Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
In ice dance is different, USFS will definitely prefer to send B/A to Worlds than other teams since they are top world rank team. There is none in the history that low rank teams could take over teams like B/A even with their best skate in life. The scores were pre-judged upon your world rank, not your performance that night. Judges' preference dictate your destiny. B/A knew that they do not have to compete if they do not feel ready and still could go to Worlds.
That would be a violation of HIPPA laws.Originally Posted by Joesitz
Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
Not necessary. They brought notes from their mothers.Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
THERE. IS. NO. DIFFERENCE.
The reasoning for wanting the bye in either case is the exact same - "hey we weren't medically sound at Nationals, don't consider just this competition when determining the World team."
Yes, there IS a difference between getting BEATEN in a competition and WITHDRAWING. There is a HUGE difference. Johnny was beaten by FOUR OTHER SKATERS by a minimum of 17 points, B&A withdrew before the event and petitioned for a bye. It's the same as a good skater who has a bad skate at Regionals or Sectionals.
I would suggest if you are unhappy with the way this selection happened, I would suggest that you join your local skating club, run for the board and build a power base at Governing Council so that you can be elected president of USFS.
There is a difference.
Belbin and Agosto basically said, "Hey, We're not able to compete just yet due to Ben's injury. Please consider our previous accomplishments and allow us a place on the World Team."
IMO, by competing, Johnny is saying that he is okay and 100% ready to compete. Asking the USFSA for a place on the World Team after his poor performances reduces him to a sore loser in my eyes.
I hope that the USFSA sticks to their guns and the top 3 get to go to Worlds, unless someone withdraws on their own accord. Before the 1998 Olympics, Skate Canada (CFSA back then) didn't send Emanuel Sandhu (silver medallist at nats) to the Olympics and instead sent Jeff Langdon (bronze). At this point, Sandhu was a newcomer (first senior nationals) and Langdon seemed to be the safer choice I suppose. I realize that this is not exactly the same situation, but it's still extremely unfair. Why should Emanuel have been kicked off the team after having earned the spot, supposedly?
Hopefully, Johnny will see this as a blessing in disguise. He will have extra time to get himself healthy. One thing I would personally love is for him to come out with some fantastic new programs. I have found the past couple years that his programs seem very similar, and it's a bit boring. Yes, he's a beautiful skater and yes, he definitely has talent and wonderful style, but I don't want to feel like changing the channel when he skates anymore!
Also, I can understand why perhaps he's not the USFSA's golden child, like Evan is maybe perceived to be. Am I crazy or did he not wear a CCCP team jacket to Olympic practices in Torino? I'd be pretty peeved if a Canadian skater wore another country's team jacket...vintage or not.
Last edited by skatingbc; 01-30-2009 at 06:20 PM. Reason: spelling...
It's sad for Johnny and all the US skaters who did not qualify for the World Championships in Los Angeles. There will be a lot of Hollywood glitz at that championship. But Johnny can still make the trip to Vancouver next year and he knows what he has to do.
I agree with you that there is a big difference between B/A's and Weir's situations, but I don't see Johnny as a sore loser. He's not a loser by any means, but I do think he made the wrong choice by competing at the Nationals. I feel he hasn't made the best decisions in his nutrition choices either upon reading the details of his diet and obviously, he made a negative consequential choice with his traveling and scheduling before the very important National Championship. Like you said, by competing at Nationals, he basically gave the federation the green light that he felt he was ready to compete when in reality, he's wasn't fit or healthy enough out there to do his very best, which he needed to do among the USA's deep field of senior men. The committee that makes the decisions of who to send to Worlds has a responsibility to make an objective, unbiased, fair decision of who will best represent the USA internationally based on the results of the US Figure Skating Championships, unless an athlete withdrew from the Nationals due to being unable to compete. The World team of Abbott, Mroz, and Lysacek is the correct choice among these circumstances, IMO.
Last edited by museksk8r; 01-30-2009 at 07:18 PM.
Hmm...I think I worded it wrong. It's not that I think of Johnny as a loser. I think his petition to be placed on the World team comes across as somewhat whiny. To be honest, I think there was a possibility that he may of thought that no matter how badly he skated, he would be put on the World team. I guess I've always perceived him to be a bit full of himself. JMO.
If what's being reported as his diet is his actual diet, I wonder, how has he gotten this far? And honestly, if that diet is true, these illnesses are not surprising.
I am a lot more worried about Ben Agosto than about Johnny Weir. Agosto has had back problems off and on for several years. Belbin and he had to withdraw from the 2007 Grand Prix final, too, for the same reason. During his recovery period the doctors allowed him to skate around and work on choreography, but he could not do any lifts.
This year it was the same thing. His back started acting up after the original dance at the GP final. After consulting with team USA doctor Robert Kruse, he was forced to drop out.
In an interview given to Detroit Free Press columnist Jo-anne Barnas on January 9th, Ben said that the injury was "worse than they expected," although in other interviews he tried to put a happier face on it.
In am afraid that there is a pretty good chance that B&A won't be able to do worlds this year after all (along with Domnina and Shabalin.) And I am quite concerned for their long-term prospects.
And if B&A hadn't withdrawn they probably would have had a sub-par showing just the same as Johnny did. Which is clearly WHY they withdrew. Johnny's placement at this competition doesn't matter at all (or, actually, placing 5th when he is in such poor condition could actually be seen as further testament to his ability as a skater). Johnny is the top ranked American in his field, the same as B&A, and medical circumstances should allow for a bye to Worlds (if he is healthy by then). The difference is that Johnny actually wanted to try and compete because Nationals is important to him. It wasn't important enough for B&A.
This is what's wrong with your train of thought. The act of him deciding to compete doesn't mean that at all. Quite a sweeping generalization/assumption on your part.
it's important to B/A in that if they aren't up to snuff for it, why would they want to bring it down? their 'subpar' performance would have been a let down to an otherwise edge of your seat competition.
Yes, I'm sure that's what was of utmost importance to them.
The fact is that they didn't care enough about the 2009 National Title to compete. They knew they would get a bye to Worlds and they wanted to have more recovery time.
But, for Johnny, the National Title was important. He wanted to try. I don't think that should be held against him (especially since he was blatantly robbed last year). If the competition had been the 2010 Olympics, I'm pretty sure B/A would have tried.
In my opinion B & A handled the matter very sensibly. One must understand to make decisions based on one´s condition. I´m sure that they - as any US skater - would have loved to win the 2009 US title.
Last edited by Jaana; 01-31-2009 at 05:31 AM.
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