US Olympic Team Announced | Page 10 | Golden Skate

US Olympic Team Announced

Why does the USFSA even bother having "Olympic Trials" if they're going to send the (obvious) skaters that they want as opposed to the actual placements? As much as Brown is an outstanding artist, let's be honest-- he hasn't and won't reach a world or olympic podium. Malinin's ceiling is already higher than Brown's ever was.

To say Brown deserves it on "body of work" over the years is crap. Brown's advantage over Malinin in PCS is more than made up for by Malinin's TES over Brown. If they both skate a perfect program, Malinin still outscores Brown. Guaranteed.
 
mayapinion said:
Why does the USFSA even bother having "Olympic Trials
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They don't have Olympic trials. They have Nationals. They aren't the same thing. Nationals have never been Olympic trials. And, in recent years, they have become just one important data point that the selection panel considers. I, personally, like the Spanish selection process and some other European countries which is completely based on numeric totals of a series competitions through the season. I hope the USFS does that.
 
mayapinion said:
Why does the USFSA even bother having "Olympic Trials" if they're going to send the (obvious) skaters that they want as opposed to the actual placements? As much as Brown is an outstanding artist, let's be honest-- he hasn't and won't reach a world or olympic podium. Malinin's ceiling is already higher than Brown's ever was.

To say Brown deserves it on "body of work" over the years is crap. Brown's advantage over Malinin in PCS is more than made up for by Malinin's TES over Brown. If they both skate a perfect program, Malinin still outscores Brown. Guaranteed.
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The USFSA in fact does not hold Olympic Trials. They hold National championships which 1. Determine the National Champion 2. Determine envelope funding for the next year and 3. Are a data point (one of several) in determining the Olympic team (and worlds and ccs)
 
I put the Olympic trials in quotations in jest as I know technically it is the National Championships, or whatever they want to call this competition they claim to use as way to decide to go to what competitions. Regardless, my point stands. Data points or not, the eye test for Malinin doesn't lie. He should be on the team.
 
readernick said:
But, previously they hadn't clearly written down their selection criteria in black and white and made it available for everyone to read. The skaters knew the criteria, the fans knew the selection criteria. That criteria made Nathan and Vincent locks. It made Jason almost a lock because the most important selection criteria were Worlds, GP final, and Nationals. He was clearly ahead in two out of those three things. I believe in following the rules you set down. Failing to do so is wrong.
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i agree with what you are saying to a certain point... an exceptional performance calls for an exceptional measure, which I believe 6 quads + 300 + points is. As we all know, figure skating is often a question of momentum. I hope Malinin doesn't lose his over this.
 
Hyena said:
I'm the definition of mixed feelings right now. Jason earned it with his consistency this season; Ilia is SO promising and I would have understood having him on the team too.

I hope Jason delivers what he's capable of with his top notch programs at the Olympics because if he does, he's very much in the fight for a top placement. And I hope this lights the biggest, brightest fire under Ilia to come out focused, confident, and guns blazing at every opportunity.
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On what planet do you think he will be any way in the top 12?
 
mayapinion said:
I put the Olympic trials in quotations in jest as I know technically it is the National Championships, or whatever they want to call this competition they claim to use as way to decide to go to what competitions. Regardless, my point stands. Data points or not, the eye test for Malinin doesn't lie. He should be on the team.
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If you read the selection process you will see it is one data point of several that determine assignments.
 
4everchan said:
i agree with what you are saying to a certain point... an exceptional performance calls for an exceptional measure, which I believe 6 quads + 300 + points is. As we all know, figure skating is often a question of momentum. I hope Malinin doesn't lose his over this.
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The selection process was what it was and it had Nathan in Priority Group 1, Vincent In Priority Group 2 and both Ilia and Jason in Priority Group 3. Ilia has one senior International competition. It was pretty cut and dried who had the greater BOW.

If USFS had just thrown their standards out of the window that wouldn’t be fair to any athlete. But I’m sure this will be argued for years to come. Nothing we say or do will change it.
 
I want to reiterate that I was blown away by Ilia. I just want to distinguish between two things? 1. Was the decision fair? 2. Was the decision smart?

I think the answer to #1 is that yes it was fair. According to the USFS criteria this decision was within bounds. That not to say that Ilia didn't have a case. But there was no injustice done by naming him first alternate.

