America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

but let's be real, HBS is the one out here chasing the money, not HOO 😕

honestly, I’d love to get my eyes on that contract—or maybe even all of them—to see when they were signed, who the parties actually were, and what kind of numbers we're talking about... I have a feeling there's some serious shady business going on behind the scenes somewhere

wiredtiger8 said:Look... $100,000 in damages isn't actually that much.

But regarding those officials over at the association, you've got a point.
I’ll just tell you this... at the Olympics in Canada, they had the president of the USA Biathlon Association, the vice president, the secretary... and Fak.
So, I really don't need to spell out how much money was burned through during those two weeks in Canada just to fly out all those "officials."

If it’s such a massive burden for those stingy villains to pay out $100,000 in damages, then there shouldn't be any paperwork left. Honestly, after all the threats and blackmail about not being allowed into the European Union, we've tolerated far too much from them. Just pay the small change and let us have Fak. As for those people defending that guy and his partner Velepec, please spare us the idiotic excuses and justifications for why this whole crew is leaving. It's laughable. Personally, I would have been the first one rooting for him to walk away if they hadn't practically offered him everything under the sun in terms of cash and perks.

That’s exactly my point. As soon as the sponsors finally stepped up and the funding was actually secured, everyone’s true colors started showing—Fak, Velepec, and those guys from the neighboring association were all being incredibly two-faced. It felt like John basically backed Fak into a corner, leaving him with no choice but to cave to what the neighbors wanted.

The whole performance by our national association regarding hunting down sponsors and setting up the necessary conditions? Total theater. Just a complete sham.

If you’re asking me, the price for all that drama would have been a cool million... ☕

swiftwalker43 said:If paying $100,000 in damages to those cheapskate losers is what it takes to avoid some legal paperwork—especially since they were already threatening us with being left out of the European Union—then honestly, we just let them push us around too much. I guess you just pay the small change and call it even with Fak.

I don't think you quite get it... it isn't just about the cash, it's more about national pride, I suppose. If the USA Biathlon Association actually cuts a check for $100,000, someone could easily weaponize that to go after the people in charge at the Canadian Association. They could stage an attack—maybe even under pressure from a (rather pathetic) public outcry—to force out the leadership. It’s all political, really. And HBS pretty much knows the Canadians will have a hard time coming up with the money. That's the bind Fak is in. He should probably sue HBS for blackmail, but honestly, a lawsuit like that would probably tank his career since these things drag on for years. In a lawsuit, he's the one who loses.

If HBS refuses to back down and the Canadians can't pay, it'll be the end of him. HOO actually has enough leverage to make HBS drop it if they wanted to, but it doesn't look like they have any intention of doing so.

swiftwalker43 said:Personally, I’d be the first one rooting for him to move on, if they hadn't practically offered him everything under the sun in terms of money and perks.

The thing is, they weren't offering him decent conditions. With what was actually on the table, you can forget about him ever winning another medal. He might have seen better pay, sure, but the training environment would've been way worse than what he had when he was training with the Canadians.

I didn't see anyone else share this yet, so I figured I'd drop it here just in case it slipped past everyone:

Paul Jones7 said:You’re missing the point. This isn't just about the money; it's about national pride. If the USA Biathlon Association actually paid up $100,000, someone would jump at the chance to use that leverage against the leadership over at the Canadian Association. They’d launch an attack, and even if it was just driven by a certain (unfortunate) public outcry, they could force the top brass out. We're talking pure politics here. Plus, HBS pretty much knows the Canadians are going to struggle to cough up the cash. That’s the whole mess Fak is stuck in. Honestly, Fak should sue HBS for extortion, but doing that would basically be career suicide since legal battles drag on for years. If he sues, he loses everything.

If HBS refuses to back down and the Canadians can't pay, they'll destroy him. Now, HOO has enough clout to force HBS to drop this if they actually wanted to, but it doesn't look like they have any intention of doing so.

They didn't offer him anything remotely decent. With the terms they put on the table, forget about him ever winning another medal. He might have seen better paychecks, sure, but his training conditions would have been a massive step down from what he had while training with the Canadians.

