Aly Raisman, the Olympic gold medalist and gymnast who spoke out about sexual abuse in her sport, has called for US Gymnastics to be disbanded. She says that it is a “disaster” for victims of sexual abuse as they are told to keep quiet and not speak out.
Aly Raisman, the US gymnast who was part of the team that won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, has called USA Gymnastics a disaster after Simone Biles withdrew from her final. Read more in detail here: aly raisman.
Luis Grijalva believed he might achieve his Olympic goal as he crossed the finish line at the NCAA track and field championships last month.
But first, immigration authorities must agree to let the 22-year-old runner to go outside the United States and return to his homeland.
Grijalva is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiary who will compete in the 5,000-meter event for Guatemala at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Friday. He and his lawyer spent weeks appealing US Citizenship and Immigration Services for advance parole, an unique permission that enables DACA participants to return to the United States after visiting overseas.
They weren’t sure whether immigration authorities would be able to give Grijalva clearance in time, but after weeks of uncertainty, he was allowed to fly on Monday.
He told CNN, “It’s a pleasure and an honor to represent Guatemala since it’s where I was born, where I have generations of relatives, and where my origins began.”
When Grijalva’s family relocated from Guatemala to New York City when he was one year old, he was only one year old. The family of five subsequently relocated to Fairfield, California, where Grijalva participated in Thanksgiving Turkey Trot races with other kids for pleasure.
Grijalva began to notice that he was quicker than other youngsters his age during those holiday races and PE sessions. But it wasn’t until he was a teenager at Armijo High School in Fairfield that he discovered how much he liked to run and decided to concentrate on becoming a cross-country runner with the assistance of his coaches, he said.
Since graduating from high school, Grijalva has been able to continue running competitively while pursuing a career in communications thanks to a full-ride scholarship at Northern Arizona University. He has been increasing his performance and personal best timings over the last three years.
He was second in the men’s 5,000-meter event in the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, earlier this month. His time was 13 minutes and 13.14 seconds, which earned him a spot in the Olympics.
Despite the fact that he was unable to represent the United States at the Olympics due to a variety of factors, including his immigration status, Guatemala chose him to be part of their delegation. He was grateful for the chance, but he wasn’t sure whether he’d have enough time to apply for and obtain an immigration visa before leaving.
Grijalva claims he had approximately 27 days to obtain the travel authorization at the time. According to Jessica Smith Bobadilla, Grijalva’s lawyer, the process of obtaining a permit takes at least 90 days.
Smith Bobadilla said they were able to put together a comprehensive application and had spoken with Arizona legislators regarding Grijalva’s position. They traveled to the USCIS offices in Phoenix on Monday in a last-ditch attempt to expedite his application, they claimed.
After waiting for many hours at the immigration office, Grijalva says it was “unbelievable” when immigration authorities verified he had been given permission to fly.
On Aug. 3, he will compete in the preliminary 5,000-meter event for Guatemala. He has signed a deal with the sneaker brand Hoka One One and will continue his professional career after the Olympics.
“It’s a dream come true to follow a hobby that isn’t a job,” Grijalva added. “It’s really cool.”
Grijalva’s whole narrative may be found here.
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