To Russia with love: WNBA players from the USA will play for the Russians in Beijing!

Should swimmers do the same? I think so because I think the Olympics are about individual accomplishments not national identity.

However, If one thinks that the Olympics are peaceful contest between Nations, then I can understand the point of view that it would be an unpatriotic thing to do. Your opinion may vary: Snippet from the Star Tribune: "... Lynx star Seimone Augustus will play in the Beijing Olympics this August. So will San Antonio's Becky Hammon, whose team plays the Lynx today at Target Center.

But the two WNBA all-stars won't be teammates.

Hammon, a 5-6 point guard for the Silver Stars, will play on the Russian women's basketball team in Beijing.

"I was looking at two doors," said Hammon, a native of Rapid City, S.D. "I could go home to my apartment and watch the Olympics [on TV] or I could take part, which would be so much better. ..." [Link]
Gary Hall, Cullen Jones, Benjamin Tobriner and other sublime contenders could face each other in the final of the 50m free. Only two can go. However, what if Gary Hall, Jason Leezak, Cullen Jones or any of the rest placed third but got an offer from Dubai, or the location of their ethnicity to swim for a different country, how would that hurt the United States or any individual within this country?

As a matter of fact, the European Union is now accepting dual citizenships applications from the United States. Seriously! Here is an article from the Palm Beach Post: [Link]

If you placed third at Olympic trials but logged a time that was exceptionally elite, what would you do and what if a fee was involved by a second country? I myself think it would not only be ethical, but it would prove what a melting the United States is.

That awesome photo of Gary Hall and Cullen Jones taken at the 2007 Charlotte Ultraswim; a photo which makes you wonder what each is thinking, is from Sorrento66's photo stream at Flickr.com. Here is a direct link to the photo: [Link]