american distance star and dual-citizen grant fisher to represent canada at 2022 world championship

American 10,000m record holder and Canada/U.S. dual citizen Grant Fisher announced on Friday that he will represent Canada at the upcoming World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon.

The 24-year-old distance runner for the Nike Bowerman Track Club said he plans to don the Maple Leaf at Historic Hayward field, where he will compete in the 5,000m and 10,000m alongside current training partner and compatriot Moh Ahmed.

Fisher had represented the United States in every international competition since his world stage debut in 2013, and most recently figured on Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Yet, the Calgary, AB native said he had been contemplating a change in allegiance for a while.

“Representing America has, and always will be, an honour,” he said, “but it’s time I return to my roots, make my parents proud and rep the Red and White. Plus, it’s time for Athletics Canada to feature somebody other than Moh on their Instagram account.”

Fisher is a Stanford Alumnus and eleven-time All-American. He is best remembered for finishing third at the 2018 outdoor track championship, losing the silver medal to Canadian Justyn Knight by just one hundredth of a second.

“Really,” said Fisher, “that was the exact moment when I started thinking about moving North.”

Since that fateful race, the runner has blossomed into one of the world’s greatest athletes. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Fisher was a top-ten finisher in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, finishing ninth and fifth, respectively. Most recently, he set new American records in the indoor 5,000m (12:53.73) and outdoor 10,000m (26:33.84).

Fisher said that he will continue to train in Oregon with his coach Jerry Schumacher, as the pair aims to build on the athlete’s recent breakthrough. Schumacher said he noticed his athlete was acting differently as of late, displaying an unprecedented level of loyalty to his homeland.

“Lately, I had been hearing a lot of Nickelback blaring from his headphones, and not even their good stuff - it was from whatever album came after Dark Horse,” said Schumacher. “Then, I noticed he was watching a whole lot of Ryan Reynolds clips on Youtube on the way to meets. I didn’t think much of it: everyone likes Ryan Reynolds.”

“But then, it happened,” continued Schumacher. “Grant came into my office last week and apologized three times before saying he was planning to represent Canada from now on - that’s when I realized he really is Canadian. Then, when he left my office, in came Ahmed, the Stafford sisters and Seccafien: ‘Another Canuck to deal with around here, eh coach? Oops, ah well. Sorry, coach. Sorry, buddy.’ Buddy? It just wouldn’t end.”

To represent Athletics Canada, Fisher must also be registered with a Canadian track and field club. He is now actively searching for a place to train during his home visits, after both CALTAF and University of Calgary Athletics Club refused to invite him to practice sessions for being late to pay his 2022 club registration fees. Despite that, he is set on doing a few workouts in his home city this Spring, which he calls his favourite place in the world.

“Well, I actually haven’t lived there since I was a baby – I’ve mostly been familiarizing myself with the place by looking at Trevor Hofbauer’s Instagram page.

“Some of my favourite people have lived there, though: Tegan and Sara, Jarome Iginla … woah, Senator Ted Cruz is from Calgary too? I didn’t know that.”

Fisher’s transfer is effective immediately: April 1, 2022.

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