Two new US citizens...

[Schmeck]

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=32490&type=news

Wow, once the legislation got through, they sure moved fast!

[loveskating]

Thanks for posting.

I'm HAPPY!

I hope this will be a great Olympics!

[schnood]

So they managed to get in in time. Wow, I can't imagine changing citizenship just for the sake of skating/Olympics. It's not a problem for some people, obviously, but I just couldn't betray myself like that.

Any word on Agosto's "injury"? Hopefully he/they'll be ready to compete now that they're able! I don't think they'll be on the podium this time (I have a theory that their silver at Worlds last year was a consolation prize for having to miss the Olympics, as it looked like at the time), but it should be good experience for 2010, where they'll probably be odds-on favourites.

[Schmeck]

They were already in the process of becoming citizens, legislation passed just made it quicker. They didn't just decide to become citizens last month...

[Nicki]

So they managed to get in in time. Wow, I can't imagine changing citizenship just for the sake of skating/Olympics. It's not a problem for some people, obviously, but I just couldn't betray myself like that.


I don't understand what you mean by betraying yourself. How is Tanith betraying herself by becoming a United States Citizen? She has represented this country in figure skating and lived here for several years now, so I'm sure the USA and the USFSA feel like home to her. She obviously wanted to skate with the person who was the best match for her and in her case it happened to be someone from a country other than her own.

Some people become citizen's of other coutries because of their careers, and in Tanith's case figure skating is her career. She is now a citizen of the country she has lived in and represented for all this time, Plus she gets to keep her Canadian Citizenship. It sounds like a win-win situation to me.

[mobius]

So they managed to get in in time. Wow, I can't imagine changing citizenship just for the sake of skating/Olympics. It's not a problem for some people, obviously, but I just couldn't betray myself like that.

Any word on Agosto's "injury"? Hopefully he/they'll be ready to compete now that they're able! I don't think they'll be on the podium this time (I have a theory that their silver at Worlds last year was a consolation prize for having to miss the Olympics, as it looked like at the time), but it should be good experience for 2010, where they'll probably be odds-on favourites.

I think there are at least 2 teams that are better than B/A. They are overhyped. I also thought that the silver medal at last year's Worlds was a consolation prize for not being able to partake the Olympics at that time. Either that or they just got high marks for Belbins's pretty face, except for that perky, wide smile, aka Julia Robert's smile (remember looks count a lot in ice-dance, that is why maybe certain teams are bypassed by B/A). What if B/A did not medal at last year's Worlds? Do you think that Congress would still push for Belbin's citizenship? My feeling is "no".

[Nicki]

What if B/A did not medal at last year's Worlds? Do you think that Congress would still push for Belbin's citizenship? My feeling is "no".

This bill was not intended only for olympic athletes like Tanith and Max. Many other peolple who applied for citizenship at the same time as these two did also had their paperwork delayed because of 9/11. This was about righting a wrong for everyone involved. Tanith and Ben's medals or lack thereof has nothing to do with that.

[schnood]

I think there are at least 2 teams that are better than B/A. They are overhyped. I also thought that the silver medal at last year's Worlds was a consolation prize for not being able to partake the Olympics at that time. Either that or they just got high marks for Belbins's pretty face, except for that perky, wide smile, aka Julia Robert's smile (remember looks count a lot in ice-dance, that is why maybe certain teams are bypassed by B/A). What if B/A did not medal at last year's Worlds? Do you think that Congress would still push for Belbin's citizenship? My feeling is "no".

Finally someone else who thinks B & A are overhyped. Yes, they are a good team, but I don't see them as world/olympic medallists yet. They have a lot of potential, but they are still rather young & colt-like.

Yup, the medal was the big push behind this recent legislation.

Any word on Agosto's injury? Will they be ready for nationals?