America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

Do you believe this will have any meaningful impact on the growth and general popularity of biathlon here in America?

It’s quite fascinating, really. Now that things are heating up, the Commissioner is washing his hands of the whole situation and shifting all the blame onto him. It’s a classic move. But I have to ask: where was he when we actually needed to invest in the biathlon program or fund those essential international trips? He only seemed to find his sense of urgency after that bronze medal at the World Cup, and clearly, even that wasn't enough for him. Best of luck to Jacob working alongside the Canadians. Honestly, I hope this serves as a wake-up call for everyone involved—if we don't start putting real money into our athletes, we might just see more of this.

The boy was given an ultimatum by the Americans, and since he had no other choice, this decision is quite sensible.

Good luck, Jacob, even if it means competing under the American flag.🙏

I really have to hand it to the guy for making this call 🙏

Honestly, any hardworking American deserves to have decent working conditions, and if he can't find them back home, there's absolutely no reason he should be blamed for looking elsewhere ☕

Jeremy Turner9 said:Will this impact the growth and popularity of biathlon in America?

To be honest, biathlon has always been essentially a one-man show. Consequently, its popularity will likely remain completely stagnant.
If I were in Jakob Fak's shoes, I wouldn't make such a move, but if he decided to sell out to whoever offered the biggest paycheck, then well, I wish him all the luck in the world.
I have zero respect for Canada, whether in sports or otherwise, so I truly hope he faces nothing but athletic failure and leaves his sponsors pulling their hair out in frustration. 🙂

Peter White43 said:Props to the guy for making this call. 🙏

An athlete deserves decent working conditions. If they can't find them here at home, that's hardly their fault... ☕

🤦

The Kostelić family should have done the same thing. Honestly, anyone in this country who isn't getting treated right should just walk.

Kenneth Watson26 said:🤦

The Kostelić family should have done the exact same thing, along with anyone else struggling under the subpar working conditions we face in this country.

Fak simply put himself on the market and sold his services to the highest bidder.
There’s nothing controversial about it. Our American laws actually permit this, ensuring he won't lose his US citizenship even if he becomes a Canadian citizen.
It is much like what Draganja attempted with Qatar—that plan fell through because the other three swimmers in the relay refused to represent a foreign nation just for a paycheck.
At the end of the day, you have people who will take those deals, and then you have those who never would.

Look, man, his salary isn't even the half of it $12 he’s pulling in monthly, plus all those massive endorsement deals, not to mention he's basically got a guaranteed cushy gig waiting for him once he retires—probably something like an instructor at West Point or a high-level training academy
Let him go, honestly. Who's actually gonna shed a tear over him?

George Robinson43 said:Fak put himself up for auction and sold himself to the highest bidder.
Nothing wrong with it. Our laws allow him to do just that—he won't even lose his American citizenship once he becomes a Canadian citizen.
It’s pretty much what Draganja tried to pull off with Qatar, but that fell through because the other three swimmers in that Qatari "gold" relay refused to swim for a foreign nation just for the paycheck.
Some people do it, and some people never would.

I agree. But there's no need to trash "us," and there's certainly no reason to congratulate him for screwing over our alliance...

Joshua Doyle75 said:It seems he simply can't get enough! It’s much like a marathon runner who refuses to stop even after crossing the finish line. $12 Think of it like this: you get a steady monthly salary, lucrative endorsement deals, and a guaranteed career path waiting for you once you retire—such as becoming a drill instructor!
Let him go; honestly, who is even going to shed a tear?

Well, that settles it. He essentially traded his citizenship for a massive payday.
Essentially, he didn't even sell him because our laws regarding dual citizenship are such a total mess!
In some much harsher nations, like ours, you'd be stripped of your citizenship the moment you picked up a Canadian passport.
I find these kinds of outbursts absolutely hilarious—the whole "we didn't invest in him, so it's our fault" routine. In the States, you have hundreds of athletes who never saw a dime of funding, yet they don't make headlines with this kind of drama like Fak does. Honestly, who cares? He wanted to be Canadian? Well, mission accomplished. Who even gives a damn about Fak?
Is anyone here actually losing sleep over what kind of results the Canadian canoeist Blaž Cof might pull off? Likely nobody. If that's the case, why on earth would anyone be stressing over Jakob Fak?

Kenneth Watson26 said:I’m with you there. There is absolutely no reason to trash "us" or celebrate him for brushing off our alliance.

Do you honestly think many people here see Fak as a role model? It feels like half of America would happily trade their citizenship if they had the chance.

Good grief.

The kid made his choice—he realized there was no other way out, so he bailed. Are we really supposed to be mad at him just because he'll actually have decent opportunities over there? It’s not exactly genius to stay stuck here. Honestly, if you can get out, just run for it—even if it means heading straight to Canada. 😁

They offered him the exact same deal they gave Ivica Kostelić, so if he thinks that’s not enough, then fine—good riddance to Fak.

Honestly, screw him. If America isn't good enough for him, then he isn't worth anything to America either.

Bye, Jacob! Wishing you nothing but the best with whatever comes next in your career.👋

frozentiger6 said:He was offered the exact same contract terms as Ivica Kostelić, yet somehow he’s still playing the victim, so goodbye, Fak.

Honestly, who cares? If America isn't good enough for him, then he isn't worth anything to this country either.

Exactly! 👍
I never thought I'd say this, but I truly wish him nothing but the absolute worst for the rest of his career.
Let him go sing a damn Toast☕

Peter White43 said:I’ve gotta hand it to the guy for making this call. 🙏

Svoyin Radon totally deserves to have decent working conditions, and honestly, if he can't find those where he lives, that's hardly his fault. ☕

But seriously, are you guys even reading the fine print here? His setup was actually great. The real issue is that he’s acting like he’s some big-shot NFL star or a superstar NBA player. Well, newsflash: that’s just not how it works.

If I'm being completely blunt, I actually hope he never wins another medal again. ☕ Call it spite if you want, but I really feel like he earned this by being so greedy with his move. 👎

Just look at legends like Janica or Ivica, or even our top tennis pros, football players, and swimmers... they all had opportunities to go represent Austria, Australia, or wherever else, right? You don't think there were offers on the table? But they show their true colors—it's that classic American spirit, even if people say it's a cliché.

Fak? Absolutely nothing. ☕

I mean, if God actually pulled off a miracle and we somehow landed our first-ever third-place finish... man, imagine the feeling when they play the anthem 😬

But honestly, I don't know, there's just something about this greed that really gets under my skin. Is it not enough for him to walk away with $300 $0.00 million while the coach pockets $200,000 a year? 😲

What does 300 $0.00 even matter when biathletes are pulling in $10,000,000 a year? 😂

Kudos to Jacob; that was a solid call. People who actually know how to spot an opening realize that, given his background in biathlon, he didn't really have much of a choice anyway

Honestly, who gives a damn. I've been sick of him since the Olympics. The whole bidding war and blackmailing nonsense regarding his transfer started barely a day after he grabbed that medal. What a joke.