U.S. 2014 Olympic Team announcement (A) Press conferences & (B) Google+ Hangout

Layfan · Jan 12, 2014

What a lamentable situation. I would have felt awful for Ashley being left off the team as she was part of the team that helped bring the third spot back. But I feel utterly crushed for Mirai. I knew that would happen though, as soon as the rumors started that Ashley would be given a slot. They weren't going to kick off the silver medalist to let the bronze and fourth place finishers in. Too awkward. I feel torn. I feel Ashley has worked incredibly hard and is as strong as Olympic team member as the USA could hope for. Yet she's not a world or Olympic medalist. I feel torn that she was given the berth. Yes, her international record is stronger than any of other current ladies. But it's not THAT strong. Anyway, given the rules, it was their right to choose this path. I will be rooting for Ashley and I'm happy for her because I couldn't stand the idea of her being left off the team, either. I just hope that Gracie and Polina and a few others will continue to grow over the next cycle so that they can help USA ladies get out of this lamentable rut.

Did Mirai at least make the world team? I don't know how her skating will evolve but she is only 20 so if she wants, she could shake this off and keep going. She's had ups and downs to say the least but she keeps proving that she can't be counted out.

R.D. · Jan 12, 2014

First, congrats to all the new Olympians!

Odd that they chose to deviate from top 2/3 to pick Wagner but didn't do it for Denney/Coughlin in pairs...this is a decision unlike any I remember them making in a while. Normally they only deviate from the top 3 in extraordinary circumstances (i.e. injury byes or top finisher(s) too young). But to pass up a former Olympian for someone with no world medal is...well, different than anything they've ever done before IMHO.

I knew it was no coincidence when USFS sent out that tweet (before the women's final) that these Nationals weren't Olympic trials...clearly they really wanted Wagner on that team.

But someone was going to get shafted regardless and unfortunately it was Nagasu. Feel bad for her, especially after the incredible effort she showed this week in coming back from years of struggle. They should at least give her Worlds.

WeakAnkles · Jan 12, 2014

And now Jeremy Abbot has major ammunition if he screws up HIS LP.

Can of worms. Opened.

TontoK · Jan 12, 2014

golden411 said:
Congratulations to Zhang/Bartholomay!! :yay:
And I'm sad for Nagasu.

USFS itself did not know the rules -- and its uncertainty was newsworthy. (snip)
But he was doing his job to report that a federation determining the fate of Olympic hopefuls was not even sure of the rules.

I think this is the more likely scenario. Some USFS official was musing publicily on Polina's eligibility in a wild gambit to make all this go away. If Polina was ineligible... then no controversy. Ashley's in based on being the third ranking eligible skater.

On a side note: I think Nate and Felicia get their trip to Sochi because USFS didn't want to double their trouble... they've already got their hands full.

And, in my opinion, they deserve the media/public blowback from this decision.

It was wrong.

ice coverage · Jan 12, 2014

noidont said:
Are they announcing worlds and 4CC teams?

FYI, the official USFS press release listing the Ladies, Pairs, and Dancers chosen for the Olympic team.

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=49828&type=media

It is badly worded, but it seems to say that the Four Continents, Junior World, and World teams (presumably for all disciplines?) will be announced this evening at the presser for the Olympic announcement re Men and the team event.

aviva_dawn · Jan 12, 2014

TontoK said:
I think this is the more likely scenario. Some USFS official was musing publicily on Polina's eligibility in a wild gambit to make all this go away. If Polina was ineligible... then no controversy. Ashley's in based on being the third ranking eligible skater.

On a side note: I think Nate and Felicia get their trip to Sochi because USFS didn't want to double their trouble... they've already got their hands full.

And, in my opinion, they deserve the media/public blowback from this decision.

It was wrong.

They deserve ANY and ALL of the blowback that they're going to get. USAToday has picked up the story. I'd like to see who else might.

aviva_dawn · Jan 12, 2014

golden411 said:
FYI, the official USFS press release listing the Ladies, Pairs, and Dancers chosen for the Olympic team.

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=49828&type=media

It is badly worded, but it seems to say that the Four Continents, Junior World, and World teams (presumably for all disciplines?) will be announced this evening at the presser for the Olympic announcement re Men and the team event.

Hold up a second....aren't the athletes the same for the Team Event as they are for the Individual event?

Do you think that USFS might send Mirai as part of the Team Event contingent just to keep things from getting out of control PR-wise ? I doubt it, but if its possible, that might be their way out of this mess.

