Calling Historians - when have the alternates been called? | Golden Skate

Calling Historians - when have the alternates been called?

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
In terms of the various FS diciplines, what Oly's or World's have called upon the performances of US Alternates? I personally would be thrilled to be named an alternate. That still represents elite accomplishment in this sport, IMO. When have they been called upon historically?

Thanks!!

DG
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Doggygirl said:
In terms of the various FS diciplines, what Oly's or World's have called upon the performances of US Alternates? I personally would be thrilled to be named an alternate. That still represents elite accomplishment in this sport, IMO. When have they been called upon historically?

Thanks!!

DG

Well, back in 1994, Michelle Kwan, who had won the US silver medal at Nationals and was named as first alternate to the Olympic team, traveled to Lillehammer. She continued to practice, but not at the competitors' facilities. She was on site just in case Nancy Kerrigan was not able to compete or if Tonya Harding was barred by competition. Michelle watched the Olympics from the sidelines.

I am not aware of any recent episode of an alternate being called into the Olympics, but there have been a number of instances in which the 4th or 5th place finisher at Nationals competed at Worlds, after the Olympics, because one or more members of the Olympic team elected to skip the Worlds.

I am glad that Emily Hughes will have the opportunity to compete at Worlds this year.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Joesitz said:
There have been a few at the GP finals. Sandhu comes to mind and he beat Evgeni at that one.

Joe

And there have been times in the GP events. Alissa Czisny was called in as a last-minute replacement to compete at Skate America this past fall. She had about two or three days notice - and she won the silver medal. :clap:
 

Fritz

Spectator
Joined
Nov 1, 2004
Use of Alternates

I'm not positive of the year (2002 or 2003, I think), but when Sarah Hughes decided not to attend Worlds, Jenny Kirk had about 2 weeks to prepare for Worlds as the alternate then replacement. I believe she may have even been the SECOND alternate. She had assumed her year was over, and was breaking in new skates, and thus skated at Worlds with blisters from the new boots.
 

LBC

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Fritz said:
I'm not positive of the year (2002 or 2003, I think), but when Sarah Hughes decided not to attend Worlds, Jenny Kirk had about 2 weeks to prepare for Worlds as the alternate then replacement. I believe she may have even been the SECOND alternate. She had assumed her year was over, and was breaking in new skates, and thus skated at Worlds with blisters from the new boots.


She was the 2nd alternate. Angela Nikodinov was the first alternate and was injured I think or for some reason couldn't go. Didn't Jenny injure herself at Worlds? I think she may have withdrawn after the SP.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Bobek went to 1994 World's when Kerrigan abstained after winning her 2nd Olympic Silver. She hadn't trained and did not make it out of QR. Michelle's placement at 1st World's guaranteed the US Ladies 2 spots in 1995.

Ironically, Bobek won the bronze at 1995 World's and Michelle the Pewter medal. If MK hadn' skated well, only one of them (Bobek) would have gone.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Slightly off topic..... the only times I recall a US Olympic Skating competitor having to withdraw mid-competition was 1988. Caryn Kadavy had to withdraw after the SP since she got a severe flu with a 100+ degree temperature. Of course, Tai and Randy are also famous for having to withdraw from Oly's. In both instances (I believe), it was too late for the alternates to replace them.
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Can someone verify the last point at which an alternate can be put into Oly or World's competition? I believe the "no turning back" moment for Oly's is the SP draw (CD in Dance)? Correct? For World's I assume it would be the QR Draw?

Thanks!!

DG
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Yeah, final replacement is the SP draw. But this subject to a very strict emergency rule, you could risk the final replacement request not being approved......Guess this was the reason there were US IOC officials at MK's test skates....because they had cautioused the USFSA before they named MK as the team, that in MK's case it was a pre exist injury, they emergency replace rule might not being approved by IOC. So they want to make sure she IS health to skate....otherwise they'd risk waste a spot.

Don't count on her being replaced. If she got through the darkest/hopeless days in early November, and pushed through the 2nd injury (good for her listening to her team not stuborn to her own wish to compete at Nationals), there is only way up.
 
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Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
mzheng said:
Yeah, final replacement is the SP draw. But this subject to a very strict emergency rule, you could risk not being improved. Guess this was the reason there were US IOC officials at MK's test skates....because they had cautioused the USFSA before they named MK as the team, that in MK's case it was a pre exist injury, they emergency replace rule might not being approved by IOC. So they want to make sure she IS health to skate....otherwise they'd risk waste a spot.

