Do you think it is fair for athletes who live in the USA to compete for another country in the Olympics? My thoughts are if you live here, then you ought to play for the USA.
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ANSWERS: 10
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Well I don't feel that way only because if I were born in another nation I would want to represent my heritage and native land. But you do present a valid point.
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Well the way i see it, other countries need the help so why not. Its almost unfair how the United states will probably win at least 1/5 of the medals in Beijing
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It's fair, just as fair as the many foreign athletes that compete for this country even though they are from another country and are just being paid to represent a country. Players are often paid to compete, and the USA has done that numerous times. So why shouldn't people want to play for their own country out of a sense of heritage and love instead of cash?
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I dont think its right because you move here for a chance at a better life so why would you use all youve learned in the USA to make a country you left more competetive
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It's fair, but it is annoying. Case in point. Lennox Lewis did all his boxing training in Canada, and won the gold medal for Canada. Shortly after he started boxing under the Union Jack of Great Britain. Everyone now believes he won the gold medal in the Olympics for Great Britain, when in fact he won it for Canada. Another example. Owen Hargreaves is Canadian, yet he plays soccer for England. The Canadian team could really use a player like him. But, he chooses England. It is unfair, but if they are eligible to play for a different country, it is their right and their decision to do so.
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If you hold citizenship with a country then you should play for that country. If you hold dual citizenship, then you get to choose. Otherwise, all other countries are off limits for you.
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Many athletes do not make the US team, so they go elsewhere to compete.
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I am a 42 year old athlete and i compete in the winter sport of Skeleton. At my age with the talent pool so deep in the U.S.A. i have no chance at the Olympics unless i go somewhere else and i am exploring that possibility right now. I think if you have the chance to represent your country then you should but in my case i do not have that chance. Becky Hammon is one of the top WNBA players and the U.S. team did not want her so she went elsewhere and people call her a traitor. Let me clear something up to people who take the Olympics too seriously. It is not a World War , it is only a sporting event, i would love to represent my country but it is not going to happen for me. In my case at 42 if me an athlete who is say 22 are both at the same level they will choose him because he has more Olympic cycles left in his life than me and i totally understand that but i also have to look out for my dreams and if that means going elsewhere then i will. I really hope people understand what i am saying. When your an athlete your whole life it is hard to give up the chance to compete if you have another opportunity.
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I would say you should if you are a US citizen. Not everyone who lives here is. And not all US citizens live here.
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If you look at figure skating, a lot of gold medalists from other countries have trained in the US. I look at it as America gave a foreign athelete the tools needed to win the gold. I thought for a long time that this was unfair. Then after reading some of the answers I realized America does benefit from foreign atheletes when they train here. Im sure they are spending money somewhere and that contributes towards our economy and it does give America positive attention and with the Bush years FINALLY over it would be nice to be thought of in a good way by the rest of the world.
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