Athletes born abroad, or with parents born abroad, find a home in Maple Leaf

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Janine Beckie was born in the United States and has spent more of her life outside of Canada than in it.

The 21-year-old star forward on the Canadian women's soccer team nevertheless feels rooted in her parents' homeland.

Her late father Gary from Davidson, Sask., and mother Sheila from Regina both played basketball for the University of Saskatchewan before moving to the U.S.

"The grandparents' farm is still in the family," Beckie said. "I've spent a lot of time there. I love having relatives in Canada. Yes, I do feel Canadian roots through them."

Thirty-three athletes, or about 10 per cent, of Canada's Olympic team in Rio were born outside the country. A few more born in Canada have dual citizenship because a parent was born elsewhere.

Swimming gold medallist Penny Oleksiak of Toronto falls into the latter category. Her father Richard is from Buffalo.

She could have chosen to swim for the United States, but when asked if there was ever a conversation over which flag her daughter would represent, her mother Alison said firmly: "Canada has given our family a lot. We're proud to be Canadian."

Pole vaulter Shawn Barber, born in New Mexico, the Russian-born boxer Arthur (The Cechen Wolf) Biyarslanov and cyclist Jasmin Glaesser whose birth country is Germany, could have all competed under flags other than Canada's in Rio.

Which country to represent isn't a light decision because there's no guarantee athletes can switch to another country while they're in the prime of their careers.

International Olympic Committee rules state that after representing one country internationally, an athlete can't represent a different country until three years after competing for the first.

There is a loophole for fast-tracking a change, however, if all parties involved agree to let the athlete transfer. That happens a lot.

The term "Plastic Brit" made the rounds in London in 2012 when 61 athletes on the host team were born abroad.

There is a myriad of reasons why an athlete chooses the Maple Leaf, but often it comes down to the person feeling a country believes in his or her talents enough to invest in them.

Swimmer Santo Condorelli was born in Japan. His mother is from Kenora, Ont., but his father is American. Condorelli had the choice of three different countries.

When the 21-year-old considered competing for the U.S. at a world junior championship, he looked at the American and Canadian swim programs and committed to the latter.

"I knew they were going to give me more chances, international experience leading into the Olympics and that's what I was really looking for," Condorelli said prior to the Summer Games in Rio.

His swim teammate Taylor Ruck was born in Kelowna, B.C., but moved with her family to Arizona as an infant.

She was raised there and swims with a club in Scottsdale. The 16-year-old helped Canada win a pair of freestyle relay bronze medals.

"It hasn't actually been part of any specific plan to say 'Right, we're going to try and shake the tree to find Canadians where ever they may be,"' Swimming Canada high-performance director John Atkinson.

"What I will say to anybody whether they're in Canada or in the U.S. or wherever they may be, is that what we can do at Swimming Canada is we can target athletes we believe have the potential to be successful.

"With the support of Own The Podium and Sport Canada, what we're able to do is package together things that other countries might not be able to do."

Condorelli, who missed the Olympic podium by three hundredths of a second in the 100-metre freestyle, trains in the U.S.

"We were able to work out with his coaches on what his plan would be and then help fund that with funding from Own The Podium to help Santo do competitions, do training camps with his team and therefore make him feel all through the year that he is supported through the Canadian system," Atkinson said.

Own The Podium chief executive officer Anne Merklinger believes the leaders of Canada's sport federations are more aggressive at recruitment and retention of athletes who have the choice to compete for another country.

"Where we have athletes that may be migrating to another country, we establish a relationship with them early on in their development," she said. "You need to have those conversations early in their careers."

With files from Neil Davidson