America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

Paul Jones7 said:That’s nonsense; Ivek himself stated he couldn't justify skipping training for a ceremony just to rush back to the mountains for his morning session. We are talking about an athlete who is tucked in by 8 PM! Carrying the flag would have disrupted his routine and potentially jeopardized his performance.

But sure, you "know" better than everyone else.

They really should have handed it to anyone else besides that Canadian.
It is truly embarrassing that the amateurs at the USOPC would entrust the flag to someone like him. 🤮

wiredtiger8 said:For anyone trying to paint a move like that as totally normal, maybe take a second to wonder—would the Kostelić family have jumped ship to Canada over a decade ago if some Canadian entity had somehow offered them millions, similar to what a Qatari Sheikh might do?
THEY WOULDN'T. AND THEY DIDN'T.
But then again... we aren't all cut from the same cloth.

Do you actually have any idea how much of his own money and his entire life he poured into those kids? Like, do you know anything at all about the Kostelić family?

What do you think—does every kid have a parent like that? Someone who’d spend half the year living abroad, or spend their summers doing seasonal fishing or whatever else just to afford spending six months a year freezing under tents on a glacier with their children?

Would you ever do that for your own kids, or would you be in their shoes? Would you walk away from a steady job to work from dawn till dusk, or deal with being separated from your wife for half the year? Do you really think everyone should have to live like that?

It's easy to sit there on your couch and judge, though—you seem pretty good at that.

It strikes me that this isn't about the money at all, but rather some sort of petty power play.
As Fak pointed out, his motivation isn't financial gain, but purely focused on Uroš Velepec.
Best of luck to you all at that little social club for the gays, Tiffany. 🙂

Paul Jones7 said:Do you have any clue how much of his own money and life Gips poured into his kids? Do you even know anything about the Kostelić family?

What do you think... does every kid have a parent willing to live abroad with them for half the year? Someone who works seasonal fishing gigs all summer just to spend six months freezing under tents on a glacier with their children?

Would you do that for your own kids, or would you be in those children's shoes? Would you quit a steady job to work dawn till dusk, being separated from your wife for half the year? Do you really think everyone should go through that?

But hey, it's easy to talk trash from your armchair. You're great at that.

What does the Kostelić family have to do with this? Fak was offered financial backing specifically so he wouldn't end up in the same position they were. Stop talking nonsense.

It’s about the coach, fine. The kid is talented; I doubt he'd struggle to find a high-quality new coach. This is about something else entirely... some higher interests at play.

There's no point playing the martyr for the kid, no matter what these "intellectuals" on the forum claim. Whatever. I'm out.

I hope he stays healthy and happy on whatever path he chooses next. Honestly, I don't see why everyone is getting emotional about this... if anything, I wish HOO would invest more heavily in building up more athletes like Fak across all our sports programs. It really makes you wonder, though—just how much taxpayer money was poured into him before he finally secured that medal? Just a thought.

Kimberly Smith69 said:I just hope he stays healthy and happy on his new path! There's really no reason for tears here... if anything, I'd love to see the US Olympic Committee produce more athletes like Fak across all sports. It makes you wonder exactly how much taxpayer money was poured into him before he landed that medal... hmm?

Honestly, once he renounces his American citizenship, everything will be perfectly fine.
Since he didn't receive any funding from the national athletic programs, there shouldn't be any lingering ties to them whatsoever.

Honestly, who cares. What did he expect, a massive windfall? I mean, look, medals are great and all, but you can't demand the kind of money they throw at mainstream sports. How many biathletes do we even have? I could probably find an elephant, learn how to play polo on its back, beat India and Pakistan, and then sit around whining about not getting millions. It just doesn't work like that. Bitalon is a niche, grueling sport that requires insane sacrifices because so few countries actually support its development. And if you don't live somewhere where it snows ten months a year, you just have to make do with whatever you can manage.

I almost hope he gets shot in the head by another athlete's rifle during training.

Paul Jones7 said:Do you have any clue how much of his own cash and life he’s poured into his kids? Do you even know anything about the Kostelić family?

What do you think—does every kid have a parent like that? Someone who’d spend half the year living abroad, working seasonal fishing gigs all summer, doing whatever it takes just to spend six months a year freezing their tails off under tents on some glacier with their children?

Would you actually do that for your own kids, or would you be in those kids' shoes right now? Would you walk away from a steady job to work dawn till dusk, being separated from your wife for six months out of the year? Do you honestly believe everyone should go through that?

But hey, talking trash from the comfort of your couch is easy—you’re clearly a pro at that.

When it comes to talking trash from a couch, I’m a total amateur compared to you.

As for the rest of your questions....

...what on earth are you even talking about?

...and what does any of that have to do with anything, let alone with Fak?

"I don't care about the money or anything else; I just want to stay on the same team as Uroš Velepec. I’m officially requesting my release from the USA Biathlon Association," Jakob Fak finally announced.

