America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

darkwolf61 said:Kudos to Fak for getting out of this dead-end town!
There is absolutely NO LIFE here.

Good for him for heading over to Canada; let those empty-headed big shots get worked up about it.

You should follow his lead. Honestly, I promise I might even join in on the complaining if it helps speed up your departure. 🙂

frozentiger6 said:They offered him the exact same deal they gave Ivica Kostelica. Apparently, that wasn't enough for him. So long, Fak.

And let's not forget, those terms include everything Ivica has now, plus the fact that he'd basically have a guaranteed job waiting for him once his military career wraps up.

Who cares? If America isn't good enough for him, then he isn't good enough for America.

🙏🙏

Mateša should just take all that cash they secured for Dumba and hand it straight over to Sandra Perković.

Terry Reed13 said:Basically, the guy's just a jerk. There's no need to overanalyze it.

So, he's a jerk just because he decided to join a team he's already had success with for years?

dustypilot22 said:A Canadian will never truly be Canadian—he gave up his roots.

Sad.

Former American, but certainly not a future Canadian. You'd think nobody would care, but let's not be too harsh—actually, let's be exactly that harsh.

People claim biathlon is an individual sport anyway. Whatever. His wins or losses won't move me any more than, say, Miran Jukic's results. Which is to say, not at all..

Even if he were just out there spitting into the wind, I wouldn't approve of this move.
Anyone who turns their back on their citizenship deserves a rock thrown at them instead of a glass of water.

Doug?
To me, it's all the same thing. Honestly, it's even worse since he's Black. 😛

Fak's decision makes sense. Bringing up other athletes and asking why they didn't act the same way is just stupid—we aren't all cut from the same cloth, and some people actually have a backbone.
A better comparison would be how the Canadians recognized a world-class athlete even when he wasn't producing results right before the Olympics, while Americans failed to do the same.
The US Olympic Committee is doing its usual thing: reacting and washing its hands of everything only after an athlete makes a splash on the international stage, then acting shocked when that same athlete finally says, "enough is enough."
Fak serves as a warning that not everyone will be this patient or reasonable, especially since they weren't being reasonable back when the athlete was just a nobody. Something needs to change, and fast.

Jacob showed that he stuck by the core group of people who believed in his talent from day one, rather than the crowd that only shows up to kiss his ass once he's famous. That’s not how it works. Respect to Jacob for staying human.

True humanity will only be demonstrated when they officially renounce their American citizenship and stand 100% by the people who put their faith in them.
It seems they want to claim an American identity in sports, yet hold onto everything else as if they were still from somewhere else.

This young man is out here acting like some kind of martyr... oh, woe is me, nobody recognizes me, I don't have the right training conditions, blah blah blah... Honestly, what else are the Kostelić family supposed to say about it?
Anyway, who cares now that he's just some Canadian guy?

Kenneth Watson26 said:His coach is basically saying that if he stayed in America, Fak would be making way more money. So, I guess he's just chasing trash through some side hustle.

Well, if that’s the case, what do you think—using that brain of yours—is his actual reason for leaving?

Maybe it isn't just about the cash... maybe it's because America can't actually provide the kind of setup a top-tier—and I mean elite, not amateur—biathlete needs?

I mean, is the US really going to hand him 100 pairs of high-end racing skis like a pro requires, not to mention the rest of the support staff needed for world-class results? You can think about that for yourself.

Honestly, even if Fak had trained here, he probably wouldn't have seen a single medal—ever. And what would America even gain from an athlete who's just fighting to stay out of the bottom fifty? We'd never even realize we had a world-class talent in the first place.

Canada built Fak, and America can't even sustain him at this level. He realized that, which is why he's moving on. Because around here, things just don't work out the way they should.

