Thats the thing, people dont read nothing or half of it but like to cry out loud. It is also the problem of journalists omitting to read and report whatever.. The communication which I dont know why is so hard to bother and read says there is a meet up on Feb 5th, after this time no skater can be replaced for Team event and 10th Feb meeting for individulas, and an athlete can be replaced there and not after, the reasons are checked and needs the approval from Olympic Commitee.If he withdraws and is replaced, there will indeed be an outcry. If he's unable to be replaced there will also be an outcry because presumably Kovtun or Voronov could have at least competed in both events, instead of Plushenko scooping up a guaranteed medal and calling it a day.
Thats the thing, people dont read nothing or half of it but like to cry out loud. It is also the problem of journalists omitting to read and report whatever.. The communication which I dont know why is so hard to bother and read says there is a meet up on Feb 5th, after this time no skater can be replaced for Team event and 10th Feb meeting for individulas, and an athlete can be replaced there and not after, the reasons are checked and needs the approval from Olympic Commitee.
If Peter Liebers or Jenna McCorkell are injured after Team event they can be replaced and there is no loophole.
I think it's more of an outcry because he himself said he'd skate the Team event and leave the individual event to another, without realizing he let the cat out of the bag as per what the Russian federation might have intended to do all along. Now it looks super sketchy and questionable if he withdraws after scooping up a team medal due to "injury" and Kovtun (to everyone's surprise!) comes in for the individual event. It's pre-emptive although I don't think anyone can do anything about it even if the Russian fed deliberately uses this loophole to their advantage -- it is their Olympics after all.
I think it's more of an outcry because he himself said he'd skate the Team event and leave the individual event to another, without realizing he let the cat out of the bag as per what the Russian federation might have intended to do all along. Now it looks super sketchy and questionable if he withdraws after scooping up a team medal due to "injury" and Kovtun (to everyone's surprise!) comes in for the individual event. It's pre-emptive although I don't think anyone can do anything about it even if the Russian fed deliberately uses this loophole to their advantage -- it is their Olympics after all.
This is going to be just like the platinum medal rubbish isn't it? The North American skating press just LOVES to deliberately misquote him or attribute things to him that he never said.
So if Plushenko withdraws after nabbing a medal, and withdraws due to injury, I suppose we should all take him and the Russian fed at his word, and not suspect any foul play? Perhaps the German and Chinese pairs should send their alternates to compete in the team event in order to give them experience and to rest up P/T and S/S and we can say that those alternates unfortunately got injured and P/T and S/S could step in? Maybe send Nan Song to compete in Men's team event and then "withdraw due to injury" to allow a rested Yan to freshly compete in the individual event.
I don't think that's allowed. If an athlete or team withdraws after the Team event, there will be no replacement. The alternate can only substitute before the event, and not after.
Team EventContrary to the ISU Events for which the ISU Rules for substitutes/replacements apply, in the case of
the Olympic Winter Games the IOC Late Athlete Replacement Policy applies exclusively. ..
.. for entries related to the Figure Skating Team Event as a whole, it is possible to make athletes replacements
only up to and during the Team Leaders confirmation meeting for the Figure Skating Team Event,
scheduled for 10.00 a.m. on February 5th, 2014. After that time/date a replacement for the Team Event
is not any more possible..
for entries related to individual Figure Skating events (Pair Skating, Men, Ice Dance, Ladies) it is possible to make athletes replacements only up to and during the Team Leaders meeting for the Figure Skating (individual) events scheduled for 10.00 a.m. on February 10 th , 2014, for the same circumstances as mentioned above (injury and/or sickness)
If by people you mean ISU the yes, it seems people say otherwise.
ISU communication 1844
Olympic Winter Games 2014 - Sochi - Clarifications Related to the Figure Skating Team Event and Replacements/Substitutions for Medical Reasons
Team Eventq
Individuals
It is Piseev who announced Kovtun as the alternate, but now I cant seem to find the article. Maybe it will be posted in RF page.
People seem to be saying otherwise. Which is it? I hope that is not allowed as we all know the Russian fed would exploit - ahem, "benefit from" - that.