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.
Parents
Former Member
Justforfun...I rest my case after your last post....You made my point very well.....and I do not feel any animosity towards the foreign swimmers on scholarships in the USA...I just wish they would have been granted to USA Swimmers.....
Heck, ONE OF THE GREATEST USMS SWIMMERS of ALL TIME....and a FINE MAN and friend....Graham Johnston had a scholarship at Oklahoma in the early 50's...and went on to swim the mile in the 52 Olympic Games for S. Africa....A few years later he became a U.S. Citizen....But, had I or my kids been around then....I would have wanted US Swimmers to have this fine man and great swimmers scholarship.....Heck, I am openly for Americans first!
Justforfun...I rest my case after your last post....You made my point very well.....and I do not feel any animosity towards the foreign swimmers on scholarships in the USA...I just wish they would have been granted to USA Swimmers.....
Heck, ONE OF THE GREATEST USMS SWIMMERS of ALL TIME....and a FINE MAN and friend....Graham Johnston had a scholarship at Oklahoma in the early 50's...and went on to swim the mile in the 52 Olympic Games for S. Africa....A few years later he became a U.S. Citizen....But, had I or my kids been around then....I would have wanted US Swimmers to have this fine man and great swimmers scholarship.....Heck, I am openly for Americans first!