If Šterbik could afford to wait, then this little faker can too—unless he's got the cash ready to go.

dustypanther6 said:if Šterbik can afford to wait, then maybe little old Fak can too—unless he’s actually footing the bill.

Look, you really can't compare handball to biathlon—it's apples and oranges. In handball, players actually make a living through their clubs. Besides, what exactly is "little Fak" doing in the meantime? Training out on frozen patches of dirt or some unmaintained field somewhere?

And I don't quite get this whole "if he pays" thing—where would he even get that kind of money? Did he pull a massive soccer transfer or something and suddenly have hundreds of thousands of dollars just sitting in his pocket?

Daniel Cooper40 said:Look, when Fak leaves, sponsors are probably going to walk out the door too. They need to find a way to make up for that lost revenue, regardless of the medals they won.

Fak is leaving one way or another.

Whether he heads to Canada or just retires, if those shady contracts were tied directly to him, they’re essentially worthless now. It's a house of cards—all smoke and no substance.

If I were in Fak's shoes, after all these stunts, I wouldn't even sit at the same table as this association, let alone represent them under their banner.

Paul Jones7 said:You can't even compare handball to biathlon; in handball, people actually make a living from club sports. Besides, what is "little Fak" even doing right now? Training out in the middle of nowhere on some unkept, messy tracks?

And I don't get this whole "if the money is there" thing. Where is he getting the cash? Did he pull some massive windfall from a transfer like a pro soccer player, thinking he can just pull $100k out of his own pocket?

If he was serious about switching federations, he should have secured guarantees from the Canadian Association before signing anything. He shouldn't be playing the martyr now. Give me one single constructive reason why our federation should just hand him a free release. If the federation can turn a profit off this, why wouldn't they? This is like walking into a grocery store, putting stuff in your cart, getting to the register, hearing the total, and telling the cashier, "Actually, just give it to me for free because I patched up your tire a few years ago."

wanderinghawk17 said:That’s exactly my point. As soon as the sponsors showed up and things finally looked profitable, everyone’s true colors came out—Fak, Velepec, and those guys from the Canadian Association. They basically backed Fak into a corner until he had "no choice" but to side with them.

The whole performance about the US Biathlon Association finding sponsors and setting the stage was nothing but a total sham.

If you ask me, the price tag would be a million bucks... ☕

Oh, please. Would the price really be a million if it were you? Don't even go there. What do you or the Association actually gain by ruining someone's life? Is the Association going to get a standing ovation for that? Are you personally going to cover Fak's medical bills and unemployment once they've absolutely crushed him? If everyone else in this mess acted shady, then at least the Association should step up and show some actual humanity.

dustypanther6 said:If he already made up his mind to switch federations, he really should have secured some guarantees from the Canadian Ski Association beforehand—you know, proof they could actually cover the costs—instead of playing the martyr now. I mean, give me one single constructive reason why our federation should just hand over his release papers for free. If the federation can turn a profit off this, why wouldn't they? It’s kind of like walking into a grocery store, filling your cart, getting to the register, hearing the total, and then telling the cashier, "Actually, I'd like this for free because I patched up your bike tire a few years ago."

And who exactly could give you a blank check guarantee without knowing the amount upfront? I don't think anyone accounted for the possibility that HBS might come knocking for cash.

A constructive reason?

Fine, I'll give you one: no sports federation has the right to hold an athlete in literal bondage.

Just imagine you're an athlete and, for whatever reasons—which honestly doesn't even matter—you want to switch the country you represent. Is it fair for a country to withhold your paperwork based on some kind of extortion, even if you never signed a formal contract with them and are only representing them because that's where you were born and registered as an athlete?

Because by your logic, a federation can just demand amounts of money that nobody would ever be willing to pay, effectively keeping you in chains. Does a sports federation really have the right to dictate your entire athletic destiny? Do they have the right to hold you captive by force?

Think about it like this: imagine an employer refuses to hand over your employment records when you want to quit unless you reach a deal with them. Say you find a better job, and the boss tells you, "Sure, I'll give you your papers, but only if you pay me $17

There have to be rights for the athletes too, not just for the federations. If a federation wants to protect investments made in certain athletes, they should probably just draft proper contracts that clearly regulate those transactions and relationships.

