Thursday, June 28, 2012

Kim Conley's final drive to the Olympics

As captured by photographer Michael Scott
Post race press conference

Another interview with Kevin Selby

Watch more videos on Flotrack

9 comments:

SJS Fan said...

Wow, what a race with the ultimate finish ! Congrats Kim !!

Marty Beene said...

That was indeed an amazing finish. I always tell our kids (in general) to give it 100% all the way through the finish line in case someone ahead of them slows down. I especially emphasize this for the 800m because it seems to be a race where runners can literally lock up, and sometimes they can be overtaken in the final 5 or 10 meters. This race was really remarkable because Lucas seemed to lock up as if at the end of an 800 rather than the 5000. It just goes to show you that you should always believe you have a chance to overtake someone until you are completely across the finish line....

Anonymous said...

I don't know where to put this but this but I saw in the Mercury News that Vasti Thomas is trying to get citizenship in another country to compete in the Olympics. This is upsetting to me that someone who was born and raised in the United States would turn their back on this country to naturalize somewhere else just to compete in the Olympics. On top of it she is competing at the US Trials! And if she makes it she will compete for America? Your country is not free agency.

I'm sure she is a good kid, and a damn good athlete. But this is not right. You have people declining guaranteed Olympics spots (Ethiopian 800 runner who was ranked 15 in US) because this is their country, then you have others it means nothing to.

If someone tells me she was born and raised in Panama like Diego Estrada was Mexico I'll feel different. But right now I see a kid turning their back on their country.

So as of now if she makes it she'll compete for the US. If not she becomes Panamanian. What a joke.

Anonymous said...

Well if this is true I hope she has sought council and thought this through. It is very expensive to be a resident alien. She would need to have an employer sponsor a work via at the cost of $30,000+ a year. On top of it all I believe she could never naturalize back to the US.

I am not an expert on immagration law but I do know that the United States does not allow dual citizenship. To actively seek out becoming a citizen of another country could be huge problems in the future if she intends on living here.

Albert Caruana said...

It's an interesting discussion. You definitely see more athletes now taking on the citizenship of other countries in order to compete in the Olympics. I am sure you can make strong points for either side.

Anonymous said...

She finished 6th. So bye bye America. It's one thing to flee a country because of oppression or war or seeking a better life. It's another to seek it to compete in a track meet.

If she becomes Panamanian perhaps she will move there and become a true citizen. Godspeed.

Andy's Clan said...

Shannon Rowbury, From SHC is an Olympian!

Where's all those CCS and WCAL haters now!!!

Anonymous said...

"I am not an expert on immagration law but I do know that the United States does not allow dual citizenship."

Not true. Below is from the US State Department website:

"A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth.U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another. Also, a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship."

Most likely, Vasti is a dual citizen and will not have to renounce her US citizenship.

Anonymous said...

Um that is exactly what I said. She is not acquiring through marriage but applying for it voluntarily (to compete in the Olympic games).

Not hard to see the motives here.

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