*One can hope*

sapphiresky · Jan 12, 2014

Really sad for Mirai...ugh that really sucks. Her expression in the K&C yesterday was really because she thought she made it onto the team, then the rumours started happening, and she had to say that she'll respect their decision, blahh.
I hoped that Ashley, Mirai and Gracie got to go. Polina has talent but she has way more opportunities in the future.

ice coverage · Jan 12, 2014

aviva_dawn said:
Hold up a second....aren't the athletes the same for the Team Event as they are for the Individual event?

Do you think that USFS might send Mirai as part of the Team Event contingent just to keep things from getting out of control PR-wise ? I doubt it, but if its possible, that might be their way out of this mess.

*One can hope*

No, USFS cannot name a fourth Lady to the Olympic team.

Not sure what the Team event announcement really will mean.
Federations are not required to commit to their picks for the team event until much closer to those competitions.

But I suppose -- strictly hypothetically -- that USFS could voluntarily announce today that the Shibutanis will skate the team SD and Davis/White will skate the team FD, for example. Again, that's only a hypothetical scenario. Not saying that I expect it to become reality.

leafygreens · Jan 12, 2014

R.D. said:
First, congrats to all the new Olympians!

Odd that they chose to deviate from top 2/3 to pick Wagner but didn't do it for Denney/Coughlin in pairs...this is a decision unlike any I remember them making in a while. Normally they only deviate from the top 3 in extraordinary circumstances (i.e. injury byes or top finisher(s) too young). But to pass up a former Olympian for someone with no world medal is...well, different than anything they've ever done before IMHO.

I knew it was no coincidence when USFS sent out that tweet (before the women's final) that these Nationals weren't Olympic trials...clearly they really wanted Wagner on that team.

But someone was going to get shafted regardless and unfortunately it was Nagasu. Feel bad for her, especially after the incredible effort she showed this week in coming back from years of struggle. They should at least give her Worlds.

Yep, I agree! The selection is so arbitrary, that it's suspicious. I'm in disbelief over this outcome and disappointed with the USFS. Of course it wasn't a coincidence. After seeing this article they said Ashley was guaranteed on the team no matter what, even if she placed 10th. What!!??

WeakAnkles said:
And now Jeremy Abbot has major ammunition if he screws up HIS LP.

Can of worms. Opened.

I so agree. Now every year is going to be a toss up, and no doubt back room deals will be made. It feels dirty, like we have Marta Karolyi picking our team.

aviva_dawn said:
They deserve ANY and ALL of the blowback that they're going to get. USAToday has picked up the story. I'd like to see who else might.

Did you notice how Pat St. Peter shut down the reporter who tried to ask why Mirai was not selected? Ugh.

alexeifan · Jan 12, 2014

This is just wrong re: the ladies. You could see on Ashley's face she knew she didn't deserve to be on the team. Has there ever been an instance in any other sport where the 4th or lower place finisher was named to the team over the healthy top place finishers?

They didn't even do this for Sasha Cohen in 2010, and she has been an ACTUAL international dominator former Olympic Silver Medalist! She actually had an amazing sp in 2010.

I think Ashley knew she was going to Sochi Saturday night. After she skated she cried in the K&C, then she sat on the couch watching the other skaters and looked totally happy and confident. Someone must have re-assured her she was going.

aviva_dawn · Jan 12, 2014

golden411 said:
No, USFS cannot name a fourth Lady to the Olympic team.

Not sure what the Team event announcement really will mean.
.

This is what I thought....so I'm puzzled as to what the Team Event Announcement will be.

leafygreens · Jan 12, 2014

alexeifan said:
This is just wrong re: the ladies. You could see on Ashley's face she knew she didn't deserve to be on the team. Has there ever been an instance in any other sport where the 4th or lower place finisher was named to the team over the healthy top place finishers?

They didn't even do this for Sasha Cohen in 2010 for God Sake, and she has been an ACTUAL international dominator former Olympic Silver Medalist!

You can see on her face that she feels guilty and knows she does not deserve it. This is horrible for all involved. For Ashley because it's not honest, and for Mirai because she was axed.

Florentina · Jan 12, 2014

It's really sad for Mirai. It would have been sad for Ashley, too, had she been left off the team. And for Polina. Maybe Polina has the future ahead of her. But that's not an argument to not send her. A lot can happen in four years time. If we would know for sure that Polina can continue to be around and improve til 2018, then there might be argument to leave her off the team now. But we can't. She skated great and she finished second, it would not be fair to take this chance away from her. Her being so yound makes her more likely to get another chance at making the Olympics, but it's far from a guarantee.

capcomop · Jan 12, 2014

cptnhastings said:
I'd've thought the other way around would've been ridiculous. At least it's conceivable that Wagner could win a bronze if a bunch of people start flopping on the ice at the Olympics. She was 5th last year at worlds and 3rd at the GPF recently.

