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.
Yes, and I suppose a similar thanks is probably required from South Africa.
John Smith
A thanks for what? That recently the USA broke the World Record in the 400 Free Relay by almost a full second. And that South Africia did not even challenge the USA in the past 2 years in major international meets, especially in 2005 when they had 4 capable swimmers in Montreal that could do so. I wonder if they are going to field a team in Melbourne at Worlds in 2007? They did at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and went 2 seconds slower than the USA WR time. I don't think you can call me the optimist now because I truly believe that the 400 Free Relay is absoutely under USA control and with people like Cullen Jones now who is still improving I see no change in the future. I wonder what happen to Qater and the foreign swimmers they were trying to recruit to challenge everyone?
Yes, and I suppose a similar thanks is probably required from South Africa.
John Smith
A thanks for what? That recently the USA broke the World Record in the 400 Free Relay by almost a full second. And that South Africia did not even challenge the USA in the past 2 years in major international meets, especially in 2005 when they had 4 capable swimmers in Montreal that could do so. I wonder if they are going to field a team in Melbourne at Worlds in 2007? They did at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and went 2 seconds slower than the USA WR time. I don't think you can call me the optimist now because I truly believe that the 400 Free Relay is absoutely under USA control and with people like Cullen Jones now who is still improving I see no change in the future. I wonder what happen to Qater and the foreign swimmers they were trying to recruit to challenge everyone?
