<P> Terrorism affected the last two Olympic Games held in the United States . During the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, a bomb was detonated at the Centennial Olympic Park, which killed two and injured 111 others . The bomb was set by Eric Rudolph, an American domestic terrorist, who is currently serving a life sentence for the bombing . The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, took place just five months after the September 11 attacks, which meant a higher level of security than ever before provided for an Olympic Games . The opening ceremonies of the Games featured symbols of the day's events . They included the flag that flew at Ground Zero, NYPD officer Daniel Rodríguez singing "God Bless America", and honour guards of NYPD and FDNY members . The events of that day have made security at the Olympic Games an increasing concern for Olympic planners . </P> <P> The Olympic Games have been criticised as upholding (and in some cases increasing) the colonial policies and practices of some host nations and cities either in the name of the Olympics by associated parties or directly by official Olympic bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, host organising committees and official sponsors . Critics have argued that the Olympics have engaged in or caused erroneous anthropological and colonial knowledge production, erasure, commodification and appropriation of indigenous ceremonies and symbolism, theft and inappropriate display of indigenous objects, further encroachment on and support of the theft of indigenous lands, and neglect and / or intensification of poor social conditions for indigenous peoples . Such practices have been observed at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri; the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec; the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta; and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia . </P> <P> The Olympic Charter requires that an athlete be a national of the country for which they compete . Dual nationals may compete for either country, as long as three years have passed since the competitor competed for the former country . However, if the NOCs and IF involved agree, then the IOC Executive Board may reduce or cancel this period . This waiting period exists only for athletes who previously competed for one nation and want to compete for another . If an athlete gains a new or second nationality, then they do not need to wait any designated amount of time before participating for the new or second nation . The IOC is only concerned with issues of citizenship and nationality after individual nations have granted citizenship to athletes . </P> <P> Athletes will sometimes become citizens of a different nation so they are able to compete in the Olympics . This is often because they are drawn to sponsorships or training facilities in such places as the United States . It could also be because an athlete is unable to qualify from within their original country . The athlete may not qualify because there are already qualified athletes in the athlete's home country . Between 1992 and 2008, about fifty athletes emigrated to the United States to compete on the US Olympic team after having previously competed for another nation . </P>

Do you have to have citizenship to compete in the olympics