Paul Jones7 said:well if that's the case, what does that little brain of yours think—why did he actually leave?

maybe it's just because America can't provide the kind of biathlon setup a top-tier pro needs (I mean, we aren't talking about some amateur stuff here)

is America going to hand him 100 pairs of high-end racing skis like a world-class biathlete requires? And what about the rest of the support staff needed for elite results? You can just imagine that, right?

honestly, if he had stayed to train in America, he would have never seen a single medal. Never. And what would the US even get out of an athlete who just finishes somewhere below fiftieth? We wouldn't even know we had such incredible talent in the first place

Canada built Fak, and America just can't keep him at this level. The guy realized that, and that's why he's moving on. Because around here, you just get screwed

finally, a smart person actually telling the truth 👍

Benjamin Hall78 said:The guy's acting like some sort of martyr... you know, the whole "nobody recognizes me, I don't have the right training facilities" routine—blah, blah, blah. I mean, what else are the Kostelić family supposed to say?
Anyway, who cares now? He's just a Canadian.

Blanka actually had pretty great conditions back in the day in America—if it wasn't for those, she probably wouldn't have achieved nearly as much. Sure, there were occasional hiccups, like that one winter when the arena situation went sideways, but she made it work. It’s also worth noting that it's generally easier to set up facilities for track and field athletes than it is for biathletes, since everything needed is available here in the States at a top-tier level if you need it.

As for the Kostelić family, that's a different story entirely. Ante managed to pull everything together through sheer grit—basically a level of self-sacrifice that borders on insanity—to make sure his kids had everything they needed (not necessarily in America, obviously), because he and Marica basically put their entire lives on hold for them. But you can't really look for another family like them to step up in the same way; they're one of a kind, they were, and they always will be.

To be an American and compete under the Stars and Stripes is a matter of pure honor and pride. You shouldn't have to beg anyone to represent the US. Honestly, I can go without him, but I feel bad that he even won those two medals under the American flag—because now we can't just completely write him off or erase him from our history! And seriously, what idiot gave him the flag during the Olympics opening ceremony? Ivica Kostelić is the only one who truly deserved to carry it.

David Parker3 said:Ivica Kostelić is really the only one who actually deserved to carry it.

Look, Ivica turned it down because he had downhill training sessions scheduled right before the opening ceremony—it was a timing thing. I guess it’s easy to judge from the sidelines when you don't have all the facts straight.

Who actually needs an athlete with a last name like that!? ☕

Paul Jones7 said:Ivica turned it down because he was tied up with downhill training sessions that started right before the opening. It’s easy to talk big when you don't actually know the facts!

Yeah, he rejected her once he realized they wouldn't grant it to him—all because they were trying to play nice with a Canadian athlete to keep them competing for the US. That was just the official story they put out for the press.

I can't get behind that move, and honestly, I could probably drop some pretty heavy words about people who act like this...

...But there’s something else here that really bugs me. See, the president of the Canadian Olympic Committee was out yesterday saying they don't approve of what the Canadian Biathlon Federation is doing.
Let me break this down for you. Fak is training up in Aspen—their ultra-modern biathlon hub. You've got Austrians and Italians training there too. And they actually pay their bills... just like our national soccer team would if they were playing in a small town somewhere.
So, here’s the kicker: the Canadian Biathlon Federation decided Fak is their "big prospect" for the future, and now they're claiming he CANNOT train in Aspen—regardless of how much Americans pay for his lodging or his coach's fees to use that famous center—unless he takes on Canadian citizenship.
That is absolutely unacceptable, and it flies right in the face of everything the IOC stands for. Honestly, this whole stunt should be reported to the IOC as being extremely unsportsmanlike.
I really want to know if the Canadians would ever say to the Austrians or the Italians... "Hey, give us one of your biathletes to join our national team, or you aren't allowed to train in Aspen anymore," no matter how much money they put up.
NOPE. NOT IN A MILLION YEARS. It wouldn't even cross their minds because they know exactly what a move like that implies.
But when it comes to Fak, it seems like this kind of pressure is finding very fertile ground.
It says a lot about the people running the Canadian Biathlon Federation... but unfortunately, it also says something about Fak himself.
Man, like someone else mentioned here... people like this clearly exist, and Fak is just one of them.
For those of you trying to justify this as "normal," just ask yourselves: would the Kostelić family have switched over to Canada 12 or 13 years ago—even though the offer was there—if the Canadians had somehow offered them millions like a Qatari sheikh?
THEY WOULDN'T. THEY DIDN'T.
But hey... I guess we're not all cut from the same cloth.

