belarus Germany 2007

Eleni Gebremehdin-Gebrehiwot Ethiopia Germany 2014

Julia Bleasdale Great Britain Germany 2016

Zola Budd South Africa Great Britain

South Africa 1984

1992

Fred Salle Cameroon Great Britain 1992

Birhan Dagne Ethiopia Great Britain 1998

Bobby Farren Ireland Great Britain 1998

Kathy Butler Canada Great Britain 2000

James McIlroy Ireland Great Britain 2000

Irie Hill Germany Great Britain 2000

Kassa Tadesse Ethiopia Great Britain 2001

Samson Oni Nigeria Great Britain 2003

Malachi Davis United States Great Britain 2004

Nathalie Harvey Australia Great Britain 2004

Simon Shirley Australia Great Britain

Nicholas Stuart Canada Great Britain 2005

Gerenshi Tamirat Ethiopia Great Britain 2005

Germaine Mason Jamaica Great Britain 2006

Tomas Abyu Ethiopia Great Britain 2006

Taneisha Robinson-Scanlon Ireland Great Britain 2006

Michael Bingham United States Great Britain 2008

Roald Bradstock United States Great Britain 2009

Tiffany Ofili United States Great Britain 2010

Shara Proctor Anguilla Great Britain 2010

Shana Cox United States Great Britain 2011

Julian Reid Jamaica Great Britain 2011

Stefanie Reid Canada Great Britain 2010

Yamile Aldama Cuba Sudan

United Kingdom 2004

2011

Zharnel Hughes Anguilla Great Britain 2015

Victoria Dronsfield Sweden

You're an idiot.

LetsRun.com wrote:

"I don't think they are legitimately running for the country. They haven't grown up there. There is no connection there.

"They are basically being paid to run for Turkey.

So what do you think? O'Sullivan herself ran for two countries. How do you decide what is legit and what isn't?

Well, #1, at least Sonia is actually European.

#2, how legit are the times from these Kenyans running for Turkey when they train in Africa?...where drug testing is highly dubious. Much worse than in Russia. I'm sure many of the runners suspect these Kenyans of doping, especially running for a country that's had a plethora of doping issues.

#3 Interesting that there looked to be 0% actual Turks running for Turkey. Was surprised that the British team consisted of 100% Brits.

Imperial Jingoism wrote:

Ha ha ha

The British imported more athletes in the last decade than any other state. Some Brit relay teams sound like a USA college team when interviewed.

Spain, France, Belgium etc. Transfer from Africa and elsewhere on an industrial scale! And yet Turkey gets it in the neck. Is it because they outdo the others or cos talent importing is wrong.

As for Sonia. She draws a wage from commenting today but doesn't mention the obvious. The Irish results are possibly the worst ever. No team better than sixth.

The UK generally only imports from the former colonies, which I think is fair enough. Somalia, Kenya, Jamaica etc. were all pretty recently part of the empire (until the 1960s in most cases). The UK got a lot out of this arrangement so if people from these places want to move to a richer, more comfortable and less competitive country and also make a contribution to national glory and all that, it would be unreasonable to stop them. These Turks need to recognise that they haven't had a proper empire for much longer and should act accordingly. Or at least only import people from North Africa and the Middle East.

UK Brexit so they shouldn't be part of the EURO XC Championships!!

Out with the British athletes... leave them on the island that they are.

And Jakob Ingrebritsen didn't have any problem with the foreign implants.

Train harder and smarter.

Get rid of nationalism in track and field. Let the best run against the best. Pure professional running, no countries and no flags. The idea of countries competing against one another is archaic. I'm only interested in seeing the top compete not the top from each country.

Hadn't thought of that olyrun... I like it.

Open World Championships up to everyone, like Cycling.

Imperial Jingoism wrote:

Ha ha ha

The British imported more athletes in the last decade than any other state. Some Brit XC teams sound like a USA college team when interviewed.

Spain, France, Belgium etc. Transfer from Africa and elsewhere on an industrial scale! And yet Turkey gets it in the neck. Is it because they outdo the others or cos talent importing is wrong.

As for Sonia. She draws a wage from commenting today but doesn't mention the obvious. The Irish results are possibly the worst ever. No team better than sixth.

What should be discussed is why hasn't Ireland developed its athletes over the years? What should they be doing to create a system that at least makes them competitive in Europe let alone the world stage.

Sonia should explain her dual country racing and why she felt ok for her.