Should Japan have sent Takahashi to Worlds?

I thought Takahashi should have been sent to Worlds instead of Oda. He had a better chance of medaling and he earned that right by winning the Japanese Nationals. If Oda had won Nationals I bet he would have been sent to both events. Very unfair IMO.

Most are going with Oda so far, I still dont see why Takahahsi deserved to be pulled from Worlds after going to the Olympics. Also if the Japanese so preferred Takahashi they created that scandal they did with that marking situation, why would they then not send Takahahsi to both events?

The Japanese federation likes to "manage" their stable of skaters more actively than some other federations do. I think they wanted to give Oda some international experience at the senior level. (Nothing to do with "fairness.") They juggled their ladies team in the same way.

I feel badly for Takahashi though since he had potential to medal, more than Oda IMO. Oda was very overscored in the short program though I felt, so while usually I would not be happy with Lysacek medaling I am in this case, since Oda`s score in the short program was high I thought. All he had to do to secure the bronze was a solid free skate, and he failed to do that, it probably was a case of the nerves since I have not seen a free skate that bad from him all year, and that combined with Evan doing a quad and Oda was out.

Mathman said:

The Japanese federation likes to "manage" their stable of skaters more actively than some other federations do. I think they wanted to give Oda some international experience at the senior level. (Nothing to do with "fairness.") They juggled their ladies team in the same way.

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Thanks Math for the answer. I meant to ask during Worlds why Takahashi wasn't there and forgot, I missed him. The mind, you know, goes at times!!!

Dee

Well lets see - Takahashi wonJapanese Nationals in a farce of marking and got the Olympic berth. Oda gets sent to Worlds. And? They both have won a GP this season and both sent notice that Japanese men are a force to be reckoned with as well as women.

However the judges slammed Takahashi in Torino and Oda is the more consistent of the two for sure, so sending him to Worlds to try and get 2 spots on the mens team for 2007 Worlds in TOKYO was a good move IMO that paid off. Oda's Qround and SP were absolute genius IMO and if he'd just not put that flip in combo he would be the World Bronze medallist right now NOT Lysacek.

Oda delivered for his federation justifying their faith in him. So yes they were proved right.