US Worlds and Four Continents Teams?

[Panini]

the other bronze medalists got to kick someone off the world team, since there were only 2 spots! in the ladie's field, there were 3 spots. Mirai would have been way more deserving of making the World Team than Aaron or D/C.

I really don't understand how the fed can be so blatantly against a skater and still get away with it. I hope this whole things blows up in the USFSA's face and they end up losing the third spot anyway at this year's Worlds, sorry not sorry.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Simple solution that could have been made: the lowest placement of the American skaters in Sochi gets replaced by Mirai at Worlds.

Or Polina goes to Junior Worlds, and Mirai replaces her at Worlds.

 

[chuckm]

I really don't understand how the fed can be so blatantly against a skater and still get away with it. I hope this whole things blows up in the USFSA's face and they end up losing the third spot anyway at this year's Worlds, sorry not sorry.

Not likely.

Wagner's off-performance at Nationals was due to her having to break in new boots just a week before Nationals. She was skating in stiff new boots with sore, blistered feet. If you saw her at practices, you could see her wince every time she did a lutz or flip. Her feet will have healed in the coming weeks, and the boots will have been fully broken in by Olympics and Worlds. We'll be seeing the Ashley we saw at the beginning of the season back again!

The months under Frank Carroll have transformed Gracie into an assured, confident skater with big, secure jumps. Ashley and Gracie will be a tough team to beat at both Sochi and Worlds.

And speaking of Worlds, it is there that the spots for 2015 Worlds will be determined. There will be a few skaters missing: Kim, for one, and maybe Asada and Kostner.

So retaining the 3 spots will be easier, and making the podium may even be possible.

 

[FlattFan]

Wagner's off-performance at Nationals was due to her having to break in new boots just a week before Nationals. She was skating in stiff new boots with sore, blistered feet. If you saw her at practices, you could see her wince every time she did a lutz or flip. Her feet will have healed in the coming weeks, and the boots will have been fully broken in by Olympics and Worlds. We'll be seeing the Ashley we saw at the beginning of the season back again!

Are you serious?
Now Ashley's problems are due to boot. So it's ok to send her.
What's her excuse at the GPF? What's her excuse at last year National?

Mirai was sick or something last year, correct?

 

[Mathman]

I am not Patricia St. Peter, but I think I understand the USFSA's reasoning.

No American is going to win anything at the Olympics anyway, except Davis and White. Gracie and Ashley m-a-y-b-e have an outside chance to sneak in for bronze if others mess up. So send them and hope for the best.

Otherwise, a trip to the Olympics is simply a reward for a job well done (Zhang and Bartholomay, Jason Brown, and even -- given her silver medal performance -- Polina Edmunds.)

Now comes worlds. A different matter altogether. Now the goal is to get as many places for next years worlds as possible. (The reason we want more places for next year's worlds is to increase our chances of getting more places for the year after that. ) So we send the people who have the best chance of accomplishing that goal. Denney and Coughlin could get 7th, Max Aaron, too. In ladies, who knows, maybe Polina is the one.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=49829&type=media

Mirai didn't get a worlds assignment either

The USFSA dumped Mirai long ago. They don't care how much she's improved or even if she's skating lights out. They have zero respect for Mirai. They have their new favorites. I hope she stays in, and if she does I hope she considers the JFS if they'll have her. They would show her the respect that she deserves as long as she delivers and shows she means business.

 

[Icey]

Power to the skaters!!!!

 

[chuckm]

Are you serious?
Now Ashley's problems are due to boot. So it's ok to send her.
What's her excuse at the GPF? What's her excuse at last year National?

Mirai was sick or something last year, correct?

Yes, I AM serious. Ashley was in serious pain all week because of the boot problem. Ask any skater who is having to break in new boots. It's tough. When you have to do it during an important competition, it's hell.

Ashley won the bronze at the GPF. No excuse needed.

Both Mirai and Ashley had the flu last year at Nationals. But Ashley won--no excuse needed. and Mirai was 7th.

BTW, Mirai was 8th at NHK this fall. What was HER excuse?

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Even though there is zero chance of Nagasu giving up her American citizenship, going to the Japanese skating federation is no better. Funny that Mirai watched Akiko with tears streaming down her face, because that same Akiko bumped Yukari Nakano off the 2008 Olympic team. I'm having trouble remembering the exact placements, but I think Nakano got 3rd and Suzuki got 5th.

And how would do you know something that personal, such a monumental decision about Mirai Nagasu? I'm not saying that she will but tons of others have given up their citizenship to compete for other countries - so how are you so very sure that there is 'zero' chance for Mirai to do the same thing? Are you a personal friend of hers or family member?

They put Aaron and Denney/Coughlin on the Worlds team. Yet for Mirai, nothing. They don't even want to pretend that they don't despise this girl.

No they don't. Goodness knows how they intimidated her into backing off from appealing their decision to keep her off of the Olympic team - especially for a skater just out of Juniors who still skates like one.

Yes exactly. To so readily dispose of Mirai for a junior skater is really beyond the pale.

It is reprehensible. I really do despise the USFSA, even more so than when they clearly showed their contempt for Johnny on more than one occassion. It blows to not have political connections at that corrupted organization. I knew Mirai would most likely be the sacrificial lamb for the Olympics - but Worlds too? DISGUSTING.

Polina is a Frank Carroll girl to be fair, not just some junior. The man gets what he wants.

There is nothing fair about Frank getting what he wants at the expense of Mirai. :scowl:

*** is this ****.

I'm done! Give her the ******* olympics and now worlds too when mirai proved she's in way better form than that girl?

Bye **** skating

**** you
**** you stupid skating team full of bs and manipulation.

**** you

so ******* disgusting

You shoved disappointment part 1 in my face now part 2 ?

^^^
+4

I think Mirai should skate for the JSF. The USFSA has treated her disgustingly.

As an American it hurt my heart to think of a fellow U.S. Citizen skating for another country - but recently I've changed my mind. This is the final straw. I want very badly (for selfish reasons true as I'm a fan) for Mirai to stay in and keep training hard and fighting for her dreams. She deserves better treatment than she's received these past 4 years. I'm sorry, yes Mirai has had consistency issues (partly due to not one, but two major growth spurts from 2008-2012) but who wouldn't lack confidence when you watch your own federation constantly favor one skater after another over you (and at least one who was a middling journeyman skater at that IMO). It would crush anyone's soul - and it's happening again, this time with Polina who wasn't tested once in the Senior ranks before Nationals.

Pretty much agree, Mirai4life. I just drove 900 miles to Boston, Primaily to see Mirai, see her skate well and have a shot at the Olympics. Too bad she is stuck in a federation that couldn't care less if she skates well. This bunch in Colo. Springs is starting to stink like the Karoli's back room deals in gymnastics.

Starting to stink? That bunch in Colo. Springs has stunk for years. They'd do the sleaziest politicians proud.

 

[burntBREAD]

Yes, I AM serious. Ashley was in serious pain all week because of the boot problem. Ask any skater who is having to break in new boots. It's tough. When you have to do it during an important competition, it's hell.

Ashley won the bronze at the GPF. No excuse needed.

Both Mirai and Ashley had the flu last year at Nationals. But Ashley won--no excuse needed. and Mirai was 7th.

BTW, Mirai was 8th at NHK this fall. What was HER excuse?

Maybe the 30 minutes that she stood on the ice before the FS didn't help?

 

[leafygreens]

Wagner's off-performance at Nationals was due to her having to break in new boots just a week before Nationals. She was skating in stiff new boots with sore, blistered feet. If you saw her at practices, you could see her wince every time she did a lutz or flip. Her feet will have healed in the coming weeks, and the boots will have been fully broken in by Olympics and Worlds. We'll be seeing the Ashley we saw at the beginning of the season back again!

I question the wisdom of a seasoned athlete choosing to break in new boots right before nationals.

 

[leafygreens]

For the nth time, the USFS rules were published and disclosed. Ignorance is not a defense in the eyes of U.S. law, neither should people who claim they didn't know about the rule change.

It is safe to assume even if USFS pinned the rule change on the forehead of every single outraged poster here, they still continue to claim the rules are:

a) Not published NO
or
b) Unclear YES
or
c) Inconsistent YES

Fixed. Not sure why you think the rule was clear and consistent?

 

[brightphoton]

Absolutley not trying to stir up the waters, but do you or anyone know what happened (I wasn't able to really follow skating during the Grand Prix season and that is why I ask). On a similar note, does anyone know why Caroline Zhang appeared to be without a coach in the Kiss n Cry?

At Skate America, Caroline had to get her own skate guards and walk to the kiss and cry alone. After waiting for a few minutes, Peter Oppengard grudgingly joined her. Karen Kwan was nowhere to be seen. At Pacific Sectionals and Nationals, Caroline was totally alone. No news reports, but it does look like they had a falling out.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Even CNN covered this controversy. My sister recorded it for me. For what it's worth I'm impressed.

 

[emma]

At Skate America, Caroline had to get her own skate guards and walk to the kiss and cry alone. After waiting for a few minutes, Peter Oppengard grudgingly joined her. Karen Kwan was nowhere to be seen. At Pacific Sectionals and Nationals, Caroline was totally alone. No news reports, but it does look like they had a falling out.

thanks for this information; I didn't know about this. Sorry to hear this, and I hope they can work things out OR Caroline can find a coach and support network to help her improve should she wish to do so and/or continue skating.

 

[icellist]

For the record, Mirai was breaking in new boots for NHK too. At least she had the sense to do it on he GPs and not nationals. She switched back to her old skates for CoR with lots of tape. I heard nothing about Ashley beong sick at nationals last year.

 

[chuckm]

I question the wisdom of a seasoned athlete choosing to break in new boots right before nationals.

Sometimes boots break down unexpectedly at the worst possible time and there is no way of salvaging them with a temporary repair. When that happens, you have no choice but to break in new ones. That's what happened to Ashley.

 

[chuckm]

For the record, Mirai was breaking in new boots for NHK too. At least she had the sense to do it on he GPs and not nationals. She switched back to her old skates for CoR with lots of tape. I heard nothing about Ashley beong sick at nationals last year.

I was at Nationals last year, and Ashley had the flu.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

There was Olympics in 2008 - in Beijing. Except, I didn't realize Figure Skating takes place in both Summer and Winter Games although technically, it's possible. Wouldn't it be nice though, double the chance of winning the Olympics, sounds like a great idea to me.

OT, but the figure skating event was first contested at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Ulrich Salchow, who invented the Salchow jump was the first men's Olympic Champ. His Swedish compatriots Richard Johansson and Per Thoren took silver and bronze respectively. Great Britain's Madge Syers was the first ladies Olympic Champ. Can't remember the rest but wikipedia also mentions a separate men's 'special figures' competition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_skating_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics

Wish they'd kept the Special Figures event and held the free program separately so maybe Janet Lynn could have been Olympic Champ in '72 lol!

Mirai parted company with Amy Evidente after CoR, and none too amicably. After CoR, Mirai went back to Japan and trained there until Japanese Nationals. After JPN Nationals, she returned to the US.

Do you have a link as to Mirai's separation from her coach not being amicable? (I'm sure it was but I'm curious).

Not likely.

Wagner's off-performance at Nationals was due to her having to break in new boots just a week before Nationals. She was skating in stiff new boots with sore, blistered feet. If you saw her at practices, you could see her wince every time she did a lutz or flip. Her feet will have healed in the coming weeks, and the boots will have been fully broken in by Olympics and Worlds. We'll be seeing the Ashley we saw at the beginning of the season back again!

The months under Frank Carroll have transformed Gracie into an assured, confident skater with big, secure jumps. Ashley and Gracie will be a tough team to beat at both Sochi and Worlds.

And speaking of Worlds, it is there that the spots for 2015 Worlds will be determined. There will be a few skaters missing: Kim, for one, and maybe Asada and Kostner.

So retaining the 3 spots will be easier, and making the podium may even be possible.

Okay, now I'm really impressed - you can see into the future!

Sometimes boots break down unexpectedly at the worst possible time and there is no way of salvaging them with a temporary repair. When that happens, you have no choice but to break in new ones. That's what happened to Ashley.

It happened to Mirai too. She even tweeted about it, asking for advice on how to break them in asap. Mirai also had to endure a 20 minute plus delay just before her free skate at NHK - but the referee didn't call for a second warm up for Mirai and the remaining skaters in her group which IIRC is what is usually done.

If you're going to use excuses for Ashley then Mirai deserves the same exact consideration. I don't remember anything about Ashley having the flu last year but she still bombed her FS just the same and was held up imo. Mirai of course got the shaft - again.

 

[leafygreens]

It happened to Mirai too. She even tweeted about it, asking for advice on how to break them in asap. Mirai also had to endure a 20 minute plus delay just before her free skate at NHK - but the referee didn't call for a second warm up for Mirai and the remaining skaters in her group which IIRC is what is usually done.

If you're going to use excuses for Ashley then Mirai deserves the same exact consideration. I don't remember anything about Ashley having the flu last year but she still bombed her FS just the same and was held up imo. Mirai of course got the shaft - again.

Yes, let's stop making excuses for any skater. If you have the flu, that's too bad, that's the way the cookie crumbles. The Olympics won't care if you have the flu or bad boots.

For all the talk about how tough Ashley thinks she is, she sure has a lot of excuses.