Olympic Athletes Competing for Foreign Nations: The Surprising Exceptions

Athletes with dual citizenship can choose which country to represent, but they cannot switch countries within three years of the Olympic Games.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games officially began in Paris on July 26. American athletes are competing across various sports, including gymnastics, basketball, soccer, and tennis. Nevertheless, some American-born athletes like track and field star Alex Rose and wrestler Austin Gomez are representing other nations, Samoa and Mexico, respectively.

A tweet with millions of views questions why certain athletes compete for countries they don’t reside in. The post specifically targets Palestine’s Olympic team, asking, “Why does the majority not even live in ‘Palestine’? How did they even qualify?”

THE QUESTION

Are some Olympic athletes allowed to compete for a country other than the one they live in?

THE ANSWER

Yes, some Olympic athletes are permitted to compete for a country other than the one they live in.

WHAT WE FOUND

Athletes with dual citizenship can select which country to represent at the Olympic Games. The bylaws of Rule 41 in the Olympic Charter specify that an athlete holding multiple citizenships can choose their country of representation.

However, there are restrictions on how often they can change national affiliation. An athlete who has competed for one country must wait three years before representing another, as stipulated by the Olympic Charter. This waiting period can be shortened or eliminated by International Sports Federations and the National Olympic Committee under specific circumstances.

Many athletes participate in international events ahead of the Olympics, often selecting their country of representation within the three-year timeframe required. For example, wrestler Austin Gomez, born in the U.S., competes for Mexico due to his dual citizenship. Though he wrestles for the University of Michigan, Gomez has represented Mexico internationally since 2022.

Alex Rose, a Michigan native, is competing for Samoa in the current Olympics and has represented Samoa in both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 games. Similarly, wrestler Myles Amine, also from Michigan, is competing for San Marino, as he did in the Tokyo 2020 games.