At What Age Can an Athlete Come to America and Be Considered Truly an American Runner?

This is a ridiculously foolish and arbitrary question and you are an idiot for asking it.

You are a fool to suggest someone could be a foreigner at age 15 years, 345 days, for instance, and then, by your absurd arbitration, declare them American on the 346th day of their 16th year.

An American is someone who has citizenship. Period.

End of debate.

If you can quote lines from Caddyshack, flipped off slow driving old ladies, cooked out, voted Republican in the booth but told everyone you voted for the Democrat, and sped through yellow lights, you're American.

you;'re stupid wrote:

This is a ridiculously foolish and arbitrary question and you are an idiot for asking it.

You are a fool to suggest someone could be a foreigner at age 15 years, 345 days, for instance, and then, by your absurd arbitration, declare them American on the 346th day of their 16th year.

An American is someone who has citizenship. Period.

End of debate.

Calm down Francis. Obviously, all people are indeed Americans when they have citizenship. But when it comes to athletics, do we really feel a kinship to someone who emigrated after they are an elite the way we do to some kid who grew up in Iowa? Please. I suppose all the East Africans going to Qatar for the $ are really Qataris.

Why don't we stop beating ourselves up over how bad American distance running is and simply recruit East Africans. Then we could really have a kick ass distance team at the Olympics.

Who cares? Lagat will run fast if he's running for Antarctica, provided he doesn't have to train there.

Maybe YOU don't feel a kinship with these people, but they are legally Americans.

All that matters is that someone runs fast. It's not about recruiting people or any of that nonsense. All those medal tallies and such are so much crap for stats people to fool around with.

Whoever wins, wins. The gold belongs to the best runner. No nationalities needed. That's one of the attractions of the Olmypics; all this nation vs. nation crap ostensibly can take a back seat to athletic competition. Of course, it has now become another stupid mark of patriotism.

you;\\\'re stupid wrote:

Who cares? Lagat will run fast if he's running for Antarctica, provided he doesn't have to train there.

Maybe YOU don't feel a kinship with these people, but they are legally Americans.

All that matters is that someone runs fast. It's not about recruiting people or any of that nonsense. All those medal tallies and such are so much crap for stats people to fool around with.

Whoever wins, wins. The gold belongs to the best runner. No nationalities needed. That's one of the attractions of the Olmypics; all this nation vs. nation crap ostensibly can take a back seat to athletic competition. Of course, it has now become another stupid mark of patriotism.

So when the U.S. Hockey team beat the Soviets in 1980 Americans shouldn't have felt a certain sense of pride about that? I suppose that was just "nation vs. nation" crap too. Maybe you're not old enough to remember that.

And when people all over the world go bonkers for their country's team in the World Cup I suppose that's stupid "nation vs nation" crap too?

There's nothing wrong with routing for one's countrymen and women in the Olympics.

The only stupid person on this thread is you.

To answer the original poster's question, any : )

Great post. I see you are also an immigrant here ;) Please remember, however, that signalling while driving would immediately make someone UN-American even if they meet the above criteria.

We didn't all choose where we were born. It's as random and arbitrary as a roll on the dice. What if your parents had moved to Australia? Then you'd be born an Aussie and cheering for the Aussie side. Pride, rooting for one's country and so on, is all well and good if you want to do that, but don't criticise those of us who don't do it. It's different if you know the person or they actually come from your CITY - I can feel pride in that, personally, because it's familiar to me. A country is too vast, though. A few hundred miles further north and I'd have been Scottish, anyway!

Frankly if the athlete didn't develop from the grassroots level (ie. at least high school) within America, then I don't think they will ever be truly regarded as American runners in the public eye (official recognition is obviously a different matter). Lagat was born, raised, and developed as a runner in Kenya, same with Wilson Kipketer of Denmark, same with all the Qatari athletes who went and changed their names for $$$. They're all still Kenyan athletes, just not Kenyan citizens any longer. They just chose to sell out on their homeland (Not necessarily a bad thing if it is in fact securing their post running careers, providing a better life for their children, etc.) Sorry if my opinion offends anyone. Also it's not just Kenyans. I am pretty sure Margaret Butler of Canada went to Great Britain after developing as an athlete in Canada because her parents were born there and Canada's funding system is total shit (paid less than welfare I think).

Nope -- if they were Canadian and moved here at 20 there would be little distinction made.

Hey -- Colleen D. has been running great since she gained her US Passport in 2000 and I don't hear anyone making a fuss over her.

...And Kipketer and Lagat certainly did not "sell out" their homelands.

Kipketer went to school in Copenhagen, married a Dane and decided that's who he wanted to represent. Why should he be "stuck" with Kenya if he wants to be Danish? He was even offered a position on the Kenyan team for the Atlanta Olympics (where he would have certainly won), but turned it down because it would restart his application for Danish citizenship.

Lagat went to school in the US, is married to an American, and has made the US his home for almost ten years. He intends to make the US the permenant home of his family, so let him. And it's not as if he hasn't been paying his dues -- he's been paying American taxes for years!

Not entirely true. She recently won a race in Austin and people cheered like crazy, although everyone was a little taken back when she opened her mouth and we heard the accent. I think that Meb and Abdi and Khalid will have that problem forever. They don't speak like an american, so we are constantly reminded of their differences. I understand that Alberto Salazar was born in Cuba. However, when he speaks you can't tell and therefore is thought of as an american.

you're stupid wrote:

Who cares?

All that needs to be said really. Americans have such an inflated view of how their country is viewed externally.

WOOHOO LOOK AT ME I'M AN ALL-AMERICAN MAN, ALL-AMERICAN. BOW DOWN. WOOHOO ALL-AMERICAN!

God Bless America wrote:

So when the U.S. Hockey team beat the Soviets in 1980 Americans shouldn't have felt a certain sense of pride about that? I suppose that was just "nation vs. nation" crap too. Maybe you're not old enough to remember that.

And when people all over the world go bonkers for their country's team in the World Cup I suppose that's stupid "nation vs nation" crap too?

There's nothing wrong with routing for one's countrymen and women in the Olympics.

The only stupid person on this thread is you.

Actually, yes, and you have done little to conceal the commonly found attribute of a prideful American who thinks his country is superior to every other.

So, do continue with your moronic ravings. I'm sure you'll have a few more Texans to chime in and support you.

WTF??

"They don't speak like an american"????

what exactly does that mean???

you need to get out of the small town there brother!

you;\\\\\\\'re s wrote:

Actually, yes, and you have done little to conceal the commonly found attribute of a prideful American who thinks his country is superior to every other.

So, do continue with your moronic ravings. I'm sure you'll have a few more Texans to chime in and support you.

I apologize if the question I posted offended anyone. I have nothing against immigrants. My grandparents were immigrants. And I am more than happy that great athletes like Lagat, Colleen D and KK have become Americans.

This has nothing to do with race, either. Let's say the 4 best Norweigan cross country skiiers became Americans 10 months before the next Winter Olympics. They were born and raised in Norway, learned to ski in Norway, became elite in Norway. But now they are Americans and all medal at the Olympics. In that scenario, as an American, I just don't feel the same pride here because I don't feel like my country can take credit for developing these athletes. I would think Norway deserves those medals more than we do.

well put.

those medals are for the athletes, and only incidentaly for the country.