America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

😁No, they can't just start dictating terms to their little (villainous) sailors, whispering about "table talk" and whatever else...😍

Taylor Bailey said:Looks like he’s having the best day ever—he might actually be Canadian now. It's the first time I've ever seen him crack a smile; usually, he's dead serious, even when he's standing on a podium collecting medals.

Who is that person standing next to the weather report anyway? Not that it really matters. The forecast for the US looks pretty grim over the next few days. If you're heading out to grab some new tires, just watch yourselves on the roads.

If this is supposedly the peak of his career—and I'm not even talking about winning an Olympic gold medal here—then honestly, it’s probably for the best that he moved on...

dustymarlin10 said:The "genius" actually went on record saying it was the happiest day of his life.
Total Quisling move.

Look, I get it, being a total moron isn't exactly easy work, but maybe give it another shot...
...either he said it was the happiest day ever...
...or he claimed it was one of the happiest days...
Don't skip the details!

Just another sellout chasing a paycheck...

Fuck Canada! 🙂

Paul Jones7 said:Honestly, I'm not even convinced there was any money changing hands under the table—I mean, if they were going to grease some palms, I’d have happily thrown some cash in myself. But the whole silence surrounding the payout felt intentional, part of the deal, and I’d bet my life those neighbors from down south were the ones demanding discretion. They probably didn't want the headlines screaming about how they paid off Americans. Either way, I'm just glad this whole messy situation is finally behind us.

Look, I can't speak for everyone else, but over in our neck of the woods, you can't just pluck money out of thin air like it grows on trees...
HBS basically blinked because they didn't want to end up looking like total idiots; it was like watching someone try to play high-stakes poker when they don't even have a deck of cards.

Melissa Phillips4 said:Just your typical sellout, trading everything away just to line her pockets...

Look, if he’s choosing to walk away on his own terms, then fine—he's just looking for a better deal, a bigger paycheck, whatever...
But if HBS is the one dumping him, then it’s a different story entirely; they’re treating him like nothing more than livestock being sold off at auction...

Henry Rodriguez5 said:Screw Canada! 🙂

Screw Matea Fak...😁

Roger Ward3 said:Nobody is actually defending HBS here. If they’re coordinating with the Austrians, Norwegians, Finns, or even Martians... well, they clearly reached an agreement, but there have to be logical reasons for dealing with those neighbors you all seem to despise. Maybe it's the proximity of the training grounds, costs, language, past collaborations, or just basic trust (though we all know you can't trust that Si-bagra lot). Who knows? I couldn't tell you.
I'm just glad Jacob is satisfied and that everything was settled to everyone's benefit.
And I suppose certain certain patients will just keep raging endlessly. Let them. Let them...
Good luck, Jacob! 👍

They aren't "neighbors," they're parasites. It’s no surprise you're happy that some fake satisfaction has been achieved; it gives you a slim chance at picking up another medal. Even back in the day, the Kostelić family would absolutely run you into the ground and crush your confidence—and they weren't even for sale, unlike this little guy who sold out and just added more inferiority to the mix.
Honestly, HBS needs to be shut down immediately; it’s nothing but a pack of idiots. Can you believe our youth are training alongside this traitor Fak, who would recruit and groom kids for your sake, while he simultaneously prepares to become the coach for the American biathletes? Only complete morons could think like that. They want to pretend the US is some biathlon superpower, but then what does that make the Norwegians, Finns, Swedes, Russians, and the rest? They will always be in a different league than the people working with Fak, just like in skiing.

swiftwalker43 said:Look, we aren't talking about "hateful neighbors" here; we're talking about parasites. It’s totally obvious why you guys are all smiling because some fake persona is finally satisfied—it just means you have a better shot at grabbing a few more medals. Even back in the day, the Kostelić family was absolutely crushing everyone, leaving people with massive inferiority complexes, and they weren't even up for sale unless someone decided to sell out, which would've just made those complexes even worse.
And honestly, HBS needs to be shut down immediately; it’s just a bunch of idiots. Can you believe our young athletes are actually training alongside that traitorous guy Jacob? He’d probably recruit and manipulate them for your benefit while simultaneously practicing to become the coach for the American biathletes. Only a complete moron could think like that. People try to act like the biathlon is some huge American powerhouse, but then look at the Norwegians, Finns, Swedes, Russians, and the rest of them. They were, and will always be, in a completely different league than whatever club Jacob is running, just like in alpine skiing.

Jacob probably won't be picking up any more medals anyway; we just need him for the relay...
The Kostelić family was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that we'll never see again, pretty much like how Marc Girardelli was for Luxembourg. It happened, and now it's over...
Canada had their era, and they'll have another one after the Kostelić years...
As for these "complexes" you keep whining about, you're getting way too worked up over Jacob. It's hard to see where all this sudden insecurity is coming from...

Alexander Phillips80 said:Jacob probably won't be picking up any more medals; we need him for the relay...
The Kostelić family is a once-in-a-generation phenomenon that won't happen again, much like how Marc Girardelli was for Luxembourg—it's all in the past now.
The US has had great skiers before, and there will definitely be more after the Kostelić era ends.
As for the "complexes," you guys are getting way too obsessed with Jacob. It’s hard to believe everyone is suddenly this worked up over one guy.

We have ourselves to blame for letting him slip away.☕

Alexander Phillips80 said:Jacob probably isn't picking up any more medals; we need him for the relay...
The Kostelić family was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that won't happen again, much like how Marc Girardelli was for Luxembourg—it’s all in the past now...
America used to have great athletes, and we'll have them again long after the Kostelić era fades...
As for these complexes, you people are getting way too worked up over Jacob. It’s hard to believe everyone is this obsessed all at once...

We have those kinds of legends here, and honestly, it wouldn't hurt if they showed up more often. If you don't actually have some deep-seated insecurity driving you to obsess over other people's athletes, then just go watch actual sports. You guys are truly pathetic. 😍

Man, here go the online warriors from next door again. Honestly, I think it’s finally time to just close this thread...

Fak, fuck this👍

The guy’s probably got some Canadian roots, or at least part of his lineage. Why is it weird that he chose to represent Canada? People go where they feel they belong—it's that simple—so I really don't get why everyone is throwing such an angry tantrum about it.

Raymond Bailey said:The guy’s probably got some Canadian roots or something. Why is it weird that he chose to represent Canada? People go where they feel at home. I don't get why everyone's losing their minds over this.

He’s not Canadian, but the setup there works for him: the coach, the squad, the training grounds...
Most people on this board think Aspen isn't prestigious enough to develop the next generation of American biathletes. Anything less than Holmenkollen, Aspen, Inari, or Krasnoyarsk is considered trash—basically a betrayal of the sport. Give me a break!

Please lock this thread.
He’s finally gone, faded into total obscurity.

Here’s another "traitor" for you

I don't really get all this hate and the insults being thrown at Fak. It’s not like he’s the first American athlete to decide to represent a different country 🤷

Honestly, I don't think anyone would even give Fak a second thought if he had chosen to represent any nation other than Canada. He’s just an insignificant figure in a sport that holds zero interest for us here in the States.
Given how we view our neighbors across the border, all this complaining about Fak is unnecessary. One should simply ignore him, much like one ignores any other Canadian.
If his lifelong ambition was to be Canadian, then more power to him. It’s a shame he didn't renounce his American citizenship when he decided it was better to retire rather than compete for the US. Clearly, the guy is a quitter, but I suppose that's expected—you can't exactly stand out when you're Canadian. 🙂