Hounddogharrier wrote:
Why should he? It’s not like 5 years ago when the USA was the champion of good. Now we are rightfully perceived as evil.
Evidence that we are on the right track.
Hounddogharrier wrote:
Why should he? It’s not like 5 years ago when the USA was the champion of good. Now we are rightfully perceived as evil.
Evidence that we are on the right track.
Portland Hobby Jogger wrote:
Why wouldn't Mondo compete for Sweden? They probably provide financial assistance, camps, equipment, coaching fees, medical care, travel, stipends, etc. via the national federation. In addition, being a Swede makes him eligible for Euro Championships and I imagine that European meets give entry and pay expenses more easily to European athletes than Americans. Plus, track athletes are highly marketable in Europe compared to here.
Contrast that with our system - USATF does squat for you financially. You pay for everything with your own money. Sponsors probably don't pay vaulters much as it is a niche event within a niche sport. Plus, the shoe companies like to pay Americans very little "guaranteed" money and structure contracts with incentive bonuses for medals, records, etc. Get injured? You're screwed! Have fun paying for rent and physical rehab when the shoe company takes it claw back cash.
Mondo's not a traitor or foolish. Competing for Sweden has major advantages financially and logistically. You get a very short window to compete at this level. I don't blame anyone that takes a sure thing from another country rather than chancing our Trials system. One bad day or a season of injury in the USA makes the difference between potential glory or quitting to take a real job.
+1!!!
A reasoned american wrote:
Portland Hobby Jogger wrote:
Why wouldn't Mondo compete for Sweden? They probably provide financial assistance, camps, equipment, coaching fees, medical care, travel, stipends, etc. via the national federation. In addition, being a Swede makes him eligible for Euro Championships and I imagine that European meets give entry and pay expenses more easily to European athletes than Americans. Plus, track athletes are highly marketable in Europe compared to here.
Contrast that with our system - USATF does squat for you financially. You pay for everything with your own money. Sponsors probably don't pay vaulters much as it is a niche event within a niche sport. Plus, the shoe companies like to pay Americans very little "guaranteed" money and structure contracts with incentive bonuses for medals, records, etc. Get injured? You're screwed! Have fun paying for rent and physical rehab when the shoe company takes it claw back cash.
Mondo's not a traitor or foolish. Competing for Sweden has major advantages financially and logistically. You get a very short window to compete at this level. I don't blame anyone that takes a sure thing from another country rather than chancing our Trials system. One bad day or a season of injury in the USA makes the difference between potential glory or quitting to take a real job.
+1!!!
No doubt he put his self interest first.
Sdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdf wrote:
I get your complaint about mondo. He was born here, raised here, doesn't speak Swedish, and never even visited that country until he was a teenager. I'm not strongly against it, but I do get where you are coming from.
I'm confused why he would feel a connection to Sweden, especially when he claims such a huge connection to Louisiana and says he would never consider going to any school other than LSU, which is an absolutely terrible school academically, so clearly his pride in his home state is fierce, so why compete for a different country than the one you supposedly have such a strong connection towards. His dad, who is also his coach and athletic mentor, was a even professional vaulter for the US. My guess is he was just a 15 year old kid who wanted to feel special, so he went with something "different."
But Shawn Barber? He spent half his childhood in Canada. His dad competed for Canada. He trains in Canada. He lives in Canada. One parent is American and the other Canadian. He has a pretty clear claim to feel "Canadian." Where is your anger against him coming from?
Mondo is all about winning medals at championships.
Why risk the american trials system? If you're unlucky (very possible in possibly the most technical track event) or if you're injured at trials, you've lost a secure spot at int'l championships.
Also, as others have pointed out, he is actually half swedish,.
And to spice it up he gets to compete at European Championships (which is actually a fairly big thing in Europe, especially in Non Olympic years).
No brainer.
I'm more Swedish than he is in that at least I spent four summers in Sweden while I was growing up because my grandmother lived there. He was able to do what he wanted but it makes no sense for someone born, raised, and trained in America, all his schooling publicly funded, including LSU.
I agree with the OP. Kind of a BS move by both Mondo and Sweden.
Born and raised in Louisiana. LSU is a public school. 99.9% of his life in the USA (has he ever even been to Sweden?). I could understand it from his perspective if he was not good enough to make the USA team, but that's not the case.
As for Sweden, it's a BS move taking a spot from an actual Swede who was born there, trained there, part of the culture, society, nation, community, etc.
lame
It is stupid that it is allowed. Just because there is a loophole doesn’t mean it is right. Who cares if his Mom is from Sweden? He hasn’t lived there, didn’t visit and doesn’t speak the language. No different than Ato Bolden getting these USA HS sprinters to do a similar switch to a Carribean country.
