Foreign swimmers training in the U.S.

Former Member
Former Member
There has been a lot of discussion since Athens about foreign swimmers training in the United States. Most of them attend U.S. Universities, receive athletic scholarships, and compete at NCAA's. Some notable examples include Duje Draganja (Cal), Fred Bousquet and Kirsty Coventry (Auburn), Markus Rogan (Stanford), and the South African sprinters (Arizona). Some train in the U.S., but don't compete for a university (Inge de Bruijn). All of these athletes benefit from U.S. coaching, from training with U.S. swimmers, and in some cases, from financial support provided by U.S. entities (athletic scholarships). They all turn around and then win medals for other countries. A couple questions: 1) What do you think about this arrangement generally? 2) Is it of benefit or detriment to U.S. swimming to have these foreign athletes training and competing here? 3) Should we be giving athletic scholarships, which are a scarce resource in swimming, to foreign athletes who will represent their own countries internationally instead of U.S.-born swimmers who will represent us internationally? I'm sure there are other issues, but these come directly to mind.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    I for one am getting sick and tired of this attitude so many have taken since 911 (I guess?)....where people have to take such simple innocent metaphors like comparing sports contests to War so literally.....Please lighten up.....You sound like Jerry Faldwell over there preaching that garbage...So he said the 400 free relay at the Olympics was war.....what's the big deal.....Why do people like you (i.e. geek) then have to remind us what "real war" is all about?....I think we have some idea of the difference between real war and a competitive war such as in a sports setting....GEEZ!....Nobody ever got so wound up before 911 and Iraq about such a simple metaphor.......Enough is Enough already!! Newmastersswimmer
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    I for one am getting sick and tired of this attitude so many have taken since 911 (I guess?)....where people have to take such simple innocent metaphors like comparing sports contests to War so literally.....Please lighten up.....You sound like Jerry Faldwell over there preaching that garbage...So he said the 400 free relay at the Olympics was war.....what's the big deal.....Why do people like you (i.e. geek) then have to remind us what "real war" is all about?....I think we have some idea of the difference between real war and a competitive war such as in a sports setting....GEEZ!....Nobody ever got so wound up before 911 and Iraq about such a simple metaphor.......Enough is Enough already!! Newmastersswimmer
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