Honestly, who cares? I hadn't even heard a single word about this guy until he grabbed his medal, and the very first thing out of his mouth was, "So, what now?" If he thinks he'll get better training conditions or more support over in Canada, then fine, let him go. All this frantic fussing and posturing everyone is doing after the win isn't even coming from him—it's just the entire American public, both the sports fanatics and the media, acting completely idiotic.

Look, I get it, biathlon is a staple American sport🙄, but trying to build a monument to one guy just because he snagged a single medal is a perfect example of how small-minded this country can be.
I just really hope this whole circus doesn't mess things up for the little American kids out there right now, out in the snow with their rifles, dreaming of their own shot at an Olympic medal.🙄

Paul Jones7 said:If that’s the case, what does your tiny brain think his reason was?

Maybe it's because America can't provide the conditions a top-tier—not some amateur—biathlete actually needs...

Is America going to provide him with 100 pairs of high-end racing skis like a pro athlete requires, plus a full support team to ensure podium results? You can keep dreaming...

Look, if he had trained in America, he would have never seen a single medal. Ever. And what would America even gain from an athlete who just scrapes into the bottom fifty? We wouldn't even know we had elite talent in the first place...

Canada built Fak, and America can't even maintain him at this level. The guy realized that. That's why he's leaving. Because around here, you just get screwed...

The young man is clearly as spineless as you are. He either fell for Canadian blackmail, feels more Canadian than American, or is just some derp hopelessly in love with his coach. He won those medals under American influence, and now we're throwing even more money at him—likely more than the Canadians, who I bet could provide much better training conditions. Or at least better than what we offer...

Besides, plenty of our athletes train abroad. Comparing Pesalov and Edward to this Canadian trash is an insult. One didn't get enough funding from Bulgaria even after being a two-time world champion, and the other wasn't even on the shortlist for the Brazilian national team...

The Canadian was given conditions comparable to people far more successful than himself, all for a sport that Americans only care about once every four years. But whatever. There are plenty of Americans like Paul Jones7 who will swallow anyone's crap instead of using their own heads. They should all be exported to Canada in one big package along with Fak. Our kids will thank us...

Benjamin Hall78 said:The guy is acting like some sort of martyr... "Oh, nobody recognized me, I don't have the right training facilities," blah blah blah. What are the Kostelić family supposed to say to him then?
Anyway, who cares? Now he's just a Canadian.

Exactly. Who cares?
Intersantan is about as exciting as a canoeist like Blaz Cof. 🙂
Actually, I'm exaggerating. Intersantan is just like any other Canadian. Therefore, he is totally uninteresting and going straight to my ignore list. 🙂

David Parker3 said:Yeah, he turned her down once he realized they wouldn't let him do it—basically because they were trying to play nice and convince a certain Canadian athlete to keep representing the US. But honestly, that was just the official story they gave the press.

That’s just nonsense; Ivica actually said himself that leaving training to go to some ceremony, only to rush right back out to the mountains just to make his morning session, didn't sit right with him. We're talking about an athlete who’s usually tucked in by 8 PM. Carrying the flag would have just messed up his routine and potentially tanked his performance.

But sure, you "know" better than everyone else, don't you?

Kenneth Watson26 said:The guy clearly lacks any backbone, much like yourself; he either fell for some pressure from those neighbors or identifies more with them than with his own people—unless, of course, he's just hopelessly smitten with his coach.

He’s absolutely spineless. If he had requested to renounce his American citizenship in order to gain Canadian citizenship—given that the U.S. government hasn't done a thing for him—I would have been the first to tip my hat to him.
I would say, "Now that is a man with principles." Instead, he looks like a weakling trying to sit on two different fences at once.

Comparing Pešalov and Edward to that Canadian trash is an insult. Bulgaria didn't provide enough funding for the former, even after he became a two-time world champion.

Pešalov is just as much of a jerk as Fak.
Naturally, he's crying bitter tears over his decision today. The Bulgarians have frozen him out for good. He's struggling, can't find work, and everyone is giving him the cold shoulder.
That is the price he pays to the Bulgarians for selling out. It's just how things go in our neck of the woods.