Albania's President Bamir Topi hands the national flag to the leader of the Albanian National Olympic team, wrestler Sahit Prizreni, in Tirana July 23, 2008, prior to their departure for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

I talked with him a few days ago. He is doing well and is preparing for the Games. He may already be in Beijing by now. I asked if he was ready and he responded in typical Sahit fashion, "It all depends upon how I feel when I wake up that morning."

This is Rueters photo. Is that Prizeni carrying the flag and is the caption wrong?


Albania's Olympic team follow their national flag-bearer Salim Iles during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest.

That is Sahit. the caption is incorrect.

Salim Iles is the flag bearer for Algeria.

Funny. I just saw this:



Algeria's Olympic team follow their national flag-bearer Sahit Prizreni during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest. REUTERS/Mike Blake (CHINA)

You gotta love the irony. Prizreni comes to America to seek a citizenship. He lives and trains in America for a few years. He is denied a citizenship. He goes back to Albania and defeats the American, Zadick, at Worlds and places 3rd. He is then selected as a flag bearer at Olympics for Albania.

Prisreni was not good enough to get American citizenship but he was good enough to beat an American representative.

Does not seem ironic to me.
Wrestling skill has never been link to citizenship requirements.