LA Times on Michelle's Test Skate

[antmanb]

"if Kwan is close to Hughes they go with Kwan cause she's been able to reach a level Hughes hasn't."

And the question is...do you think this is fair?

Yep!

If they were going for a job interview you'd look at their CVs and past accomplishments...who would get the job? Outside of Hollywood movies the young upstart with potential never gets the job over the veteran with every qualification and experience. If i were Emily i think i'd be pleased - imagine the pressure skating in the Olympics knowing that you have to go out there and have the skate of your life skating against the ghost of Kwan? If you tank then people will ask why on earth did USFSA take a chance a young up and comer when they could have sent old reliable?!


Ant

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

And the question is...do you think this is fair?

Hey RD - Do you think this is fair?

Joe

 

[euterpe]

Even if Kwan does two excellent skates, there will always be the Kwan haterz who will say Emily was robbed of her chance to compete in the Olympics. To them, no outcome that results in Kwan going to Torino (even if she wins a medal) is the wrong outcome.

Emily will have her chance to show her true mettle at Worlds. She could have gone to 4CC and shown it there, but she declined.

 

[jenaj]

Michelle will have to do better. It would be an embarrassment if she skates at the Olympics like she did at 2005 Worlds.

Her "embarrassing" skate would have netted her a bronze if it had been the Olympics, since there wouldn't have been a qualifying round.

 

[R.D.]

Hey RD - Do you think this is fair?

Joe

Thanks for asking. To be honest, I'm kind of in the air on this one. One part of me says that Kwan is much more likely to do better than Emily, so in that case, yes it is fair. But another part of me is saying that Kwan has had her chance already- two as a matter of fact- and it's time to move on before she injures something else. In that case, let the young, healthy one go.

 

[Doggygirl]

Her "embarrassing" skate would have netted her a bronze if it had been the Olympics, since there wouldn't have been a qualifying round.

There is really no way to know that. If there had not been a QR, would she have skated the way she did in the SP? Or would the SP have turned out more like the QR did? Or some different iteration?

DG

 

[jenaj]

There is really no way to know that. If there had not been a QR, would she have skated the way she did in the SP? Or would the SP have turned out more like the QR did? Or some different iteration?

DG

No way to know for sure, so the best evidence is how she actually skated.

 

[attyfan]

Yep!

If they were going for a job interview you'd look at their CVs and past accomplishments...who would get the job? Outside of Hollywood movies the young upstart with potential never gets the job over the veteran with every qualification and experience. If i were Emily i think i'd be pleased - imagine the pressure skating in the Olympics knowing that you have to go out there and have the skate of your life skating against the ghost of Kwan? If you tank then people will ask why on earth did USFSA take a chance a young up and comer when they could have sent old reliable?!


Ant

Actually, there was an article from a Minneapolis paper (here is the link) on just that point:

http://www.startribune.com/168/story/205702.html

 

[mzheng]

Actually, there was an article from a Minneapolis paper (here is the link) on just that point:

http://www.startribune.com/168/story/205702.html

This one still got it wrong. USFSA diddn't voilate their own select rule. Emily never earned the spot. Only Sasha earned the Olympic spot.

The rest make sense on that, the USFSA's team select rule just like an bussiness hiring requirement. I huge company may give some position to entry level, who just graduated from the colledge but with good potential. But a small company, they need ppl handle job and day to day operation right way, they never hire entry level ones.

And with current US ladies team, SC and MK are vetarens, they put Kimmie in a well balanced choice. As long as MK can prove her fitness to skate in Olympics through the test skates.

btw, It was said at MKF that her LP musics was listed in Nationals programs. It was known during Nationals.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Thanks for asking. To be honest, I'm kind of in the air on this one. One part of me says that Kwan is much more likely to do better than Emily, so in that case, yes it is fair. But another part of me is saying that Kwan has had her chance already- two as a matter of fact- and it's time to move on before she injures something else. In that case, let the young, healthy one go.

Yes, a healthy Kwan would most likely do better than Emily. I think we'll have the test results soon so whichever one goes, lets move on.

Sasha has already had one chance. Do you think if no gold, she should try for a third time? A third try would have to be competing with a much improved Emily not to mention Kimme and all those lovely gals down Tokyo way.

Joe

 

[R.D.]

Sasha has already had one chance. Do you think if no gold, she should try for a third time? A third try would have to be competing with a much improved Emily not to mention Kimme and all those lovely gals down Tokyo way.

Personally I don't see Cohen staying in it for another four years. I think she's got other plans. If she wants to, she can try...but if she ends up like Kwan now in 2010, I'd feel the same way. And I don't think she is winning this year.

