What happened to the US Ladies?

[janetfan]

I don't doubt it, but my question is "why?"

Federations are "political" in an attempt to gain some kind of advantage over other federations. What advantage accrues to the USFSA to be mean, nasty, and corrupt?

What would induce the USFSA President, for instance, to send a bum to worlds and leave a good skater home? Is that good politics?

That seems more like the Republican Party nominating Donald Trump just to spite their own face.

I don't believe that a group of officials and judges can be basically political and occassionally sleasy at Intl events and suddenly transform themselves into models of virtue at national events. That just doesn't fly with me.

As to being political at Natls? It comes down to the samethings we see at international events. Many officials/judges (not all) tend to play their favorites and favors can be traded and repaid exactly the same way at natls as they are at intls.

Big boosters and wealthy skating patrons can play a part as can certain coache's friendship or history of animosity with judges and techpanel have an effect on the results.

What do you think we have been watching all of these years

ETA: I left out TV influence. Although I am a Sasha fan, NBC has made it known they wanted Sasha as part of the 2010 Olympic team. Her SP marks reflected as much. Sadly for NBC, nothing could save Sasha's trainwreck of an LP.

Had it been close the team would have been Sasha and Rachael.

Do you really think Evan would have been treated the same as Jeremy had he just missed the Natls podium by a point last season?

[ImaginaryPogue]

Mathman, as you've pointed out in the past, the US Federation has a great deal of responsibility that has nothing to do with Worlds. Politicking, say, Bradley to first (someone who's appealing to an American audience, funny, good story, resolutely heteronormative) and sending him to Worlds may suit an agenda that has nothing to do with World placements.

[blue dog]

I certainly hope we see Alissa or Mirai at SA this season with either Agnes and/or Christina.

Hey, let the USFS do what they want--as long as they give Alissa SC.

[pangtongfan]

Had Sasha gone to the Olympics in the shape she was in at Nationals she probably would have finished around 12th. NBC would have had huge ratings though from guillable stupid fans who watched just to see Sasha "go for the gold" (ROTFL) so they would have won. So I fully understand the agenda for wanting washed up old never a champion even in her prime Cohen on the Olympic team. The agenda for Flatt's unrelenting popularity up to now with the USFSA and U.S judges is another matter though.

[SkateFiguring]

Had Sasha gone to the Olympics in the shape she was in at Nationals she probably would have finished around 12th. NBC would have had huge ratings though from guillable stupid fans who watched just to see Sasha "go for the gold" (ROTFL) so they would have won. So I fully understand the agenda for wanting washed up old never a champion even in her prime Cohen on the Olympic team. The agenda for Flatt's unrelenting popularity up to now with the USFSA and U.S judges is another matter though.

But the resulting "Sasha wuzrobbed" scandal might just be what would spark the interest in figure skating in the US.

[pangtongfan]

Yes that is true. I can just picture it now, Sasha Cohen lands only 2 clean triples in free skate, either flutzing, two footing, or popping the other ones, but NBC promotes she deserved atleast a bronze due to her superior grace, line, spins, and spins it into a major scandal which U.S viewers and press just eat up and run with.

[Olympia]

Had Sasha gone to the Olympics in the shape she was in at Nationals she probably would have finished around 12th. NBC would have had huge ratings though from guillable stupid fans who watched just to see Sasha "go for the gold" (ROTFL) so they would have won. So I fully understand the agenda for wanting washed up old never a champion even in her prime Cohen on the Olympic team. The agenda for Flatt's unrelenting popularity up to now with the USFSA and U.S judges is another matter though.

I would have watched, and I'm not too stupid. I would have watched because I like Sasha's skating, which has a lot more character to it than that of many of our current contenders (my apologies to them, but there it is). She may never have been a champion, but she was on the podium regularly, almost consistently, and that beats pretty much everyone else who was on the ladies' Olympic team in 2010. She wouldn't have medaled, and that would have been justifiable, given the top four performances. But like Stephane Lambiel over on the men's side, she would have given a memorable performance. JMO.

[Tinymavy15]

Had Sasha gone to the Olympics in the shape she was in at Nationals she probably would have finished around 12th. NBC would have had huge ratings though from guillable stupid fans who watched just to see Sasha "go for the gold" (ROTFL) so they would have won. So I fully understand the agenda for wanting washed up old never a champion even in her prime Cohen on the Olympic team. The agenda for Flatt's unrelenting popularity up to now with the USFSA and U.S judges is another matter though.

I can't even re-watch that fresskate from Sasha. It broke my heart, she was a mere shell of what she had been. As a big sasha fan I can say she was greatly overmarked, i guess in the hope that she would end up on the podium if anyone else made major mistakes. As pangtongfan said, the month or less between nationals and olympics would still not have given her enough time to porperly prepare, never mind the olympic pressure and the result would have been disastrous.

As for Flatt, USFSA champions her because she is a good american girl, and like the Hughes sisters did, has a life outside skating. She is smart but never cocky or rude to reporters, like the Hughes girls she comes from a "good family" and her consistency didn't hurt. After she won her 1st title the push was on to make her a two-time champion and finally re-create a champion figure that would dominate ladies skating from year to year.

[Olympia]

Do you really think it would have been disastrous, Mavy? Maybe I'm naive, but I thought she might be able to relax a bit and at least skate an interesting program. I suppose I'm deluding myself, but in any case I don't have to find out, because we had two clean programs from U.S. girls in a final that was marvelous for just about everyone participating. So if you are correct, at least we didn't have to watch a heartbreaker. We can go back to her wonderful Salt Lake City short program to "Sentimental Waltz." (One of my favorites of her entire output.)

What you say about Flatt sounds right and convincing to me. And it's not as if they found her on the ground somewhere. She was the World Junior Champion and was very promising, so the USFSA had good reason to notice and promote her. She is indeed a fine example of a scholar-athlete, and she's generally cool under pressure. And from all I hear, she's a hard worker, which I gather neither Mirai nor Caroline is, these days at least. I'm sorry she hasn't had a more stellar international career, but she's done her country proud inasmuch as she's been able to. I suspect that her best days (in terms of achievement and success) lie ahead, after her skating career is over. Dr. Flatt will be an asset to some research-based branch of science, perhaps, or some other academic field.