Here is another perspective from a pro athlete: http://www.patrcevic.com/sramota-hrv...eza/#more-1986

Stop whining about this whole mess. Honestly, we might as well just hand over $100,000 to cover their travel expenses while we're at it, right? Who was there to cry for us when our own neighbors were screwing us over on those ZERP deals and all that other nonsense? As for the whole situation with Fak, if he wants to go compete for Qatar, I say let him—I actually wouldn't mind that, I’m all for it. Look, Fak, just pack up and head to Qatar and everything will be fine, but the Americans better start footing the bill first.

He is still lamenting the fate of one unfortunate Canadian. 🤦

Paul Jones7 said:You just don't get it. It isn't merely about the money; it’s about national pride. Even if the association were to pay $100,000, someone would inevitably weaponize that to launch an attack against the leadership of the Canadian Ski Association, potentially forcing them out under the weight of public outcry. These are political machinations. Besides, HBS pretty much knows the Canadians will struggle to settle the bill. That’s the burden Fak carries. He should probably sue HBS for extortion, but honestly, such a lawsuit would be career suicide—legal battles drag on for years. If he goes to court, he loses everything.

If HBS refuses to back down and the Canadians won't pay, they'll destroy him. And HOO actually has the leverage to force HBS to drop it if they truly wanted to. But it doesn't look like they have any intention of doing so.

They never offered him decent terms. With what was on the table, you can forget about him ever winning another medal. He might have seen better financial numbers, but the training conditions would have been a step down from when he was training with the Canadians.

To me, this blatant refusal by the Canadians to pay shows exactly how cheap they are and how little they actually care about Fak. In the world of sports, athlete transfers being paid is standard procedure. So, either the Canadians pay up or there's no registration—period. If they can't scrape together 100,000 euros, then they can just fuck off and wait two years while he sits out of competition.
I am personally against Fak returning to us—he's already mentally checked out and moved on anyway—but the Canadians need to pay this pittance.
As for the conditions, plenty of athletes in America across various sports have lacked proper training environments; after achieving greatness, they wouldn't dream of selling themselves out to another national team.
I'll say it again: if they hadn't offered him essentially everything after his success—if they had ignored him or lowballed him—I would have been the first one standing up for him. But as it stands, I view him as a traitor who should be forgotten as quickly as possible.

There is actually one silver lining to this whole mess. Now, you can bet the commentators are going to be constantly shouting, "Screw Canada!" 😉

swiftwalker43 said:Look, I’ll be the first to stand by him if he wasn't offered a fair shake after his big wins. If people ignored him or lowballed him, I'd have his back. But as it stands, he’s just a bad apple we need to move past.

But you actually said it yourself—money isn't what drives him. He didn't sell out to the Canadian Ski Association; he's strictly motivated by the sport.

Jose White18 said:Look, you’re even admitting it yourself—money isn't what drives him. He didn't sell out to the guys from the north; he's strictly motivated by the game itself.

Sure. I suppose the real motivation is hidden somewhere in Velepec's undergarments.

It’s much like how an American athlete should recognize when the Canadian Ski Association is applying their specific training philosophy.
Just be patient for a couple of years, and everything will fall perfectly into place.

This guy would honestly rather walk away from his career entirely than keep competing for America. What a piece of work... and yet there are even more people out there feeling sorry for him. It’s such a sad, cinematic story that would probably drive thousands of "sensible" Americans straight to AMC Theatres just to watch Americans demonstrate how pathetic it is to ruin a talent this big. A great athlete who’d rather quit than represent his own country. "Great" my foot...

"If you don't give me my release papers, I'll be forced to end my career, blah blah blah, if I don't compete for two years while this dispute is settled, I'll lose all contact with the competition, blah blah blah"...
Legend, you always have the option to retire. Actually, you have plenty of them. Your lover could convince his stingy countrymen to show Americans his "greatness" (not the kind in his underwear, but his athletic skill) and pay that ridiculous amount. Or you can just keep competing under the same flag you've been using all along. But it seems your lover and his compatriots don't love you as much as you think they do, and quitting is more appealing to you than playing for your own nation. So, just do what Slobodan Maddox once suggested to Milan Martić toward the end of the Storm—just hang it up...