Don't count on her being replaced. If she got through the darkest/hopeless days in early November, and pushed through the 2nd injury (good for her listening to her team not stuborn to her own wish to compete at Nationals), there is only way up.

Thank you for responding Mzheng. I don't understand your response. My only language is English, and maybe that is part of the problem. Could you explain this more fully?

DG
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Doggygirl said:
Thank you for responding Mzheng. I don't understand your response. My only language is English, and maybe that is part of the problem. Could you explain this more fully?

DG
What part you don't understand? Oh I see, it should be 'approved' not 'improved'...edited......see that's when you got confused with word when you post in your second languge. I
 
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Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
mzheng said:
see that's when you got confused with word when you post in your second languge. I

Mzheng, I don't have a second language. I have no idea what you are talking about. I would really like to understand what you are trying to say, but I don't. Could you try again to clarify your point?

Thanks,
DG
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Hi Doggygirl. MZheng is responding to your question: “Can someone verify the last point at which an alternate can be put into Oly or World's competition? I believe the "no turning back" moment for Oly's is the SP draw.”

MZheng is pointing out that, yes, this is correct. However, this is an emergency rule with strict criteria. If the ISU decided that Michelle was never really fit enough to compete, but was just stringing us along (with the connivance of USFS), then they might not give permission to have Michelle replaced.

The rule is intended for someone who, out of the blue, breaks a leg or comes down with the bubonic plague the day before the SP.

MM :)
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Mathman said:
Hi Doggygirl. MZheng is responding to your question: “Can someone verify the last point at which an alternate can be put into Oly or World's competition? I believe the "no turning back" moment for Oly's is the SP draw.”

MZheng is pointing out that, yes, this is correct. However, this is an emergency rule with strict criteria. If the ISU decided that Michelle was never really fit enough to compete, but was just stringing us along (with the connivance of USFS), then they might not give permission to have Michelle replaced.

The rule is intended for someone who, out of the blue, breaks a leg or comes down with the bubonic plague the day before the SP.

MM :)

Thanks MM. I'm not sure I understand the interpretation from the ISU, but I now have enough information to go hunting for the strict interpretation.

DG
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Doggygirl said:
Mzheng, I don't have a second language. I have no idea what you are talking about. I would really like to understand what you are trying to say, but I don't. Could you try again to clarify your point?

Thanks,
DG
I saw MM already clearified. My point was, beside the 5 ppl monitoring team and couple of USFSA officials, there also couple of US IOC officials at the monitoriing (it was reported by two pool report). So US IOC want to make sure, USFSA indeed does their job to verify MK is physically fit (100%), no slacks, no short cut. As US IOC already cautioused USFS, since this is a pre existed injury case, they take the risk to lost the spot, that if she was not fit to skate but they put her on team anyway. Then it would be very difficult to get approval from IOC to cite an emergency replacement rule.

But also as reported, now that since they signed off this monitoring process and wittnessed by both USFSA officials and US IOC officials pluss the media, now officially anyone of them (Sasha, Kimmie, Michelle) can be relaced had an emergency situation arise (knock, knock).

Hope I made it clear enough. :p
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Hmm, I thought the deadline was earlier than that. Sandu pulled out of the SLC Olympics due to injury, and was not replaced. I thought the reasoning was because he had skated an Olympic pratice. Maybe I'm wrong and they just couldn't get the alternate there in time.
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Antilles said:
Hmm, I thought the deadline was earlier than that. Sandu pulled out of the SLC Olympics due to injury, and was not replaced. I thought the reasoning was because he had skated an Olympic pratice. Maybe I'm wrong and they just couldn't get the alternate there in time.
That could be in Olympics. It was said the emergency replace rule also had some input from the host country IOC. Since they are the one need to comodate all the different aspect (like Athelet dorm, trainning facility, etc.). The final date could be different for each Olympic, but for this one, somewhere reported they just have the last replace date changed from Feb. 12(?) to Feb 20 or 19.

The above rule that replace before the SP draw could be an ISU rule, which applied to Worlds....but Olympics the rule is subject approval of IOC and host country's IOC (I'm not sure with the late).
 
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gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Offhand, I can't think of any examples of alternates being called on to compete at the Olympics. I would guess that most athletes who have been named to an Olymipc team are very strongly motivated to compete even if they're fighting illness or injury and thus wouldn't withdraw until the last possible moment, by which time it would be too late to replace them.

I can think of many examples of alternates going to Worlds, usually in Olympic years and often with very little notice, in some cases just a day or two.
 
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