IAAF acts on Transfer of Allegiance

[AS]

I don't know why people are acting as if athletes are victims here.

If you are a bonafide citizen of a country and have NOT represented another country at any level internationally, and are not beholden to the organising body of the sport in your original country (i.e. they haven't been funding your development), then you are typically good to go. For example, it doesn't matter than Mo Farah was born in Somalia. He was raised in the UK, was a UK citizen, and chose to start running for the UK. Presumably, if he had Somali citizenship also, and decided from the outset of his career to represent Somalia (and UK Athletics had no obvious claim on him), then he'd have been good to go too (see Mondo Duplantis).

If you START representing one country and then DECIDE to represent another, you have to sit out a period of Championship eligibility to do so until you become eligible. Makes sense to me.

Quirky examples will arise (your country is dissolved e.g. Churandy Martina) that may warrant exceptions. Some countries will be hardasses (e.g. Denmark and Kipketer's nightmares).

But, it's pretty clear that Jack Harvey is not Turkish!

[26mi235]

He should stay with Antigua. He’ll be one sorry young man if he finishes 4th or worse at USA OT

You are absolutely dead wrong. First, how many of his peers in the US are close to 47.02. Second, there is a 4x400 relay pool that Antigua cannot match. There is no way the Benjamin's objective function is to 'make' the Olympics (and WCs). You point is more relevant to a good US female hurdler (and that seems to be applying now to all three events).

[NotDutra5]

It's the hurdles. Anybody including the best in the world can clip a hurdle or stutter-step and lose a second or more.

My argument against McLaughlin running the hurdles.

[18.99s]

Yeah the 47.0 guy is gonna have a hard time making the team.

It's the hurdles. Anybody including the best in the world can clip a hurdle or stutter-step and lose a second or more.

[18.99s]

He should stay with Antigua. He’ll be one sorry young man if he finishes 4th or worse at USA OT

Now that he's signed with Nike, he might not really have a choice. I'd bet the contract pays him less or will be terminated if he represents Antigua instead of the US.

Obviously it's in Nike's interest to have him run for the US over a country with 100,000 people, and I expect they structured the contract to be consistent with that. In particular, if running for Antigua he wouldn't be able to benefit from bonuses for placing high at the US trials or breaking the American record.

[americantrackfan]

He should stay with Antigua. He’ll be one sorry young man if he finishes 4th or worse at USA OT

Yeah the 47.0 guy is gonna have a hard time making the team. Also, did it ever occur to you that he wants to represent the country where he was born, lived his whole life, and has been a citizen his whole life?

[18.99s]

Transfer of Allegiance is one of those Coe initiatives that lead me to believe that he's not the man to move the sport forward. This rule is a joke (but the previous rule was no better). Why? Because the penalty for transfer is longer than the penalty for a PED positive test.

That depends on whether the 3 year wait is retroactive with respect to establishing residence and/or citizenship in the new country, vs. starting when the application is filed.

[reggaeirie1234]

He should stay with Antigua. He’ll be one sorry young man if he finishes 4th or worse at USA OT

Exactly.

[Tuariki]

I believe Rai Benjamin last competed for Antigua in spring 2015 at the World Relays.

He declined to compete for Antigua at Rio in 2016.

Not sure when he submitted his request to transfer allegiance to USA but hope he will be good to go for 2019 Worlds.

He should have no problem with the credibility and citizenship requirements.

He should stay with Antigua. He’ll be one sorry young man if he finishes 4th or worse at USA OT

[reggaeirie1234]

The whole thing is a non-issue being made into an issue by Europeans who are jealous that the talent is going to the Middle East / Asia and not Europe.

[crymeariver]

Transfer of Allegiance is one of those Coe initiatives that lead me to believe that he's not the man to move the sport forward. This rule is a joke (but the previous rule was no better). Why? Because the penalty for transfer is longer than the penalty for a PED positive test. Now which one is greater threat to the sport?

[NotDutra5]

So Mo Farah would have had to represent Somalia?

No. I was using examples such as Rai Benjamin as an example of someone born in the country he's looking to represent.

Mondo would be an example as well if he hadn't competed for Sweden within the last three years.

[tandfman]

I think we're going to have to see the actual language of the new rules to be more sure of how those rules would apply to individual situations--past, present, and future.

[18.99s]

So Mo Farah would have had to represent Somalia?

No, I think NotDutra was bringing up the country of citizenship at birth as an example of evidence to support one's connection to the intended country of allegiance ... so in the case of Mo Farah he theoretically could use the fact of being a born Somali citizen to support his case if he wanted to represent Somalia without waiting another 3 years.

[Powell]

How about having citizenship of a particular country from the moment they are born?

So Mo Farah would have had to represent Somalia?