How can Nastia Liukin compete for the U.S.A when she is Russian?

Question

How can Nastia Liukin compete for the U.S.A when she is Russian?

Answer 1

A country wants to do well in an event, so they pay athletes from another country to compete for theirs instead.

The Georgian womens' beach volleyball team are both Brazilian.  I'm sure there are many other examples.

Just like in everything else in the world now, money is all that matters.

Answer 2

I don't know how to say this, but no one is really American. Even native Americans come from Asia. So by saying that she comes from Russia so she can't compete for the US makes no absolute sense.

Answer 3

the person that swims for zimbabwe(sp?) goes to school in america.

Answer 4

You just have to become a citizen of a country to compete for them. I remember earlier these Olympics they showed a story about a Russian woman and her son who had Leukemia. To save her son she moved to Germany and gained citizenship there.  I saw her compete in the vault earlier on. I forget her name.

Also the money is another reason. And if anyone has money than it is...

Answer 5

She moved to the United States when she was quite young. The official rule is that an athlete must be a citizen of a nation before they turn 21 to compete for the nation and she hasn't turned 21 yet.

Answer 6

She's as American as the rest of you.  Do some research before asking silly questions like this.

Answer 7

She's a US citizen. She was born in Russia, but she became a citizen when her parents did (when she was 2). Her dad came here. I welcome them with open arms   :)    America is all about different races coming together. She is very much an American...who cares where she was born? I dunno how long you have to be a citizen beforehand, but probably a large amount of time.

Answer 8

We paid her more than the Russians would.

C'mon.....she is an American citizen. That's why she competes for the USA. It's the only country she has ever known.

Answer 9

She is an America citizen, too. She has trained here for basically her whole life, so why not compete for the US?

Answer 10

She is a citizen of the United States.  U have to be a citizen of the country u compete for

Answer 11

Because she is a naturalized citizen.  It's the same reason why Lopez Lamong and Bernard Lagot are running for the US.

Answer 12

That's sort of like asking how Yao Ming can play for China when he's been on american teams. Nastia is a child of Russian parents but has lived here. If she was born in U.S. she is a naturalized citizen no matter what her heritage...haven't paid much attention to gymnastics this time around.

Besides, that older gymnast who competed for Germany is from Romania originally, I think if a country wants someone, they just ask

Answer 13

She was born in Russia.  She moved here when she was 2 years old.  They've said that about a billion times already.