The Feds' Influence in Chosing Their Team

THIS THREAD HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH TICKETS WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD THEM OR NOT

As we are aware the PreOly worlds comes up next March. It is an important event because I believe 70 per cent of the time, the winner(s) go on to win the Olys.

The Feds have the right to select the Team they wish to send. I believe the criteria is different for each country. Some consider the GPs, some the Euros, some the Nats and some the combination of two or more, and still others on previous years allocades. Some countries are limited to sending only one, some two and some all three but not in all events.

From my perspective, I see several countries with very tight races in their Nats and I am wondering how those Federations will decide on their team. for those GS Members can you give us some idea on how the team will be selected to go to Worlds.

Canada
China
Finland
Japan
Russia
USA
(any others I left out)

Joe

!This is a reply by KATI who originally p;osted it on another thread.


In Finland, they usually make the choice after the nationals, but they count the success in the GP series and other international competitions as well. For example, for many years there has been a close rivalry between the ladies (Susanna Pöykiö, Elina Kettunen and Alisa Drei), and last year they sent Susanna and Alisa to the Europeans (it was not a very good season for Elina), and then Susanna to the worlds, because she was better than Alisa in the Europeans. Susanna won the Finlandia trophy as well, and had better results in the GP series than the other finnish ladies.
Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari has dominated the men's field last years and has been sent to the international competitions. For ice dance, we have had only one couple to send after the success of Rahkamo & Kokko, and they are Jessica Huot & Juha Valkama. No pairs has existed for a while

Russian Federation always waits until after the Europeans. Of course, their selection process is always murky at best.

This reply is by DORIS who originally posted it on another thread


Back on topic, the Russians have test skates for injured skaters who did not do well at Nationals to help choose the team. This is how Irina got to Worlds.

These things do Not happen in the US where almost always the top skaters at nationals go. The only exceptions I remember are Todd Eldredge (back) and Nancy Kerrigan (whack) and wasn't there some deal with Paul Wylie and the Olympics?

Timmy for example got no second chance, despite qualifying for the GPF and winning and finishing 2nd at 2 GP events, and being the reigning world silver medallist.

Nicole Bobek got no 2nd chance from injury, either.

This reply is by BERTHES GHOST who originally posted it on another thread/

and wasn't there some deal with Paul Wylie and the Olympics?

Click to expand...

No! there was absolutely no "deal" with Paul in 92, only spoiled grapes from non fans. Paul took the silver medal at 92 nats. Bronze medal winner Mark Mitchell was left off the Oly team to make way for Todd, who didn't compete at 92 nats due to his back injury. Many complained that the "over the hill has been" Paul had been on the team at all, and Paul stated that he would turn pro right after Albertville, and came true on his promiss. The "over the hill has been" made way for the others, the result being no US man on the podium for the first time in 13 years!

Joesitz said:

This reply is by DORIS who originally posted it on another thread

Timmy for example got no second chance, despite qualifying for the GPF and winning and finishing 2nd at 2 GP events, and being the reigning world silver medallist.


Nicole Bobek got no 2nd chance from injury, either.

Click to expand...

IIRC, the USFSA wanted to teach Nicole a lesson because she wasn't injured by preparing for Nats; she was injured doing a show.

I kind of thought they were a little harsh, but I'm quite sure I don't know all of the politics involved.

I don't know why Tim didn't get a shot at Worlds other than the fact that he didn't finish the competition once he started it. Weir got a bad rep for doing the same thing the year before.

Now that I'm thinking about it, Todd and Nancy never even got to compete and were sent on to the next comp. Nicole and Tim finished the SP but didn't do the LP. I guess the lesson is not to compete for the SP, skip the LP and then ask for an injury bye.

Very interesting comments so far.

I see the Americans putting Cohen and Kwan on the team regardless of how well they do in GPs and Nats. It is the third lady which will give them a headache. What if Amber gets 3rd at Nats - Not impossible!

No such byes for the Men. They will have to fight it out in the GPs, 4CC and Nats. There's Weiss, Weir, Savoie, Lysacek and, of course the return of Tim. Very tight race.

I think we only get two places and I would pick B&A and G&P. I think Nats results will be enough for the team

The Pairs, if we get two, will be tight race with S&D looking to regain their dominance. GPs and Nats to determine the team.

But it's not just the americans. What about the Japanese Ladies? So many to pickfrom and yet only 3. How will they do it?

Joe

IIRC, the USFSA wanted to teach Nicole a lesson because she wasn't injured by preparing for Nats; she was injured doing a show.

Click to expand...

I've always wondered how much of an influence team Tara had on the decision. :\ Just a little off-season paranoia for ya.

Now that I'm thinking about it, Todd and Nancy never even got to compete and were sent on to the next comp. Nicole and Tim finished the SP but didn't do the LP. I guess the lesson is not to compete for the SP, skip the LP and then ask for an injury bye.

Click to expand...

I think that a big influence was that Todd and Nancy were given passes for the Olys. Tim and Nicole were just left off world teams, giving them at least two other years to come back and prove themselves while also giving a chance for a youngin to gain experience and show what they could do. The stakes were higher.

mpal2 said:

I don't know why Tim didn't get a shot at Worlds other than the fact that he didn't finish the competition once he started it. Weir got a bad rep for doing the same thing the year before.

Click to expand...

I seem to recall that Tim chose not to petition for Worlds and decided instead to take time off to heal.

I do think that the skater has to prove that they are physically fit in order to compete at Worlds or Olympics if they couldn't make it to Nats because of injury. I know that Nancy had to skate for USFSA officials to prove her knee injury was healed before they officially put her on the olympic team. I suspect it was the same with Todd.

Tim may have felf that his injury was serious enough that he was not going to be physically fit by worlds and decided not to petition to get on the team. If it was a less serious injury and he petitioned they might have put him on the team.

Depth has a lot to do with who makes the team as a country that only has 1 or 2 top skaters doesn't have to make that decision as those skaters are so much better than the rest they make top 2 in Nats.

In the US the top skaters have usually been the best at Nats and they make the team. They've also had more spots to work with most of time as it is easier to make a decision with 3 spots than 1.
A top skater can have a bad skate and finish 3rd and still make the team.

Next year's Worlds will determine how many spots a country will get for the olympics so the Federations choices in who goes to Worlds will be very important. They are going to send their "best" skaters who they think will place the best at Worlds to secure those spots and may go over a young skater who did well at their Nats for an experienced skater who has done well at Worlds in the past.

I think someone should start a thread on Tim Goebel as there is for Stephane Lambiel.

In the meantime, does anyone know how the Skating Federation you are most familiar with, works in the selection of their skater(s) hp yp Ept;fdz?

Joe

Germany: last year the German Federation select after the nationals.
For men: the best two (Lindemann+Vlascenko) were sent to Euros, the best of Euros was sent to worlds.
for ladies: Dytrt was 1. at nationals, at Euros she had to be first 16 to go to worlds (11.)
for pairs: Sawtschenko/Szolkowy (1. nationals) were not allowed to skate at Euros, Fitz/Rex (2.nationals) had to be first 8 at Euros to go to worlds (7.)