The situation with kwan is rather special. She hasn't competed all season (and no, Marshall's doesn't count) and she's only been to one event under the new judging system. This is someone with a lot of past successes whose present condition is questionable. Remember, Irina came back from illness to place 9th at 04 Worlds. It took her a year or so to get back into top form. MK's been out a year, and although her situation isn't as dire as Irina's was, she still lost a lot of training time, and this puts her at a disadvantage.

But sorry to get off topic there. What I am really saying is that it's not really MK getting a third opportunity as much as it is her situation right now. If she was able to compete in St. Louis and place high enough, then there'd be no question about it. But since she had to ask for a bye, this is where things get a little more complicated. Someone has to get shafted in the process. I'd feel the same way if anyone were in this position.

 

[mzheng]

But sorry to get off topic there. What I am really saying is that it's not really MK getting a third opportunity as much as it is her situation right now. If she was able to compete in St. Louis and place high enough, then there'd be no question about it. But since she had to ask for a bye, this is where things get a little more complicated. Someone has to get shafted in the process. I'd feel the same way if anyone were in this position.

Did you ever read the select rule? Rule says only Sasha erned the berth being a National Champion. The rest of team are selected. So Michelle is selected, Kimmie is selected. No one got shifted. Just like 1994 Michelle diddn't got shifted.

There were several precedence in Olympics team selection.

Any special treatment for MK? YES. Her test skating is OPEN to media scrutinize. And with most of JUDGEs. This is without precedence. I would like to see USFSA do the exact same things in future, if anyone dare to ask a medical bye.

Michelle will let her skating (and programs) speaks for herself.

 

[Doggygirl]

No way to know for sure, so the best evidence is how she actually skated.

The only flaw in that logic is that it involves speculating an outcome of a competition, that is not how the competition went, that is after the fact. No harm, no foul to MK, but I don't think it's realistic to second guess the outcome of a competition by "taking away" one of the segments of that competition.

DG

 

[Jimmy Hoffa]

Michelle will have to do better. It would be an embarrassment if she skates at the Olympics like she did at 2005 Worlds.

If Kwan skated the way she did at 2005 Worlds, it wouldn't be any more an embarrassment than Tonya Harding in 1994, or hell, even Nicole Bobek in 1998.

 

[antmanb]

Thanks for asking. To be honest, I'm kind of in the air on this one. One part of me says that Kwan is much more likely to do better than Emily, so in that case, yes it is fair. But another part of me is saying that Kwan has had her chance already- two as a matter of fact- and it's time to move on before she injures something else. In that case, let the young, healthy one go.

Paging fence....paging fence....RD is looking for a place to sit!!!! (i'm just ribbing you!)

Ant

 

[antmanb]

The only flaw in that logic is that it involves speculating an outcome of a competition, that is not how the competition went, that is after the fact. No harm, no foul to MK, but I don't think it's realistic to second guess the outcome of a competition by "taking away" one of the segments of that competition.

DG

Oh come on DG - how else are us Sandhu fans supposed to get to get a kick out of his skating unless we fantasize about where he might place if you take away one (or two!) of the segments??!!!

Ant <clearly in a silly mood cos its friday!>

 

[Jaana]

Other countries NOT sending their 3rd / 4th place finishers...

Russia - Irinia skipped her nationals, but was placed on the Olympic team. In my very humble opinion, her bye is worse than Kwan's because she simply made the choice not to skate. Who was bumped for her? Isn't that unfair to that skater?

Kwan´s bye cannot be compared to that of Slutskaya, because the latter has ISU results to show from the current season. She has competed in GP, GPF and Europeans and no lady skater in Russian Nationals had results to compete with those that Slutskaya has from the current season.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

ANY RESULTS OF THIS TEST YET? IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE OLYMPICS BE IT KWAN OR HUGHES.

Joe

 

[Kwanford Wife]

ANY RESULTS OF THIS TEST YET? IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE OLYMPICS BE IT KWAN OR HUGHES.

Joe

The final decision will be announced during a press conference at 3:30pm west coast time. Not that a final decision will allow us to move on to the actual Olympics, of course

 

[attyfan]

Results of Michelle's Test Skate will be announced at 3:30 p.m. PST on Friday, January 27, 2006.

Jaana -- the comparable situation to Michelle is not Irina going to Torino, but Irina going to Dortmund in 2004. That was the season that Irina's illness prevented her from competing all season, but after the Russian ladies (other than Sokolova) did really poorly at Euros, the Russian federation held a test skate, and found a sick Slutskaya better than the other healthy Russian ladies who did otherwise "qualify for Worlds" by medaling at Nats. The situation is the same here.