Pat Dollard | Young Americans

The jihad threat to the Olympic Games

Go figure.

by Dymphna - (Gates Of Vienna)

The US Olympic team has chosen a Jihad survivor, Lopez Lomong, to carry the American flag in China, which sponsors ethnic cleansing in his native Sudan through oil purchases and arms sales. At the age of 6, Lomong was among 100 children kidnapped from a church service by Islam’s Holy Warriors during a Religion of Peace raping and killing spree.

He was one of the lost boys.

Now the Sudanese-American young man, an escapee from the Muslim captors that took him at gunpoint from his parents, is running for his life again.

After spending ten years in a refugee camp Lomong came to live with a New York couple (along with five other boys). He attended high school there and then college in Arizona.

Joseph Lopez Lomong was chosen by his teammates to be the flag bearer in the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics…

If that weren’t enough, he will run onto the field, flag in hand, just a year after achieving American citizenship.

Lomong is one of three American men competing in the 1,500 meters. All are naturalized citizens; Bernard Lagat is from Kenya and Leo Manzano from Mexico.

There are many happy endings in this story, with many ironic tragedies nested inside those tales. For the latter, consider that China supplies arms to the Sudanese who stole this boy from his parents.

The runner himself has some parting words:

“It’s more than a dream,” Lomong told The Associated Press. “I keep saying, I’m not sure if this is true or not true. I’m making the team and now I’m the first guy coming to the stadium and the whole world will be watching me carry the flag. There are no words to describe it.”

[ … ]

“In America, everyone has a chance to do all these things,” Lomong said. “You follow the rules, people will choose, and if I’m blessed to get that opportunity, I’ll get it.”

Lomong, Team USA make statement … without making a statement

By Elizabeth Merrill - (ESPN)

BEIJING — He flashed a gap-toothed smile and told his story again to the masses. And then Lopez Lomong managed somehow to escape.

Peppered with questions about human rights, politics and statements, Lomong carefully stuck to what Olympic officials wanted to hear Friday, that he was proud to be the flag bearer for the United States. He didn’t bite when asked about China’s support of the current Sudanese government. Maybe he didn’t think he had to.

Despite all the politically correct answers floating around the main press center in the hours before the opening ceremonies, one thing remained certain — on Friday night, a Sudanese-born runner would lead the United States out on the world’s biggest stage.

“I hope I’m here to inspire other kids who are out there watching these Olympics,” Lomong said, “as I did watching the Sydney Olympics. I hope … all the countries and all the nations are there watching and they will learn from where I came from and things like that.”

Lomong was 6 years old when he fled Sudan and was separated from his family. He spent 10 years in a Kenyan refugee camp, surviving on one meal a day. In 2000, he walked five miles to watch the Sydney Olympics on a black-and-white TV and was captivated by Michael Johnson. From that day on, he wanted to be an Olympian. He came to the United States in 2001, became a citizen last summer and qualified for the 1,500 meters in July.

When he boarded a plane for China last week, he told a handful of his peers, “Man, I would like to be the one carrying that flag.” On Wednesday night, when team captains from each sport met in the village — some in person, some by conference call — Lomong was selected.

Wrestling captain T.C. Dantzler said the athletes voted with paper ballots. Dantzler didn’t know Lomong’s story until the nominating process began Wednesday night.

“America is based upon immigrants,” Dantzler said. “That’s what our country is built on, survival and fighting. He was the best ambassador to carry the flag and represent the United States.

“When it comes down to it, politics and athletics don’t mix. And everybody in that room was an athlete, nobody was a politician. His nomination to bear the flag came from the purest of decisions.”

Lomong has become an inspiration in some unlikely places. Earlier Friday, he sat in the green room and chatted with millionaire members of the U.S. men’s basketball team. Guard Chris Paul said the players mugged for pictures with Lomong and laughed when Lomong said he was a big Carmelo Anthony fan.

“Melo really ate that up,” Paul said.

“He told us his story, and it’s unbelievable. We are honored to have him carry the flag. To hear all the different things that he went through, to get this opportunity is unbelievable. I think some of those things, we take for granted.”

It was a victory of sorts for Team Darfur. The group — an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about Darfur, a war-torn region of Sudan — couldn’t have its founder, Joey Cheek, at the Games. Cheek was told earlier this week that his visa had been revoked by the Chinese government.

But it had one of its members carrying the flag in front of the world Friday night.

“I’m disappointed, like, for Joey Cheek,” Lomong said. “He’s supposed to be here. He’s an Olympian.”

Many of Lomong’s supporters will watch from a distance. Last year, he bought his parents a TV and told them to watch him in Beijing. He didn’t know for sure, then, that he’d be here.

Or that he’d be out in front, leading everyone.

“Not for one moment did I think it was a political statement,” said Mark Lopez, a member of the U.S. taekwondo team. “We had a great opportunity to meet him in Colorado in our last training camp, and we feel it’s a great choice by the U.S. delegation.

“His story alone just represents the epitome of the American dream, and it’s something the whole world should look at and read about and view as an inspirational story. We’re very proud to follow him at the Opening Ceremonies.”

(h/t Babalu)

Got a lump in your throat?

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