Should Flatt have skated at the World Championships on an injury?

[Joesitz]

With Michelle she had been nursing injuries all season leading up to the Olympics. She withdrew from Nationals we all know the story. Emily was well aware that she might get the call
and continued training. I don't know Rachael's situation and if she said the injury just happened I believe her.

Any news about who Rachael's new coach will be?

It was becoming clearer in 2002 Worlds that Michelle was having injury problems and seeing her in 2004, and 2005 that the injury was not going away and getting worse. Her Tech had been dramatically altered in each case that we saw. By 2006, she had no choice but to skip US Nats and the private audition was arranged. Would anyone else get that audition in a similar situation? Of course not, so what was Rachael supposed to do? She grit her teeth and skated; doing well in the SP. That SP may have aggravated the injury for the LP. Mirai was never on deck as Emily was.

Rachael, I think - not sure - will head for Stanford U.

[demarinis5]

Joe it is not called a "private audition". I cannot quote the exact rule but I do know that any skater who requests a medical bye from Nationals to qualify for Worlds or the Olympics has to skate before the committee to see if they are fit to compete. Belbin and Agosta did it as I am sure other skaters did too. In Michelle case her bye was to the Olympics so it got a lot of press. B/A bye was to Worlds. So to make a long story short Michelle did not get special treatment or a "private audition". Some folks think Michelle should have withdrawn before the Olympics but that is ancient history and a whole other can or worms.

Sorry to go off topic folks.

[Poodlepal]

So, suppose Rachael really fell and tore her ligament or something, and absolutely couldn't skate at all. She'd be down as 24th place, the placement number of Alissa and Rachael would be 29, and they'd be down to only one spot? Really? That doesn't seem very fair. I could see if someone pretended to be injured or something, but if it was verified by a doctor that the injury was real, that doesn't seem fair.

I was critical of Rachael skating on another board, but I agree we don't know when the injury was diagnosed. Since she just mentioned "leg pain" after the short, but said "stress fracture" after the long, it's possible she just got x-rayed that day somewhere in Moscow Hospital and just found out how bad it was. I don't know this, but I got the impression that it could have happened like that.

Anyway, I admire her for skating through the pain. She didn't skate well, but it wasn't an all out disaster like some I've seen. She held it together as best she could.

[ImaginaryPogue]

No. Skaters who rank below 16th but make the free program automatically get 16 points.

[ucrgirl]

Let Rachael skate.

Realistically I'm sure the alternate wasn't in world championship form (especially considering the delay of the competition). Emily was ready in 2006 because of the overall uncertainty of Michelle's situation (and I think Emily was named to the World Champs team).

[Mathman]

The Michelle Kwan situation was unique. Realistically, it must have been clear to Michelle that it would take a miracle for her to be able to compete. Still, some days she felt better than others. On her good days, she was determined not to leave the scene with any regrets about what might have been. So she soldiered on through the pain as long as she could.

As for the USFSA, Michelle had carried figure skating in the United States on her back for a decade. The USFSA could not refuse to carry her the last mile.

[Snoopy]

I was thinking of Rachel Flatt over the weekend and think she should have withdrawn to allow someone healthy to skate. I'm sure its a difficult decision, given that she took the year off school to compete and then had to wait an extra month for worlds, so I don't blame her for making the wrong decision, but I do think she made the wrong decision, as evidenced by the look on her face after her LP. I guess she was hoping for a miracle.

[demarinis5]

Phil Hersh

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/...at-worlds.html

[Snoopy]

The Michelle Kwan situation was unique. Realistically, it must have been clear to Michelle that it would take a miracle for her to be able to compete. Still, some days she felt better than others. On her good days, she was determined not to leave the scene with any regrets about what might have been. So she soldiered on through the pain as long as she could.

As for the USFSA, Michelle had carried figure skating in the United States on her back for a decade. The USFSA could not refuse to carry her the last mile.

I agree, Michelle did a lot for US figure skating, she deserved the respect they showed her.

[Mathman]

Phil Hersh

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/...at-worlds.html

Doesn't seem to be much controversy here. She did the best she could under the circumstances.

[Dee4707]

Meh. I think we are beating a dead horse before it has even died. 2011 Worlds is in the books, it is what it is. What is Phil Hersh going to say, that he never liked Rachael anyway?

I couldn't agree with you more!!!

[janetfan]

Doesn't seem to be much controversy here. She did the best she could under the circumstances.

I think it was bad luck for Rachael but also showed the US Federation is not up to speed. With all of the talk about federations and how they select their teams I have to WONDER why Rachael's parents were part of the decision and not US Skating?

Maybe nothing could have been done but I think this is not a decision for parents. Sure parents should have the final say about health matters but as far as representing your country at Intl events the federation should be informed and make the decison.

Certainly in Russia Piseev would have been informed about an injury situation and most likely he would have looked into it and made the decision.

Rachael showed up twice this season at Intl events unprepared to compete at anywhere near her top level due to injury and the results both times, to be kind were not good.

I keep hearing Mirai mentioned , but she is not the only other skater in the USA. Personally, I would have been glad to see Agnes at Worlds rather than an incapacitated Rachael.

I don't say that thinking Agnes could have "saved the day" but more because the experience would have been invaluable for her.

Rachael is the past and Agnes is the future. If the call had been mine to make another skater, even if unprepared would have been on a plane to Moscow.

Bad planning and lack of communication from US Skating. Tom Z did his federation NO favor at all sending an injured skater to Worlds. Like I said, the experience is important for our other girls and basically we wasted a slot sending Rachael to Worlds.

It would have been much better to have sent Mirai or Agnes, Christina, even Ashley.

[Symmetry]

Rachel has been injured all season long and outskated Mirai at the National. She earned her spot for the Worlds, injured or not. There have been many skaters (Yagudin and Kim to name a few) who medaled at Worlds while competing with injuries. Why shouldn't Rachel try? I think Rachel did right thing.

[dwiggin3]

It would have been much better to have sent Mirai or Agnes, Christina, even Ashley.

If there was time, I would have sent Ashley, then Mirai. However, it seems there was not enough time.

[R.D.]

Hersh just dropped this on us. Quotes from Frank Carroll saying Nagasu would have been ready, questions Team Flatt decision:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/...e-skating.html

Carry on.

______________________

If there was time, I would have sent Ashley, then Mirai. However, it seems there was not enough time.

Wagner??? In that case Flatt may as well have done what she did and competed with the injury!

ETA: Still think she should have stepped aside no matter who the first alternate was. As mentioned before, not in the best interest of Team USA. Obviously, Coach Tom has a lot to answer for with this decision...