At the end of the day, who actually needs a guy with zero backbone who doesn't feel even a shred of national pride or loyalty?

Of course, guys like him totally get it—people who are actually embarrassed by their own American roots and stuff like that. There are plenty of them out there...

For some people, representing their country is a matter of honor and pride. For others, they'd rather just lick whatever boots are put in front of them.

frozentiger6 said:– Money doesn't matter to me, nothing else does—I just want to stay with Uroš Velepec. I’d like my release papers from the USA Biathlon Association. Finally, Jakob Fak announced his decision.

At the end of the day, who actually needs a guy with zero backbone who doesn't feel even a shred of national pride or loyalty?

Of course, guys like him totally get it—those people who are embarrassed by being American and all that... there are plenty of them.

For some, representing their country is a matter of honor; for others, they'd rather just swallow someone else's crap. It's their choice.

Signed.
If his biggest priority was just being with Uroš and everything else was irrelevant, he could have made this call a long time ago instead of bouncing back and forth like this.
Besides, the fact that he's basically blackmailing his way toward a coach who will only train him if he competes for Canada says everything you need to know about his character. I couldn't care less about him. Even if he hadn't jumped ship, I'm done with him and his "I want to be here, I want to be there" attitude. Just go already, see if I care.

Kenneth Watson26 said:What does the Kostelić family have to do with this? I mean, Fak was offered enough funding to make sure he doesn't end up in the same boat as the Kostelić crew—what are you even talking about?

He’s moving on from his coach, fine. The kid’s talented; I doubt he’ll have any trouble finding a top-tier coach elsewhere. But honestly, I feel like there's something else going on here—some deeper interests at play, maybe.

There’s really no point in playing the martyr for him, despite what some of you wise guys on this forum seem to think. He’ll do what he has to do. Later.

So, what exactly was put on the table... salary? Training facilities in the States?

If they want him, they need to offer him full support from the USA Biathlon Association and HOO—we're talking 100% coverage for training abroad, elite coaches, and the kind of gear champions actually use. And then, on top of all that, a decent salary.

A big paycheck alone doesn't fix much because running a pro setup is incredibly expensive. That’s what the Kostelić family got after they hit it big—they secured full funding for their professional operation from the federation.

wiredtiger8 said:When it comes to armchair quarterbacking—you know, just sitting there and judging everything from the comfort of a sofa—I guess I’m a total amateur compared to you.

Don't sell yourself short.

wiredtiger8 said:...what are you even talking about?

Look, it’s pretty obvious you don't really get what I'm talking about here—not that I expected much, I guess. It’s just that you clearly don't have a clue when it comes to biathlon, so why even bother typing? Honestly, man... what a joke.

And you didn't actually answer a single one of the questions I asked... I mean, you sort of just answered everything else instead. I guess that's one way to do it—just sidestepping the whole point entirely.

Paul Jones7 said:don't sell yourself short

Look, it’s obvious you haven't got a clue what I'm talking about—mostly because you clearly don't understand the first thing about biathlon. And yet, here you are, typing away like an expert. Give me a break...

Besides, you didn't answer a single one of my questions. Which, honestly, tells me everything I need to know.

And how exactly do you know how much I actually get about biathlon?

Do I really need to be some walking encyclopedia just to post on a forum?

And please, cut out the insults—seriously. I won't report you to the moderator this time, but watch your mouth in the future.

George Robinson43 said:That’s pretty much it. He traded his citizenship for a paycheck.
In reality, he didn't even trade it, given our ridiculous dual citizenship laws.

There is nothing ridiculous about the law. The US doesn't strip its citizens of their status just because they acquire another nationality. Attempting to enforce such a rule would be practically impossible.

How would the US even know if one of its citizens acquired a second passport somewhere else? There's no way to track it. You could only act on people who make headlines, which is a useless standard.

The only countries that demand you renounce your previous citizenship are the ones requiring you to give it up to become a naturalized citizen there.

As for this specific case, there's no reason to bash Fak, and there's even less reason to trash America.

The man decided his personal career was more important than the flag next to his name. I give it a five out of ten.

Let's skip the nonsense about "abandoning the homeland." I don't see the point in investing heavily in sports where we lack the basic infrastructure. Unless there's some secret facility in the US where we can build a track that only gets used four months a year—I wouldn't know.

brightstag9 said:Signed.
Even if he hadn't switched teams, his constant whining about where he should be or what he should do would have worn me down. Just pick a side and deal with it.

👍
Exactly.

Paul Jones7 said:what exactly was on the table... salary? training in America?

He needs a full package from the USA Biathlon Association and HOO funding—100% coverage for training abroad, top-tier coaches, and championship-level gear. On top of that, a salary.

A paycheck alone doesn't cut it because running a professional operation costs way more. That’s what the Kostelić family got after they made it big. They secured professional funding through the association.

