... Also: How does a skater earn assignments to senior events? Or junior events, for that matter. Could someone say, "Hey, I'm entering Cranberry" and they're in? Of course I know there are selection procedures for major events and rules for the GP series, but what about Challengers and Senior B events? Who decides the rosters for those, and who funds the expenses?
...Anyone can (for the most part) enter Cranberry. SCOB reserves the right to decide if a skater would be a better fit for the Cup instead of the International. I’m not sure if they used that at all or not. I think they would use it if there were “too many” entries. ..
FWIW, regarding non-Challenger Senior Bs:
The family of a U.S. entry in 2017 Philadelphia International told me that the skater needed USFS approval to enter.
Given that Cranberry Cup (the international competition) is a Senior B like Philadelphia International, it would seem likely to me (although I do not know for sure) that USFS also would need to approve Cranberry Cup entries?
I get that if too many skaters make requests to enter Cranberry Cup, then some would be turned down and steered toward Cranberry Open (the club competition).
For senior Bs and summer comps, I believe a skater needs fed approval. The fed may even say, "We approving you for this one". I cannot imagine USFS withholding the approval from Ilia.
You are referring to summer international competitions (summer non-Challenger Senior Bs), right?
Anyway, as a general comment (regarding any skater in any season):
I can imagine USFS withholding approval for a Senior B if USFS does not feel sure that a skater is ready for senior.
In the past, the criteria were not disclosed ahead of time. (that I know of. If they were, please link them because I’d like to have a look.) ...
The USFS selection criteria for 2018 Olympics most definitely were published in advance!
I do not have the link to the full document at my fingertips -- plus IIRC, the link now is dead anyway.
Same for 2014 Olympics, IIRC -- or at least the public and media had access in advance to a USFS summary of the criteria.
(The skaters obviously received full information in advance.)
I do remember very clearly that *before* 2014 Nats, GS had some discussion of the 2014 criteria. Not a ton of discussion, but some. And then there was a ton of discussion after USFS selected Ashley in 2014.
Before 2018 Nats, GS had plenty of discussion of the 2018 criteria. And then plenty more after USFS selected Adam.
(I am not going to hunt through GS archives to find examples of the discussions related to 2014 and 2018, but I assure you that they did happen.)
... what about Challengers and Senior B events? Who decides the rosters for those, and who funds the expenses?
Skaters *always* pay their own expenses. USFS may give them a certain amount, but the skater is the one who decides how to allocate that money. ...
For Challengers, I feel 99% sure that USFS pays most or all expenses for skaters: entry fees + travel for skaters, lodging for skaters, meals for skaters.
... Skaters pay for their coaches to travel and stay.
As for 2022 selection of U.S. men:
My guess would be that the USFS committee was not unanimously in favor of Jason, although obviously the overall decision was in favor of Jason.
In other words, I would guess that in some cases, individual committee members applying the criteria concluded that Ilia should be selected.
FWIW, my own opinion is that the selection of Jason was not "wrong" -- but I do not think that selection of Ilia would have been "wrong" either.
I would say that the way the US consistently applied this criteria through all disciplines suggested most, if not all, members took it quite seriously. A pair team and a woman were both selected based on their priority group and BOW despite not competing a full event at Nationals.
