quote:
This is such a copout. What kind of athlete is afraid of competition when the alternative is NOT representing the country in which you were born and raised because it’s easier?

It's not being scared of competition. It's the fact that US track and field refuses to stop handicapping our athletes by using a moronic qualifying system. As others have said, pole vault is incredibly technical and very dependent on a ton of conditions. One meet shouldn't be the way we determine who to send to represent the US.

Think of it this way: would you think it's a good idea for LSU to recruit players based on a one day recruiting workshop or by examining their entire body of work?

2 ...

Report Post

Posted by SCP

Baton Rouge

Member since Mar 2016

1337 posts

Posted on 10/7/19 at 2:38 pm to Ingeniero

When you are wearing the Swedish colors and the Swedish national anthem will be played if you win, I am not pulling for you if you compete against a US competitor wearing US colors.

In fact if anyone other than your family or close friends are pulling for you against a US competitor, that is not very patriotic!

1 ...

Report Post

Posted by mdomingue

Lafayette, LA

Member since Nov 2010

30804 posts

Posted on 10/7/19 at 3:26 pm to Ingeniero

quote:
It's not being scared of competition. It's the fact that US track and field refuses to stop handicapping our athletes by using a moronic qualifying system. As others have said, pole vault is incredibly technical and very dependent on a ton of conditions. One meet shouldn't be the way we determine who to send to represent the US.

Think of it this way: would you think it's a good idea for LSU to recruit players based on a one day recruiting workshop or by examining their entire body of work?

It even goes beyond that. When he started competing in world competition for Sweden, if my memory serves me, he was too young by a couple of years to compete under the US rules. I believe that played a big part in his initial decision. If my memory is wrong, please correct me, it happens a lot in my old age.

I think gratitude is part of why he continues plus the fact that your whole seasons resume pretty much goes out of the window when the decision is left to a single meet's results.