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O Say Can You See What Nation I Am?

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By MITCH ALBOM Tribune Media Services

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 21, 2008

BEIJING - If it isn't about representing your country, why do they play the national anthem when you win? It is time, once and for all, to end the hypocrisy over who competes for whom in the Olympics. Athletes switching countries as if ripping off one sweaty T-shirt and pulling on another has made a sham of the whole process.

There have been many examples of this in Beijing, from basketball players to female sailors, but none worse than the other day at the women's beach volleyball competition. Russia was pitted against Georgia, which, of course, also is happening on a far more serious stage, one of war.

Reporters, sensing a "see the world through the prism of sport" angle, raced to an event they usually would ignore to chronicle the battle.

And in dramatic fashion, the Georgian pair rallied to defeat the Russians, making the media salivate with metaphors. But in the post-match news conference, when asked about the issue, the Russian team smirked.

"We were not actually playing against the Georgian team," Natalia Uryadova told the press. "We were playing against our Brazilian friends here."

And she was right. For all their sudden declarations of patriotism, the "Georgian" team consisted of two Brazilians who were offered citizenship only because of their talent.
Basketball fans are familiar with the stories of Chris Kaman and Becky Hammon, two Americans who are competing, respectively, for Germany, a country we battled in World War II, and Russia, a sworn enemy for much of the 20th century. Neither was born there. Neither can sing the national anthem. Both were offered quick citizenship because their talent could help those countries' chances.

And how about 18-year-old Haley Nemra, who recently worked at a pizza parlor in Washington, but is competing for the Marshall Islands in the 800-meter run. The Marshall Islands?

Athletes like Nemra use loopholes - in her case, a father who was born in the Marshall Islands - to get into the Games. All you need are the proper papers. And nations, especially small ones, are often quick to provide them for a chance at seeing their colors displayed on the international stage.

Especially if it's on the medal stand.

Either the Olympics are a unique event in which you have to have been born and raised in a country to compete, or they should just let anyone compete for anyone, like a pro sports league.

There was a photo last week of Hammon, born in South Dakota, holding her hand over her heart amidst her new Russian basketball teammates. She was wearing the red Russian uniform, but they were playing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Mitch Albom's column is distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.

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