The second question I think is much more difficult and I think many have made good arguments about investing in the future, etc.

However, as an ethical matter I only care about the first question. I think they could have gone either way. The USFS didn't do anything unethical or unjust. Whether they did something unwise, time will tell.
 
GGFan said:
I want to reiterate that I was blown away by Ilia. I just want to distinguish between two things? 1. Was the decision fair? 2. Was the decision smart?

I think the answer to #1 is that yes it was fair. According to the USFS criteria this decision was within bounds. That not to say that Ilia didn't have a case. But there was no injustice done by naming him first alternate.

The second question I think is much more difficult and I think many have made good arguments about investing in the future, etc.

However, as an ethical matter I only care about the first question. I think they could have gone either way. The USFS didn't do anything unethical or unjust. Whether they did something unwise, time will tell.
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that's pretty much my feeling.... except that i give a bit more weight to the second question than you do,as you said you only care about the first... i care about both ;)
 
Jason Brown and Mariah Bell can draw mainstream US audience to watch Olympics. We know that. NBC certainly knows that. Both Jason and Mariah scores are very inflated at Nats and I'm not surprised. Ilia Malinin is relatively unknown to the casual figure skating fans. I'm sure politics and sponsors always play some roles in US Olympics team selection. If Jason Brown and Mariah Bell perform well in Olympics, they can get on other TV Shows such as Dancing with the stars. $$$ talks.

Here is an article which explains why Ashley was selected for 2014 team. Ashley was very popular before Gracie Gold's era.

www.theatlantic.com

The Real Skating Winner Isn't Ashley Wagner, It's Her Sponsors

Former two-time defending U.S. Champion Ashley Wagner is absolutely thrilled with the United States Figure Skating federation and their controversial decision to send her instead of Mirai Nagasu to the Olympics. You know who's more thrilled? Her sponsors.
www.theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com

"Bottom line: there's really no point in winning a US Women's Figure Skating national championship other than bragging rights. Further evidence that the national championship doesn't matter: two sources told USA Today that Wagner was making the team, "even if she's 10th."

"NBC lost one of its U.S. Olympic stars when Lindsey Vonn opted out of the Olympics earlier this month ... The TV network, who currently holds U.S. broadcasting rights to the Olympics, was not about to let their other Olympic hopeful, Ashley Wagner slip by either. "
 
GGFan said:
I want to reiterate that I was blown away by Ilia. I just want to distinguish between two things? 1. Was the decision fair? 2. Was the decision smart?

I think the answer to #1 is that yes it was fair. According to the USFS criteria this decision was within bounds. That not to say that Ilia didn't have a case. But there was no injustice done by naming him first alternate.

The second question I think is much more difficult and I think many have made good arguments about investing in the future, etc.

However, as an ethical matter I only care about the first question. I think they could have gone either way. The USFS didn't do anything unethical or unjust. Whether they did something unwise, time will tell.
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Honestly, USFS has done a pretty good job picking teams lately. I remember when everyone was up in arms about naming Karen to the Worlds team and that worked out well.
 
iceskater10 said:
quads will kill him. he has never landed one!!!! Love his skating but he will never do a quad
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No, quads won't kill him (and that's not quite technically true that he will never do them, since he has done them, but let's assume it is).

Jason's placements in the past three Worlds he skated in: 7th, 9th, 7th. Including 7th last year. By my unofficial count, nine of the skaters who finished below him last year had quads, seven had multiple quads, and that's just skaters in the FS (Vincent of course has multiple quads but he didn't make it).

This year Jason medaled at both his GPs. He was second at Skate Canada. As I look over the entry list of SC, *all* of those skaters have quads, the majority have multiple quads (some are more consistent than others. ;) ). Jason finished ahead of ten of them.

I don't mind if fans love quads, truly I don't. But the stats are what they are. Jason maximizes every single point available to him. And routinely, regularly, finishes ahead of skaters with quads.
 
4everchan said:
i agree with what you are saying to a certain point... an exceptional performance calls for an exceptional measure, which I believe 6 quads + 300 + points is. As we all know, figure skating is often a question of momentum. I hope Malinin doesn't lose his over this.
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If 17 year old Illia loses momentum after his performance this week, being named as the first alternate to the Olympics (at 17 and out of nowhere) AND being named to the World Championships Team, then I would argue he didn't have much to begin with.
 
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