Wait! Is he saying we stole those gold medals from other countries by stealing their athletes?
At least 34 of the TeamUSA Olympians were not born here, but made the U.S. their home and proudly represent this country. Thirteen hail from Europe, followed by seven from Asia, six from Africa, six from South America and two from Australia. These foreign-born athletes comprise approximately 5 percent of the U.S. delegation and represent the best of U.S. athletics in track and field, equestrian, fencing, table tennis, volleyball, water polo and 15 additional sports. These international athletes also illustrate the complexity and success of the U.S. immigration system, having taken a variety of paths to arrive in the United States and contribute to TeamUSA.
Athletes must be U.S. citizens to compete for TeamUSA. Some were U.S. citizens at birth, having been born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent. Several were adopted by U.S. citizen parents, some came as children and other Olympians chose to make the United States their home, as their athletic ability led to scholarships and other opportunities.