Understanding the distribution of Olympic spots | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Understanding the distribution of Olympic spots

I think the weird numbers like 19 etc is also because of the team event. A nation qualifying for the team event who didn't qualify a pairs for instance but has a team with minimums would be allowed to bring it... Then it would make 20 pairs... That pair team would not participate in the pairs event but it does add up skaters ... So in order to make sure the numbers stay lower and not higher with the team event, that was nevessary
 
Hope Loena is ready physically for Beijing to earn her spot
Has Loena said she is wanting to start her season in Beijing?

Because I don´t think she needs to earn her Olympic spot if she overtakes Nina in competition later in the season. I don´t know if Belgium federation has some rules about whoever earn the spot gets it, but most feds don´t practice this way. And if they get to the situation that they have to make a choice between them, Loena might run away with the spot if she back to her former self.

Belgium could possible send Hovine to try to secure the 2nd spot, but of course it would be better to send a healthy Loena.

I´m just saying this because Loena still seems to have a long recovery ahead, from her latest post she is back at some easy training and it´s going according to the plan, but she is still off the ice. I really don´t know how long she has been off doing the most difficult jumps but it seems to be some months with her injury. 6 months is still a lot of time to recover, but I question if she would like to delay her season start if she is not back to her former self, and focus more on getting ready for GP and Euros. I have the impression she´s a perfectionist so I don´t think she likes to show up if she hasn´t restored her most difficult jumps.
 
Why Switzerland earned two spots? Is that sure? I read that in order to keep 2 spots if country had two skaters in the free skate their combined placement should be equal or less to 28. Meanwhile Kimmy and Livia combined placement is 35 (12+23). Can anyone explain?
 
Why Switzerland earned two spots? Is that sure? I read that in order to keep 2 spots if country had two skaters in the free skate their combined placement should be equal or less to 28. Meanwhile Kimmy and Livia combined placement is 35 (12+23). Can anyone explain?
Placing 16-24 gets placement points of 16 (16-20 for Ice Dance and Pairs), not qualifying for the free gets 18. 12 + 16 = 28 so they did enough to keep the two spots.
 
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Has Loena said she is wanting to start her season in Beijing?

Because I don´t think she needs to earn her Olympic spot if she overtakes Nina in competition later in the season. I don´t know if Belgium federation has some rules about whoever earn the spot gets it, but most feds don´t practice this way. And if they get to the situation that they have to make a choice between them, Loena might run away with the spot if she back to her former self.

Belgium could possible send Hovine to try to secure the 2nd spot, but of course it would be better to send a healthy Loena.

I´m just saying this because Loena still seems to have a long recovery ahead, from her latest post she is back at some easy training and it´s going according to the plan, but she is still off the ice. I really don´t know how long she has been off doing the most difficult jumps but it seems to be some months with her injury. 6 months is still a lot of time to recover, but I question if she would like to delay her season start if she is not back to her former self, and focus more on getting ready for GP and Euros. I have the impression she´s a perfectionist so I don´t think she likes to show up if she hasn´t restored her most difficult jumps.
Absolutely correct. Ideally Loena would confirm the second spot and both could go.
 
The remaining disciplines:

2026 Olympic Spots - Ice Dance
3 - USA, CAN
2 - GBR, FRA, FIN, CZE
1 - ITA*, ESP*, GEO*, GER, KOR
* can enter a team into the Olympic Qualifying Competition to earn another spot

2026 Olympic Spots - Men
3 - USA, JPN
2 - FRA*, ITA, LAT
1 - KOR*, KAZ*, GEO*, SUI, CAN, AZE, SVK, SWE, CHN, EST, ESP, POL
* can enter a man into the Olympic Qualifying Competition to earn another spot
 
The allocation of these spots has also partly determined the composition of the panel of judges for Olympics

Men
The draw of 13 ISU members having the right to send judges will be among:
USA, JPN, FRA, ITA, LAT, KOR, KAZ, GEO, SUI, CAN, AZE, SVK, SWE, CHN, EST, ESP, POL
Therefore 17 countries for 13 judging spots
Women
The draw of 13 ISU members having the right to send judges will be among:
JPN, USA, KOR, SUI, BEL, EST, CAN, ITA, KAZ, FRA, ISR, AUT, FIN, ROU, POL, BUL, GBR, LTU
Therefore 18 countries for 13 judging spots
Pairs
12 ISU members earned a spot through Worlds. So all of them will have a judge: JPN, GER, ITA, GEO, CAN, USA, HUN, AUS, UZB, GBR, POL, NED.
The remaining judge will be drawn from the countries that will gain a spot through the final qualifying event if they are not the 12 countries with already a judge or countries without an ISU judge or countries suspended from officiating (as things stand, Russia).
If this second draw is not enough, a draw will be done among ISU members who participated at 2025 Worlds (FIN, UKR, SUI, FRA, AUT).
Ice Dance
11 ISU members obtained a spot at Worlds. They will have a judge: USA, CAN, GBR, FRA, FIN, CZE, ITA, ESP, GEO, GER, KOR
The 2 remaining judges will be drawn out of the countries qualifying at final qualifying competition.
If needed to fill the panel, a final draw will be done among countries who participated at 2025 Worlds but didn't qualify for Olympics.


The individual judges will be then nominated by ISU members drawn.
To officiate at Olympics, it is not enough to have the ISU qualification, but the judge also need to have served "at least twice at ISU Championships/Qualifying Competition for the Olympic Games, before the draw"
Unlike at ISU Championships, there is no limit in the number of disciplines a judge can judge in the same Championship. So Salome Chigogidze can theoretically serve in all the Olympic panels if Georgia is drawn also for Women and Men.
 
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