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- Nov 19, 2010
^^^^ I think it's up to the federations but a federation's top 2 by ISU defination cannot decline to compete.
ISU World Team Trophy, April 2012, Tokyo
- Thread starter CoyoteChris
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I hate the confusion too.
I also wonder if this team event will devalue Olympic figure skating medals. Let's say Canada wins this event on the strength of men's and dance, and the two current ladies participated on the team. You now have a skater such as Amelie Lacoste who is an Olympic gold medalist. This is a title greats such as Ito, Kwan, Slutskaya, etc. did not achieve, and now you have a skater who would not even be competitive in her own division as a gold medalist. With gymnastics this could happen, but really there are so many golds awarded (5 individual plus 1 team for women, 7 individual plus 1 team for men) that it doesn't matter much.
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^^^It won't be different from medals in other team events such as Relays or Basketball.
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With Japan having basically no pairs or dance, the scoring of someone like a Chan can counterbalance a complete meltdown performance from the ladies, so I think it's a little different than the other sports because it almost feels like a windfall for whatever ladies get to be on his team. It normally wouldn't bug me but, again, this is a sport in which there have always been more great skaters than gold medals to give out, and now some very mediocre skaters will carry the title Olympic Figure Skating Champion.
But this is *figure skating*, not relays or basketball. 
And the sport closest to it has always been Gymnastics. Therefore, the Team Event should also closely resemble it as well. Jmho.
And in an earlier post I also brought up the concern about giving a gold medal to a lower ranked team member. :disapp: How ridiculous. That's why I say only the very best from each country should be able to participate. There's no guarantee that any one on the Team will win an individual gold medal, even if they're the amongst the best, therefore the Team Event gives them another shot at it.
For example, say Patrick Chan misses out on an individual gold medal, but Kevin Reynolds is the one selected for the Team Event, and wins a gold medal instead. I wouldn't have a problem with that as Kevin is a favorite of mine, but I'm sure others might.
This just tells me that the ISU needs to get there act together and put on a F-A-I-R Team Event Competition, which means testing it out beforehand (too bad they won't do it at this year's Worlds). And selecting "one" skater from each discipline (two in pairs) to participate. And that one skater needs to do both the SP & LP. Otherwise it wouldn't be right. You don't see two skaters skating as one in the singles competitions, lol.
Seriously, when has this ever happened? When has one skater skated the SP, and then another the LP? Never, that's when. Let's keep it legitimate. The whole world will be watching. It's not time for a farce, rather legitimacy.
And the sport closest to it has always been Gymnastics. Therefore, the Team Event should also closely resemble it as well. Jmho.And in an earlier post I also brought up the concern about giving a gold medal to a lower ranked team member. :disapp: How ridiculous. That's why I say only the very best from each country should be able to participate. There's no guarantee that any one on the Team will win an individual gold medal, even if they're the amongst the best, therefore the Team Event gives them another shot at it.
For example, say Patrick Chan misses out on an individual gold medal, but Kevin Reynolds is the one selected for the Team Event, and wins a gold medal instead. I wouldn't have a problem with that as Kevin is a favorite of mine, but I'm sure others might.
This just tells me that the ISU needs to get there act together and put on a F-A-I-R Team Event Competition, which means testing it out beforehand (too bad they won't do it at this year's Worlds). And selecting "one" skater from each discipline (two in pairs) to participate. And that one skater needs to do both the SP & LP. Otherwise it wouldn't be right. You don't see two skaters skating as one in the singles competitions, lol.
Seriously, when has this ever happened? When has one skater skated the SP, and then another the LP? Never, that's when. Let's keep it legitimate. The whole world will be watching. It's not time for a farce, rather legitimacy.
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In the quote from the Hersh article posted above (post #53), Cinquanta says that he hopes this exact thing happens. This will give fans something "spicy" to argue about on the Internet.
Well that article is 3 yrs. old, I hope he's grown up since then.
Come on, we don't need yet another controversy in figure skating, especially after the last one in 2002!
It's time for legitimacy, Mr. Cinquanta, not another farce. 
And if we did have "two" skaters skating the singles discipline, can you imagine the heat the one will take that didn't live up to expectations. For instance, say the one that skated the SP creamed everybody , then the one that skated the LP totally blew it, losing it for the team
Sorry, I would be ticked. And nobody needs that. But now that I think of it this most likely goes along with Cinquanta's "spicy" reference. :disagree:
Come on, we don't need yet another controversy in figure skating, especially after the last one in 2002!
It's time for legitimacy, Mr. Cinquanta, not another farce. And if we did have "two" skaters skating the singles discipline, can you imagine the heat the one will take that didn't live up to expectations. For instance, say the one that skated the SP creamed everybody , then the one that skated the LP totally blew it, losing it for the team
Sorry, I would be ticked. And nobody needs that. But now that I think of it this most likely goes along with Cinquanta's "spicy" reference. :disagree:
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- Jun 21, 2003
I'm sure her has. He was a young pup of 70 way back then.
And if we did have "two" skaters skating the singles discipline, can you imagine the heat the one will take that didn't live up to expectations. For instance, say the one that skated the SP creamed everybody , then the one that skated the LP totally blew it, losing it for the team
Isn't it that way in team gymnastics? One athlete does great, then the next one comes out and blows it for everyone.
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That is not true. For the team competition at olympics, Bridget Sloan competed only on 1 event, Sacramone- 3, Luikin- 3. Only Shawn Johnson did 4. Everyone does the apparatus that they are best at.
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Even the correlation with gymnastics team events is not that strong. At least in gymnastics you can have event specialists so a member can compensate for a weakness in the team. In skating there isn't a spinning event, a jumping event, etc. so each skater is a whole package and EVERYONE skates a short and a long. A spinning specialist is unlikely to help a team as much as a good all around skater.
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I think the problem is that figure skating is just not a team sport.
To remedy this, they could have a relay event. Jeremy Abbott leads off with a triple Axel, then deftly passes the baton to Alissa Czisny for a combination layback spin. On the last revolution Davis and White whiz by, grabbing the baton and speeding down center ice a-twizzle. All within the timing and character of the music, of course.
Wai, wait! Give it a chance!
To remedy this, they could have a relay event. Jeremy Abbott leads off with a triple Axel, then deftly passes the baton to Alissa Czisny for a combination layback spin. On the last revolution Davis and White whiz by, grabbing the baton and speeding down center ice a-twizzle. All within the timing and character of the music, of course.
Wai, wait! Give it a chance!
I stand corrected, my apologies.
Must've been thinking about the All-Around Event.
But in all honesty I haven't watched gymnastics in ages, only every 4 years, I lost interest after the Soviet Union broke up and the best gymnastics school in history was no more, but I watched the last of that generation until about the year 2000. Lol at Mathman's scenario!
But seriously, I wonder how it will all pan out in the end... :think:
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Team final in gymnastics: 6 gymnasts participate in the team and in each event 3 of them compete.
Oh...
I really hope you have a 3-4 backup servers by then, cause you will need all!
For example, say Patrick Chan misses out on an individual gold medal, but Kevin Reynolds is the one selected for the Team Event, and wins a gold medal instead. I wouldn't have a problem with that as Kevin is a favorite of mine, but I'm sure others might.
Oh...
I really hope you have a 3-4 backup servers by then, cause you will need all! If they're going to be giving out Olympic gold medals like candy, they should be fair and go back and give people golds retroactively for individual events that they won through the years. Then they should have a huge medals ceremony to give Brian Orser, Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan, and the rest their Olympic golds. Then I wouldn't mind so much if someone like Amelie Lacoste (no offense to Lacoste) gets a gold.
If they're gonna have 8 programs included in the team competition I'm OK with 2 skaters from each discipline participating.
If it was the year the US team could be Rippon - SP, Abbott - LP; Cziny - SP, Wagner - LP; Shibs - SD, D/W - LD; M/B - SP, D/C - LP.
Save the kids legs for the individual competition
One thing I worry about is a skater like Jeremy skating lights out in the team competition and getting a great score and then 4 days later he skates the same program, but stumbles. He would have gotten a individual medal with the performance from the team competition, but he left it on the team comp ice
If it was the year the US team could be Rippon - SP, Abbott - LP; Cziny - SP, Wagner - LP; Shibs - SD, D/W - LD; M/B - SP, D/C - LP.
Save the kids legs for the individual competition
One thing I worry about is a skater like Jeremy skating lights out in the team competition and getting a great score and then 4 days later he skates the same program, but stumbles. He would have gotten a individual medal with the performance from the team competition, but he left it on the team comp ice
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I'm not into imagining possible injustices or scandals to pre-angst over. But in the scenario as described by Ivy, I'd think Jeremy and his fans should be very happy for him to have finally won a Worlds medal or at least has had the opportunity to show what he's capable of at the big stage, which he has not done so far. In fact, skating lights out in the team event earlier would more likely be confidence boosting for a supposed "headcase" like Jeremy when it comes time for individual competition. Even in the team event, it will be an individual or a couple skating out there being the focus of thousands so it's a great experience for the later competition at the same venue, if the skater is not tired out physically.
I would not angst over feared injustice of "lesser" skaters medaling in team event while front running skaters don't in their individual events. They have to earn it and great skaters have lost out before and will again. Team competition actually offer an additional medaling opportunity, especially if held after the individual events, serving as a redeeming opportunity or a rematch for some.
How about having Kurt Browning skate for Team Canada at Sochi Olympics? He and his buddy Patrick should make a good tag team. It might make quite a skating legend.
I would not angst over feared injustice of "lesser" skaters medaling in team event while front running skaters don't in their individual events. They have to earn it and great skaters have lost out before and will again. Team competition actually offer an additional medaling opportunity, especially if held after the individual events, serving as a redeeming opportunity or a rematch for some.
How about having Kurt Browning skate for Team Canada at Sochi Olympics? He and his buddy Patrick should make a good tag team. It might make quite a skating legend.
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- Feb 17, 2010
The only problem with this this is that some countries may be strong in a few events but would struggle to come up with
two entries per discipline that would actually qualify under ISU eligibility rules.
Like Mathman said, this just isn't a team sport. It would be really sad if skaters like Jeremy or Alissa do well in the team event then aren't able to peak in their individual event. I would hope this team event would occur after the individual medals are awarded.
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- Jun 3, 2009
Injustices happen in general. And great skaters aren't defined by a single moment, so the general "lesser skaters will have a medal whereas great ones won't" because of the strengths of the team doesn't mean much to me. I mean, Philippe Candeloro has two Olympic medals and Kurt Browning has none.
In general, I agree with those who don't think this is a team sport, but I think Cinquata went full speed ahead without thinking about it in general (stunning, I know) - he doesn't seem to realize just how lucky he was with the last two Olympics. The only real upside is that we might see nations that are very strong in one or two areas put more effort in the third/fourth - which would be a boon for skating in general.
In general, I agree with those who don't think this is a team sport, but I think Cinquata went full speed ahead without thinking about it in general (stunning, I know) - he doesn't seem to realize just how lucky he was with the last two Olympics. The only real upside is that we might see nations that are very strong in one or two areas put more effort in the third/fourth - which would be a boon for skating in general.
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