D/C (and all the US pairs) have no chance. They'd need a lot of people forgetting how to skate to even make top 5.

If the person/team has no chance of getting a medal, they should just gone with the results. Ashley's chances of medaling are small, but they're more than 0. (I'd say Mirai's are almost as likely as Ashley's, but that's not the point I'm making: just that D/C shouldn't be bumped up when they 100% won't be medalling in Sochi.)

And C/D won a bronze at a GP event. What is the point of stating that you apply a rule like we are looking at past success of one skater vs another to make the decision and another random set of criteria for another group of skaters? What good does that do the US pairs program on the international stage? If the idea is to build a program what good is that?
If only a less then 0% of medalling is a criteria is a reason to be on the team then Polina should be bumped. Z/B could be bumped for D/C because in the percentage game they have FAR less of a percentage chance!
What I was talking about was using consistent criteria to judge and putting the skaters with the best chance of making the highest placements. Not well if you can't medal, put my next door neighbor's kid on the team, 'cause who cares who represents!

capcomop · Jan 12, 2014

Just for the record this past season:
C/S 177.12 (SA) 168.89
Z/B 168.42 (SA) 155.52
C/D 182.43 (SA) 184.02 (won the bronze) They got *higher* scores at their second comp even past the ridiculous score inflation of SA.
But no since they can't medal, let's send me and the guy next door and not worry about what may or may not build a future program. Whatev!

aero · Jan 12, 2014

Extremely upset with how the USFS has handled the situation. And I feel so bad for Mirai, I was so happy for her when she stood up not one, but both of her programs. She wanted this so badly and she was axed with such a unclear method for selecting the Olympic team.

In my honest opinion though, and I probably shouldn't say it at all, but I really wish that the judges at the Olympics give Polina the PCS that she deserves... Those scores were way too inflated, and that made a pretty big difference especially scoring higher than Mirai whose butt, surprisingly, did not hit the ground.

uncchristine99 · Jan 12, 2014

Wow, I can't believe how much drama came out of the ladies competition and selection. Can't say I was expecting that! Ashley really put her foot in it--was it Michelle Kwan that once said US Nationals are more difficult that any international competition? I guess so! I support the decision to put Ashley on the team--her last two seasons have been solid and she had a great run on the GP series this year. Naming her to the team is a no-brainer... it just sucks that she didn't solidify a spot for herself outright so that we don't have to resort to politics.

I'm thrilled for Mirai--so many of us wanted her to jump off the last Olympic experience and soar into the rafters as the next leading US lady. Obviously, that didn't happened and though I'm very happy for her performance here, it's a little too late. Those who follow her know that the only thing consistent about Mirai is her inconsistency. She landed everything this time but it doesn't erase the disastrous last 4 years. Even putting the last 4 years aside, her FS was heavily labored. Visually, you can see that she's not in top condition, her energy tapered off as the program went and choreo-wise, I guess they even built in a couple hard stops on the ice itself. For all the emphasis on transitions, I was shocked! I think she's a marvelous skater, very mature and elegant but absolutely not ready for Sochi in a month's time.

I think Ashley knows she deserves to go--she prob just wishes she could have nailed the spot herself instead having to politic for it at someone else's expense.

Chemistry66 · Jan 12, 2014

Apparently Mirai's appealing the decision?

aviva_dawn · Jan 12, 2014

It was announced just at the very end of the Men's FS broadcast:
Johnny had apparently talked to Mirai via telephone and she is (not confirmed?) writing a letter to appeal not being placed on the Olympic Team.
The commentators made it very clear in their comments that they didn't expect it to mean anything and that USFS hadn't received a letter within five minutes previous.

Oy.

U.S. 2014 Olympic Team announcement (A) Press conferences & (B) Google+ Hangout

Layfan

R.D.

WeakAnkles

TontoK

Hot Tonto

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605

aviva_dawn

aviva_dawn

sapphiresky

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605

leafygreens

alexeifan

aviva_dawn

leafygreens

Florentina

capcomop

capcomop

aero

uncchristine99

Chemistry66

Mmmmm, tacos.

aviva_dawn

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