Jason's plan was always to focus on 2018. Josh's original plan had him moving up to Seniors this season but they became concerned when he was only offered one GP and decided strategically to go round again on the JGP. (Ranking points or something.)Originally Posted by ImaginaryPogue
Slightly off-topic, but if we want to talk about "don't forget how young they are"......Artur Gachinski is still actually age eligible for Junior Worlds.
Very true.
Josh and Jason have nothing left to accomplish by staying Junior for another year. Josh finished 4th at Nationals and showed he belongs with the big boys and Jason will too with a consistent 3axel and a quad in the future.
Certainly they are good enough skaters to compete on the senior GP and do well there, it's just more a matter of getting the SB or WS in the top 24 that's going to be a big deciding factor. Without either of those, odds are pretty good both the guys could get 1 GP, but getting 2 will be tough without a SB or WS in the top 24, and if deciding between 1 senior GP vs. 2 JGP and a likely trip to the JGPF, it's a toss up over what the boys might decide. You would think USFS would give them each a senior B should they move up and get only 1 GP though, but those spots are up to the discretion of the USFS so there's no way to really know. I have faith the boys can get a higher SB at JW, but it will be the last event of the season for them and therefore the last shot to do so (unless they get an invite to WTT - maybe could happen as JWC otherwise idk how those spots are chosen or how realistic a shot either has at being selected).
The WTT spots are very much at the discretion of the various federations who qualify. There are supposed to be rules as regards the ranking of the skaters sent, but they're never enforced (Kovtun went for Russia last year and he didn't even go to the JWC). So it's possible that Joshua or Jason might get sent to WTT.
However, I would be VERY surprised if neither of them improved their SB score at JW. Joshua has not yet had an enitrely clean skate this season, and his PB is a 221.97, which he posted at JW last year without a quad or three-jump combo, and a bobble on another combo. Jason hasn't skated clean at all this year and is WELL overdue for a good skate. His current PB is a 214 I think, which, with at least two clean triple Axels would boost to 220 easily IMO.
I sort of thought WTT assignments were random because they sent Gold last year and she had very few WS points having only competed in one JGP and JW. But maybe they just pulled strings for Gracie. I don't doubt if one of the boys win JWC he might have a good shot, or if Rippon is healed the Fed might try to send him out so he gets another chance at a SB (he's already out of the top 24 as is - Joshua is 22 atm) to help him get GP assignments. And you are probably right, you just wonder how the field being more open now will affect the mindset/nerves/expectations of competitors with chances to medal (could be positive or negative IMO).
I can't help but wonder, if the US falls flat at worlds and Olympics next year whether we'll FINALLY see a change in the World Team selection system...
There is no perfect method, but you can just look over at USA Gymnastics (with its own share of apparently controversial decisions)...but whatever they're doing- it's working!
I think it is because we have had some good gymnasts lately, not because the selection system is so fine.
It could be argued that we have "some good" skaters as well...
Some world class gymnasts paired with training hours, a centralized camp system, and the nature of the sport (much more consistent) is what makes USAG great. You can see USAG has it's down years ie 2010 worlds.
The selection system is fine it's the skaters that are the problem. If we had consistent skaters who were not headcases and skated to their potential there would be no controversy about who gets sent to Worlds, 4CC etc. Lets face it when Racheal Flatt was the best US Ladies skater for a couple years the US was not good enough to have 3 spots and we still don't have two skaters good enough and consistent enough.
Last edited by Jammers; 02-23-2013 at 03:22 PM.
I can't help but wonder how much of this is driven by "My favourite didn't win Nationals or even place second! NEW SELECTION SYSTEM NAO!"
I happen to think Miner and Aaron is the strongest team they could have sent out of that top group. Abbott? Never again on your life. Rippon? Ditto. Farris? Maybe, a bit young, and he wanted to go back to Junior Worlds. Dornbush? Nope. Brown? Not ready. Johnson? Too much risk the judges would go "who"?
So, they picked their 1 and 2, 1 being a rather explosive skater with a great sense of fun, huge jumps, great perspective and, as seen at 4CCs, the ability to hang in there, while 2 is your "steady eddie", a very consistent performer, technically solid, lovely to watch. I'm failing to understand the problem here.
There is no way to pick good skaters when there aren't any. It's like picking a public toilet to eat off of: you can flip a coin or convene a committee, but you still ain't gonna like the taste. And outside of ice dancing, a toilet is pretty much where US figure skating is at in the current Olympic cycle. We don't have contenders. We have a stable of second rate skaters. And when they flop at Worlds, someone is going to say, in fantastical hindsight, that another second rate skater would've had a better day. Nuh uh. That second rate skater would've flopped just as hard, leading someone else to say the same thing about the original second rater.
The selection process isn't the problem. Having crap skaters is. It may just be bad luck, or it may be institutional/cultural problems in how competitive skaters/coaches are recruited and developed. And if it's the latter, then let's fix that. If we get a better crop of skaters, we won't have to make any lose/lose choices.
^ Oh, that's too harsh! Can't they be picnic tables at a public park?
Although, I'd actually bet that public picnic tables have more germs than public toilets. Yech.
I guess, if we go by that bowdlerized analogy, Ashley Wagner would be like the aluminum legs of a folding table: if we could just find the top part from the garage, we could have ourselves a halfway decent meal. She's been the only dependable non-ice dancing American in this cycle that can make a dent at Worlds. But she can't do it alone if the goal is to win back that third spot. And she's only middle of the pack compared to the dependable top contenders from around the world. So don't expect her to come out on top, she's just the support.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks