Thanks for the input. It’s nice to hear a relatively impartial input from someone on this thread.
I agree with the idea that it does feel as though the Kenyan runners seem to come from almost nowhere; the truth, however, is most decide to live here after years in college. Sam Chelenga, Paul Chelimo, and Eliud Rutto are just a few to name for example.
I think the idea that the residency rule would need to be applied more strictly to at least siphon this issue is a fair point. This would definitely have a negative effect on runners like Cheserek and Lagat on the opposing end though.
At the end of the day I still stand by my point... athletics and nationality shouldn’t run ties so closely. The idea that you have to consider where you want to live in tangent with who you compete for just bothers me. This isn’t to say nationality doesn’t matter in athletics, but Chelimo and Kipchirchir are US ARMY members and are just as American as anyone else because of that choice.
As for your kid, you should let them run. The odds of them making the team are low, but if they do end up making it, I don’t think junior allegiance carries as much weight as senior allegiance. Also, as their parent, I believe they’re already a citizen under your home country. The issue with allegiance switches is generally amongst seniors hoping to compete for another country strictly for competitive gains. Your child wouldn’t be doing that so I don’t see why there would be an issue as long as they don’t compete for the US as a senior.