Didn’t Great Britain call the fake citizens from the US who had a Grandmother or something from GB “plastic Brits”? Didn’t one media type ask one of them to sing the National Anthem and she didn’t know it?
I don’t like Chelimo but at least he had a connection to the USA. Mondo is just a phony.
At last he had been to Sweden before deciding to represent them internationally.
Do you know anything of what you said to be a fact? Or are you just spouting nonsense from your rear? He speaks Swedish, has visited before and has a Swedish mum. Get over yourself and your inaccuracies
I know this is an old post but I just wanted to say that pretty much every place in Sweden is nicer than pretty much every place in the US. If this kid was born and raised in Louisiana he probably thinks Sweden is heaven.
Nonsense.
I absolutely understand why Mondo competes for Sweeden. But it sure would be satisfying to see him compete for the US, win the gold, and take a knee during the anthem.
yes...the world record holder competes for Sweden to avoid the US olympic trials and other qualifying meets. that's exactly his reason
josh1988 wrote:
I know this is an old post but I just wanted to say that pretty much every place in Sweden is nicer than pretty much every place in the US. If this kid was born and raised in Louisiana he probably thinks Sweden is heaven.
He doesn't live in Sweden and your post adds nothing.
individual sport wrote:
Track and field is an individual sport. I don’t understand why athletes represent a country in the first place, much less why some people make a big fuss over what country an athlete chooses to represent.
From the very beginning, as far back as the Greeks, athletes represented nation states. I guess people make a fuss when they feel they have commonality and a connection to an athlete and then find out you don't have the connection you thought you had.
josh1988 wrote:
I know this is an old post but I just wanted to say that pretty much every place in Sweden is nicer than pretty much every place in the US. If this kid was born and raised in Louisiana he probably thinks Sweden is heaven.
Sweden is a wonderful country, but I don't think anyone who truly knows both countries would agree with your statement. America receives as many VISA requests as the rest of world combined.
Alabama BSS wrote:
It is stupid that it is allowed. Just because there is a loophole doesn’t mean it is right. Who cares if his Mom is from Sweden? He hasn’t lived there, didn’t visit and doesn’t speak the language. No different than Ato Bolden getting these USA HS sprinters to do a similar switch to a Carribean country.
Didn’t Great Britain call the fake citizens from the US who had a Grandmother or something from GB “plastic Brits”? Didn’t one media type ask one of them to sing the National Anthem and she didn’t know it?
I don’t like Chelimo but at least he had a connection to the USA. Mondo is just a phony.
He has dual citizenship and can do whatever he wants. Naomi Osaka is similar to Mondo in that she grew up in the U.S. and probably doesn't speak Japanese. She represents Japan and makes a like of money from Japanese endorsements. I guess you would be too noble to do the same thing she did.
not traitors but definitely wrong wrote:
AzWhippet wrote:
Remember what happened to the German Soldier from Oregon in Raising Private Ryan?
Was that the movie starring Tom Shanks and Pat Demon?
I agree that you should only be able to compete for one country. If you have dual citizenship you should be required to declare which country you will represent each Olympiad. Once you choose, you are locked in for the next four years.
I wouldn't go so far as to call them "traitors" but it is not appropriate. After all, traitors are hanged.
You're thinking of Raising Ryan's Privates
As long as he is competing I don't really care what country it is for. The kid is just fun to watch. He doesn't even have his man body yet.
Anyway, could someone explain how it makes sense financially for him to compete for Sweden instead of the USA? I've heard it mentioned several times but no real in depth explanation. I'm sincerely curious. Only thing I could think of so far is he could probably be named Swedish athlete of the year and thus maybe he'll make a bigger splash in a smaller pond? Not that being a world record doesn't make a big splash anywhere, but it's hard to compete with the big money sports in the US I'm sure.
CapnPerv wrote:
One word: Swedishchicks
fify
Mondo competes for Sweden instead of USA. Brilliant move or cheap copout!
FAITH KIPYEGON has been DQd from 5000 - What a joke. Update: She's been reinstated
FAITH KIPYEGON has been DQd from 5000 - What a joke. Update: She's been reinstated
Paris Monday PM live thread: Women’s 5000 & 800 finals (+ Live Reaction Show at 7 pm ET)
Mondo competes for Sweden instead of USA. Brilliant move or cheap copout!
Olli Hoare quits Social Media due to trolls criticizing his performance