Should there be an Exception for Mao? | Page 10 | Golden Skate

Should there be an Exception for Mao?

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I can't believe we are still beating this dead horse 12 pages later.

Mao does not meet the age qualification for the 2006 Olympics and World Championships.

Nobody -- certainly not the Japanese Skatring Federation, certainly not the ISU, certainly not the IOC -- is suggesting any rule changes this year.

Somehow these competitions will manage to go on without her.

See you in 2007.

MM
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
chuckm said:
Of course they did! The rule was first brought up for a vote in 1996, the year 13-year-old Tara Lipinski skated at Worlds and 15-year-old Michelle Kwan won it!

It's different now that the shoe is on the other foot, isn't it!

:rofl: :rofl:

Good one!

And MM- ITA- over and out.
 

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Frau Muller said:
Unless the ISU relaxes the age-eligibility rule, the G-P series will remain the only path to determine who, in fact, is the greatest skater in any given year....certainly the only way to determine who is the greatest FEMALE skater in any given season. The ISU should rename Olympics/Euros/Four CCs & Worlds the "Senior Masters Series." Alternate name: "Legends of Figure Skating" (like the veteran-pros series of the mid-1990s).

In that case it would still be Irina over Mao. You forget that Irina's point total from her two GP event wins, COC and Cup of Russia, are both superior to Mao's point total from the GP final, which of Mao's 3 grand prix appearances was her personal best total. So Irina's 2nd best point total of the GP series beats Mao's best point total of the GP series. Mao's best point total only beats Irina's 3rd best point total. Even Irina's 3rd best point total(at the GP final)of her 3 GP appearances beats both Mao's 2nd and 3rd best GP appearance point totals(at COC and Eric Bompard). Their head to head is tied 1-1. I dont think the GP series in anyway shows Mao is the greatest female skater, she was better at the the GP event she had her best output of her 3 GP events, in conjunction with Irina's worst of her 3 GP events.
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
LOL if we could only change the rules to give the advantage to our favorites! Maybe the symbol for the Olympics in Turino should be......*. Slutskaya had health and family problems, Kwan and Cohen missed training due to injury, the Japanese gals were distracted by the funky selection process to make the Olympic team, Costner was overwhelmed at being the home town gal, and the other Russians and the Canadians were still trying to figure out if the concept of "shared gold" might work for them in Turino.:biggrin:

.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
I agree that an exception should be made for Mao so that she could be named to the Japanese Olympic figure skating team and compete at Torino.

Sure, she's only 15, but she just won the Grand Prix title!! She skated with such confidence, skill, maturity, and she definitely deserved the win. The girl was flawless, and she competed under the microscope of the Japanese media, who followed her everywhere she went. Mao dealt graciously with the media, too, and gave a bevy of interviews during the week of competion. She landed a gorgeous triple axel and an array of triples, spins, and lovely footwork.

Without a doubt, this young woman is of Olympic caliber. If she was given the opportunity to compete at Torino, she might not win a medal, but I believe she would deliver two wonderful performances and would definitely set herself up as a contender for the gold medal in 2010.

The Japanese are very fortunate so have so many wonderful, top-flight figure skaters. It's a real battle to see which of them are named to the 3-woman team.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I don't quite get the outcry over Mao and the Olympics. The rules say she is too young, so there. End of story. Let her wait until 2007. The rule wasn't set in place just to be looked at.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Red Dog said:
I don't quite get the outcry over Mao and the Olympics. The rules say she is too young, so there. End of story. Let her wait until 2007. The rule wasn't set in place just to be looked at.

If you were Japanese, perhaps you would be joining the chorus of the outcry to permit Mao to compete at the Olmpics. :biggrin:

However, I totally agree that it's a moot point. The rules are the rules. If Mao is allowed to compete, that opens the door for all kinds of "exceptions to the rules".
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
If you were Japanese, perhaps you would be joining the chorus of the outcry to permit Mao to compete at the Olmpics.

Well, possibly, but I'm pretty fair across the board :laugh:

And suppose they DO uplift this rule in the middle of the season. That tells me that with enough effort, I can ask for an exception to ANY rule. SO can everybody else. Not a great sign. And I think figure skating is in enough of a hole right now. If they start bending the rules, they're even more screwed. JMO.
 
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