I have to imagine being a gold medalist and world record holder competing for the US ultimately is more lucrative? Or is he going to be like the biggest thing in Sweden?
I know it was a decision he made very young so he could easily make Worlds/Olympics every year, but if I was an American competing for another country while winning gold at the Olympics I'd be kinda bummed, no?
No.
Be a national hero in Sweden or get some coverage once every four years in the US.
It's not even debatable.
It depends on his commercial endorsements in Europe? Anything from our posters there?
Puma only pays Americans. Mondo really screwed up by competing for Sweden.
Why does he compete for Sweden? Has he ever lived there ever, can he speak the language?
EuroVisionary wrote:
No.
Be a national hero in Sweden or get some coverage once every four years in the US.
It's not even debatable.
- It was the absolute best choice to represent Sweden, because it is relatively larger in Europe than in the USA. The market value is as high as it can be as an athlete, perhaps with the exception of Usain Bolt. I will believe he has the best agreements in athletics, even though I do not have access to all agreements, says Wessfeldt.
https://www.vg.no/sport/friidrett/i/zrB72O/superstjernen-armand-duplantis-maatte-gjennomgaa-mye-hatInteresting question. I would assume yes but I honestly don't know.
I can't get past thinking about him as a carpetbagger though and if I were a Swede, I would feel about him like I feel about Lagat. He's a fine person, great runner etc but I have no sense of national pride (or whatever) when I ponder Lagat. Actual Swedes may not feel the same and may well embrace imports, I don't know. I guess they have far less chances of natives becoming the top athlete in history in anything just based on population, so maybe it doesn't bother them.
If you're a marginal athlete going to some tiny nation because you'd never make the US team, fine, I don't have anything negative to say about that.
Mondo is not in that category. I don't know why he chose to compete for Sweden and not the US, but I would be willing to listen.
He went to sweden because it is more lucrative. His mother is from Sweden and he has spent several full summers there since his youth.
800 critic wrote:
Interesting question. I would assume yes but I honestly don't know.
I can't get past thinking about him as a carpetbagger though and if I were a Swede, I would feel about him like I feel about Lagat. He's a fine person, great runner etc but I have no sense of national pride (or whatever) when I ponder Lagat. Actual Swedes may not feel the same and may well embrace imports, I don't know. I guess they have far less chances of natives becoming the top athlete in history in anything just based on population, so maybe it doesn't bother them.
If you're a marginal athlete going to some tiny nation because you'd never make the US team, fine, I don't have anything negative to say about that.
Mondo is not in that category. I don't know why he chose to compete for Sweden and not the US, but I would be willing to listen.
It is difficult, because we naturally take more pride in people who came up in our system. But then, it is such an honor that these people CHOSE to come here, to the greatest country in the world. AND they took all the right steps to do it. They are Americans in the truest sense. BUT, if you do not come through our system, it is difficult to regard you in the same way.
I think if they sold how Patriotic it is to choose us, rather than random chance of being born here, we could internalize it and feel a stronger sense of pride. It's all in how you look at it.
USA! USA! USA!
I think it was quite the opposite actually. He’s the Swedish Tom Brady at this point. If you look at his Instagram he also does promotions and modeling for numerous mainstream Swedish magazines and also high end brands like Omega. He is also constantly on Swedish talk shows. I can’t think of many American track athletes getting that kind of consistent high profile recognition especially outside of an Olympic year.
Puma doesn’t just pay Americans. I remember a few years back Puma gave De Grasse the biggest track contract ever at the time or something like that.
He speaks the language and seems to spend a good bit of time in Sweden (I believe his model girlfriend lives there).
He's basically like Naomi Osaka. Speaks enough Swedish to get by but is really from Louisiana. Recruited by Sweden early. More of a sure thing w/Sweden to make Olympic and World teams because they have selection discretion, not a trials system. He didn't end up needing that probably but I think it's working out for him.
He is Sweden's most popular athlete now, according to this. I just don't think he would get as much attention in America. And weirdly as an American, I enjoy cheering for him as a Swede/American/LSU kid more than if he were just wearing a USA uniform and from Shreveport.
choady mcDINGUS wrote:
Puma only pays Americans. Mondo really screwed up by competing for Sweden.
Bolt and De Grasse would say otherwise
that was obviously a sarcastic comment, genius.
Concerning Puma, Wessfeldt has indicated that "Mondo" has a contract worth in the neighborhood of what 10 or so athletes in the world have, something which places heavy weight on Olympic gold.
elementtt wrote:
choady mcDINGUS wrote:
Puma only pays Americans. Mondo really screwed up by competing for Sweden.
Bolt and De Grasse would say otherwise
Whooooooooooooosh
Sweden's coach found out that Mondo was eligible to compete for Sweden and then recruited him. Mondo decided to accept because it allowed him to go to Juniors without having to do a national qualifier. The rest is pretty much history.
Sweden is one of those socialist, commy-leaning places (sarcasm) that doesn't exploit its citizens enough at every turn .
It does have high taxation so he's likely made a bad decision short term moneywise. But pole vault is hardly an event guaranteeing you to be a legend in the longterm.
Sweden is considered to have one of the highest standards of living in the world .... and ranked 7th in the world for Human Development Index.
But what use is being happy and enjoying life if you haven't got guns or lots of material possessions to show off ?
Absolutely not.
He'll be an iconic sports celebrity for decades in Sweden.
Name the last U.S. pole vaulter you saw on a cereal box in America.
Mondo would have gotten a large base contract regardless of nationality from a major apparel sponsor.
The question is how his nationality affects other sources of income. On that account, he has greater access to the higher-paying European track circuit as a European athlete. He has more opportunities for sponsorship income outside of track and field as a major celebrity in Sweden. In the U.S. he’d be a marginal storyline every four years.
It’s really a no-brainer financially for him to compete for Sweden.
Representing Sweden is more lucrative for Duplantis than competing for the US would have been, and while he probably had no idea how big he would become in Sweden when he made the decision, he initially made it because the Swedish federation promised to take good care of him and he felt Sweden offered an easier path to international competition. So sure, it was a practical decision.
However, his mother, who’s also his coach and one of the two people most instrumental to his development, is Swedish and he’s always had dual citizenship. Choosing to represent your mother’s country, of which you’re a citizen despite not living there, is not the same as picking a random country just because it can fund your training. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that in my view.)
No matter what copium Americans are huffing, Duplantis is not just an American competing for Sweden. He is and always has been Swedish-American. Identity is complicated in this globalised age and children of international marriages have multiple nationalities. Deal with it and stop being so disrespectful to Duplantis, Osaka, Jacobs and other athletes; we all know you have no problem claiming ‘useful’ immigrants and children of Americans when it suits you.