I'm watching the Olypics, and they are showing this "Super Sanches" chap who was born in NY, went to highschool in NJ, and went to college in SoCal, yet he choses to run for the Dominican Republic because that is where his parents are from. What do you all think about that. Seeing as my pops if from England, I could see why one would have some feeling of respect for their parents home country, but I still think I'd participate for the US. What do you guys think?

-Chris

 

I was born in Germany and lived there for years before I moved here to the States. I went to Elementary/Jr/High school here... as well as College. As much as I love the United States with all of my heart... this country is blessed with many good athletes. Although I was born in Germany, I'm not German at all... My blood is Croatian, and when it came down to it, I think I'd compete for Croatia...

That probably made me sound like some USA hater, but im not. I'm just very proud to be where I'm from... As you know Croatia was in a huge war a little over 10 years ago and doesn't have the advantage of having millions of atheletes... I hope that made sense, cuz it did kinda to me. (Took some weird pill and now I cant think straight)

 

It definatly makes sence. I am VERY proud of my English blood so I can understand your feelings there, and trying to help a more "underdog" type team makes sence as well, but it still seems that you should have to be born in the nation you compete for, or at least have spent substantial amounts of time there. As if you competed for Germany. I guess since my blood is English, which is itself a well represented nation, I don't have quite the understanding you do.

-Chris

 

Well, I speak Croatian... I know the Croatian culture. I was brought up Roman Catholic (Croats )... I look Croatian... I'm tall... My entire family lives there. It's my family, and my dads brothers family (My Uncle) that are here in the states... everyone else is in Croatia or Germany. (Mainly Croatia). I try to go back and visit as often as I can. I used to spend my childhood summers there (2 months at a time). That all ended when war errupted.

 

Interesting point, I never really thought about it like that. If you're that well in tune with your family culture I guess it can make sence. I wonder what the countymen of those respective counties think about it. On one hand, I'm sure the Dominicans Love having a member of there team who gives them a great chance for a medal in the event, but on the other hand I can't help but imagine some in the DR are a little uncomfortable with what is really an American competing in there name, mainly other runners who lost thier position to him.

-Chris

p.s. I'm pretty dumb when it somes to this kind of stuff, but what do croatians speak. Is it iss own stand alone language, or a spin off of another language?

 

was it just my imagination or was there an athlete that wanted to be on the USA team as an athlete/or coach, but wasn't allowed because he was originally from some asian country?

 

one of these days, i'll ride the cycling events for team PHILLIPINES...

btw, did you see the greece women's softball team? essentially, they had open tryouts in florida. lol...

 

i don't think that's true. all i know is that you have to be a citizen of the country you'd like to represent. the us has a chinese born table tennis player who even played in sidney representing china. she's now a us citizen and plays for the us.

 

yeah I think it's funny.

Like national pride but then all their elite athletes train here. Swimmers, runners, basketball, etc.

Jamaican runners getting trained on scholarship at LSU and what not.

I mean..it's one thing if you spend your whole life in say...russian..then spend like a year or two in the us...yeah compete for russia...but when you spent 20 of your 21 years on the planet here...... compete for us. But hey...if they all did that...we'd win like damn near every metal that isn't lifting....haa.

so so be it...I did enjoy tha 1/2/3 400 finish yesterday though....nice.

 

I think one of the track athletes switched countires since the Sidney Olympics. I remember hearing a story about one the the female runners whos fiance/husband/boyfriend was hit by a bus and killed during the last summer games and she was really pissed with the way that her country handled the situation. So she applied for Spanish citizenship and now runs for Spain.

yeah.

 

the south african swim team all swims for university of az

 

I have always thought of the Olympics as a place where countries test their athletic capabilties against one another. When athletes are trained here by our coaches and then go and compete with another county against us, it kinda defeats the point. For example, I saw one of the male swimmers sporting a Cal swim cap. I thought that he was representing the US, I was wrong. He was from another country. Anyways, we still kick *** at the Olympics even though everyone was trained by us!

 

Maybe he thinks he actually has a better chance of going to the Olympics if he isn't on the US team. Whether he'd win, that's another matter.

 

I used to have the exact same view that littleboyblue has, but Dan (brucelee) has a valid point. It's not just about where you train, but who you feel you should honor with your efforts. It's definatly an interesting debate...

-Chris