A $300,000 annual salary plus various other deals, $200,000 for the coach, and improved existing conditions.
Beyond that, he was even offered a fallback job whenever he wants—a shooting instructor in the US Army.

His coach made it clear: money isn't the issue. He'd actually have a better shot at success in America.

Honestly, I think Uroš and Fak are actually crazy about each other. 😍

Terry Reed13 said:A $300,000 annual salary plus various other contracts, $200,000 for a coach, and an upgrade to his current setup.
On top of that, he was even offered a job whenever he wants—as a marksmanship instructor in the US Army.

His coach made it pretty clear that money isn't the issue here, and that Jakob Fak would honestly have a much better run if he were competing in America.

So, I guess it’s not really about the paycheck; the salary seems fine. It’s more that a team needs way more resources to actually function. Instead of just obsessing over a single number, the USA Biathlon Association should probably be focused on finding him a top-tier coach, securing access to training tracks (but where? maybe somewhere in Colorado or Utah? though you have to wonder who actually benefits from training your direct competition...), and offering a much higher budget for a professional support staff than just $200 $0.00 a year. I mean, with that amount, you can't expect to get both decent tracks and a real crew—you need at least a coach and a technician, and look at how the Kostelić family operated; they had massage therapists and doctors on hand. My gut feeling is that you're looking at a minimum of a million dollars a year for a full team (maybe even a few million), which Jakob wouldn't even notice personally, but it's what you need if you want world-class results.

I honestly don't know where we go from here, because watching the way things are heading feels like staring directly into a sun that’s just about to go supernova, you know? It’s that constant, exhausting friction between people who think they have all the answers and those of us who are just trying to make it through the week without losing our minds. Everything feels so polarized lately, so loud, and frankly, a little bit ridiculous if you take a step back to look at the big picture. I was sitting in a coffee shop in Seattle the other day—just minding my own business, nursing a lukewarm latte—and listening to two people argue about politics like their lives depended on it, and it hit me how much energy we waste on this endless cycle of outrage. It’s wearying, really. We’ve become a society that thrives on being offended, building these massive walls around our own little ideological fortresses, and then acting shocked when we can't communicate with anyone on the other side. It’s like we’re all shouting into a void, hoping for an echo that validates us, rather than actually engaging in some sort of meaningful dialogue. I find myself getting more and more cynical about the whole spectacle, wondering if there's even a point to participating in the noise anymore, or if we're all just spinning our wheels in the mud while the world keeps turning regardless of our heated debates. It’s just... heavy, man. Everything is just so incredibly heavy. kaže:
I honestly don't give a damn about him anymore. I’ve been sick of his act ever since the Olympics. It was like, the second he stepped off that podium with a medal around his neck, the whole bidding war and blackmailing bullshit started regarding his move to a new team. What an absolute jerk.

Terry Reed13 said:I mean, seriously, give me a break. This guy stands there, basking in the glow of just winning a medal, and then—literally less than twenty-four hours later—he’s already dropping hints about hanging it up and walking away from the sport. I don't get it. Who does that? You reach the summit, you grab the hardware, you finally get the validation you've been grinding for, and instead of celebrating, you start picking out your retirement shoes. It’s such a mood killer, honestly. Just one day after the glory, he's already talking about checking out. What a way to ruin the moment.

Look, everyone, can we please stop spreading absolute nonsense about things you clearly don't understand? I mean, honestly. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion—if you love him, fine, if you hate him, that’s your business too—but let's not start peddling blatant lies as if they were gospel. It’s exhausting. People are acting like Jakob Fak somehow decided to start bidding on stuff and playing extortion games the very day after he secured his medal, which is just ridiculous. Sure, the media went into a frenzy over those rumors because, well, sensationalism sells and they needed something juicy to chew on, but Jakob hasn't said a single word about any of that. He's stayed quiet, yet here we are, making up stories out of thin air.

Paul Jones7 said:The salary isn't the issue; the pay is fine. The real problem is the budget required to support a full team. Instead of obsessing over a single number, USA Biathlon should focus on hiring a top-tier coach, securing access to training tracks—where exactly? Colorado? Utah? Who wants to pay to train their competitors?—and providing a much higher budget for support staff than $200 $0.00 per year. You can't get decent tracks and a professional crew for that. A coach plus a technician is the bare minimum; look at the US Ski Team, they have masseuses and doctors. My estimate is that you need at least a million dollars a year for a proper setup (maybe more). It's money Fak wouldn't even notice, but it's what you need for elite results.

That sums it up perfectly.
Fak makes 300,000 annually, coach gets 200,000. For a long time, Fak trained in Canada, just like many European national teams (apparently the Canadians are good at that), so nothing would have changed. The Federation even promised him better conditions, even though his setup was already solid...

Fak left because his coach gave him an ultimatum: "Choose me or the US."
That’s why I don't get people arguing about how he'll struggle without them. He walked away. Good luck to him and his failing career, honestly...