A Reader Reports Native-born Kenyans Now Displacing Americans On The US Olympic Team
07/11/2016
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From: Grey Stalwart [Email him]

In the US Track & Field Olympic Trials this past weekend, two native-born Kenyans, Shadrack Kipchirchir and Lenord Korir, (attached picture) made the USA Olympic team in the 10,000 meters. They were running under the U.S. Army World Class Athletes Program. These runners having expended their college eligibility, then petition to get into WCAP where they do a standard military enlistment and are provided specialized training in their sport. Korir is in Oregon, the distance running capital of the US and Kipchirchir is in Fort Carson, Colorado near the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

WCAP allows elite-level athletes to train while on active duty, using their athletic success to promote the Army's message. Kipchirchir is a financial management technician when off the track, while Korir serves as a motor transport operator.

2 soldiers punch tickets to Rio Olympics in 10,000 meters, Army Times, July 1, 2016

Apparently, the naturalization process has been shortened for foreigners serving in the military. Kipchirchir's college running days ended at Oklahoma State in 2014 and he is already naturalized. Korir joined the Army in 2015 although his college career at Iona ended in 2011. A third Kenyan-born WCAP runner,  Paul Chelimo, will be trying to make the USA team in the 5,000 meters in the next few days.

I follow Track And Field closely and I don't recall this happening in the past. So not only are Americans being displaced in college scholarships by foreign athletes, they are now being crowded out of their own Olympic team by these same people with the aid and approval of the US military.

One can only wonder why the current group are all from the President's father's homeland and the conduit—the United States Army—is linked to the Commander-In-Chief.

See previous letters from the same reader.

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