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.
Parents
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Again, Geek....where in any of my threads did I say I wanted to limit competition in college? Where? I welcome them anytime they want to come! I DON'T FEEL I OR YOU SHOULD PAY FOR IT! Let them come all they want...but give those scholarships to our own...whether they have a shot at the Olympics or not is irrelevant...after all...they are there for an education right?
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Again, Geek....where in any of my threads did I say I wanted to limit competition in college? Where? I welcome them anytime they want to come! I DON'T FEEL I OR YOU SHOULD PAY FOR IT! Let them come all they want...but give those scholarships to our own...whether they have a shot at the Olympics or not is irrelevant...after all...they are there for an education right?
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