JOC Money-Grabbers taint figure skating ...

Yep, unless one of these 3 "chosen" skaters broke an ankle, they were a lock for the Olympics a year ago. It's a great thing Fumie placed first and Shiz made it to the podium, but MikI, number 6 at Nationals and still on the team? Never happen in the US

Miki seemed to run out of gas at Cup of Russia and hasn't filled up yet. Perhaps, the expectations of a nation and investors are draining her tank?

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=shukan&id=316

Caution: some references to "inappropriate" costuming in the feedback to this article

Thanks for posting the article, orchid.

Did I miss something...Has the japanese team for the Olympics been selected, definitively? Also - Didn't the Japanese Federation declare that any of its skaters who make the Grand Prix Finals Podium automatically gets a berth in Torino? Thus, isn't YUKARI NAKANO the rightful earner of the berth on the team (as Asada, who also made the podium, as winner, is too young to compete at Olys)?????

Ando, IMO, has the least rights to that berth, among the top six Japanese ladies. Prettiest face, perhaps...then again, maybe that's what matters most from a marketing point of view, eh?

Yes, the Olympic team was "announced" soon after the National competion concluded.

Do you recall Paul Wylie referring to Yukari as a "spoiler" during the GP coverage? He explained that Fumie, Shiz and Miki were heavily advertised as the Olympic team favorites.

Yukari, by skating well in her GP events, made this pre-determination difficult (my words here). I'm sure the Japanese skating federation can explain this all to great detail.:scowl:

While I love Miki, I'm kinda irked at the JSF for sending her over Nakano to the Olympics because Yukari rightfully earned the spot by medalling at bother her GP events AND the GPF AND beating Miki at the nationals.

But I guess they're trying kinda make it up to Yukari by sending her RATHER than Miki to the Worlds...

Ah the sweet smell of commercialism ... is there anything it can't taint?

Maybe they're sending Ando also due to her increased experience. Arakawa is a former world champion, so that choice makes sense. Also, Suguri is a 2-time world bronze medallist and seems to be pretty strong right now. I really think the JSF is sending their best team, and they have great chances at a medal.

Mao is too young (and apparently finished third even with an FS with TWO 3A's) and Yukari- probably too soon to tell. But this is JMO.

The World/Oly team selection process, as I understand it, that the Japan Fed has in place involves point accumulations from events covering two seasons.

Miki had a better season last year than she has had so far this year, so she started with more points.

Nakano has had a great season (IMO) this year, but nothing much last year.

On paper, that's what seems to have influenced this decision - or at least how the Japan Fed justifies it. They are entitled to have whatever system they invent for picking their international teams, just as every other individual country's Federation has.

I bet the USFSA WISHES it had Japan's problem with depth of talent. I'm at least glad to see that Japan "broke things up a bit" with 4CC and World's designations for ladies.

DG

Red Dog said:

Mao ....apparently finished third even with an FS with TWO 3A's.....

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Nope - Mao finished 2nd (silver medal). True, her FS was 3rd -- behind Suguri's & Onda's -- but she ended up with silver, due to crazy shifts between SP & LP rankings with the other girls.

By the way, I just saw the tapes & Mao missed her 3-2loop-2loop combo (what I call the 'bell ringing combo' because it happens as a clock chimes during the music). She landed the triple shakily & thus was unable to add any jumps to the combo. That made a huge difference in the scoring, despite having done two PERFECT 3- axels, the 2nd one in combination with 2 toe loop (I think it was a 2 toe).

Shiz had a couple of 'messy' landings on triples (but no falls).

Only Fumie Suguri was 100% perfect with her jumps, among the top-3-finishing ladies, including combos in the last half of her program. It was a performance for the ages. I sure hope that she can repeat it at Olys!

The only other 'perfect' (clean) program was that of Yoshie Onda -- 2nd in LP, 4th overall. Onda's greatest combo was 3lutz-3toe-2toe at the start of her program. She has the most astounding, beautiful-looking, high triples of all the ladies - very high, with a quality of suspension at the apex, before the rotations occurred on the way down. WOW! It's really a shame that *she* didn't make the Oly team.

Ando's program has yet to be downloaded onto the videos site, so I can't report on it first-hand. On another forum, I read that she had a lackadaisical program, similar to that in G-P finals. IMO, Ando should dump that slow blah 'Valentine' program before Olys & go back to Firebird or something else more majestic.

Nope - Mao finished 2nd (silver medal). True, her FS was 3rd -- behind Suguri's & Onda's -- but she ended up with silver, due to crazy shifts between SP & LP rankings with the other girls.

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My bad. (Thanks for clarifying.) But still, my point holds...

Another review

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getsp.pl5?sp20051226a3.htm

Whatever the reasons for the selection, I am happy that Fumie had to go out and prove herself. I don't believe she was a choice of the JF.

Can you imagine the USFSA selecting anyone but Sasha even if she has a poor skate. If she's not on the podium at US Nats, she will bump someone off for a spot on the Oly team anyway.

Joe

Am i th eonly one who actually thinks the japanese system is rather good. At least compared to say the US one. Imagine if borh Kwan and Cohen have a terrible day at the nationals and no one ends up going to the olympics? Wouldn't that be hilarious..

Engwaciriel said:

Am i th eonly one who actually thinks the japanese system is rather good. At least compared to say the US one. Imagine if borh Kwan and Cohen have a terrible day at the nationals and no one ends up going to the olympics? Wouldn't that be hilarious..

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NO one? Then the other three skaters go. But one just knows that Cohen will be at the Olys. Kwan as well. If one of them doesn't go, I will just be shocked.

Engwaciriel said:

Am i th eonly one who actually thinks the japanese system is rather good. At least compared to say the US one. Imagine if borh Kwan and Cohen have a terrible day at the nationals and no one ends up going to the olympics? Wouldn't that be hilarious..

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No, you're not the only one, Engwaciriel. And welcome to the Forum.

The Japanese Federation had a strict point system -- so many points for various placements in international competition over the last two years, plus placements at Nationals. The rules were very well defined and everyone knew exactly what they were. This eliminated the possibility of back-room deals and outside influence (monetary or otherwise). Whoever skated the best won. Nakano did very well in her last two events, but still finished fifth overall in the point totals.

As Joe keeps kidding me about, I like a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone. But in this case the conduct of the Japanese Federation seems above reproach.

I agree with Engwaciriel. Will the USFSA take the high road, too, if something unusual happens at U.S. Nationals?

Mathman

Mathman - I don't see anywhere in that thread of a conspiracy except for you bringing it up. You are hell bent on having a conspiracy at the Olys.

A decision of a Federation for the selection of a team to go to the Olys and Worlds is the right of the federation. It may seem unfair to pull a skater up from poor placing at a Nats, but that's the way it is in skateland. It has nothing to do with a conspiracy,

Can you imagine, the US not sending Sasha because she had a faulty skate at the US Nats and placed 4th. That's not a conspiracy that's sending your best.

Joe

JMO, but I think the Japanese federation dreamed up a point system that would definitely include Arakawa and Ando, for sure, and probably, Suguri. Nakano, no matter how well she did this season, would never be able to make up for her poor results last season.