Michelle's Proof-of-Recovery Skate, Jan 16 | Golden Skate

Michelle's Proof-of-Recovery Skate, Jan 16

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Hot off the press, in the AP story about Michele's withdrawal from Nationals:

-quote - Kwan must prove to the federation by Jan. 16 that she is fit enough to be selected for the Olympic team. The members of the team must be submitted to the Turin organizing committee by Jan. 30. -unquote-

Here's the $64K Question -- Will this be televised? Wanna place your bets? :agree: Even if not officially televised, you can bet that every 'Good Morning America' and 'Fox & Friends' camera will be at the rink on the 16th (or whenever this demonstration by Michelle takes place). Geraldo Rivera will don skates! Let the carnival begin!
 

dwiggin3

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
I wonder what this "test" will consist of....Maybe a runthrough of her sp? I'd be surprised if it was open to the public or media.
Darby
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I think the U.S.F.S.A. probably makes up the criteria as they go along to get the team they want.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Proof of recovery skate? I'm not seeing anything about a "skate" or a "test" in the USFS announcement.

I think a doctor's note certifying that she was recovered and ready to go would satisfy the requirements.

MM
 

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Uh...I'm not so sure, guys, that a mere drs note will do it. The USFSA is supposedly a serious organization representing ALL skaters in the competition (read that - Meissner, Czisny, BeBe & whoever else will be waiting with bated breath for the outcome to see if she'll go to Turin). A drs note or even an SP run-through won't do it.

Remember when Slutskaya had to skate a 'demo/proof' of BOTH her SP & LP to the Russian Federation before she was named to the 2004 Dortmund Worlds team? Also - I clearly recall Nancy Kerrigan's 'demo/proof' before she was named to the 1994 Oly team...and Gerardo Rivera & a gazillion other reporters were there!!!!!! What's to keep Geraldo from planting himself in front of Michele's home rink this time? :laugh:

Mathman, I was referring to the AP report's quote above: "Kwan must prove to the federation by Jan. 16 that she is fit enough to be selected for the Olympic team. " uh......fit enough to be selected....true, it doesn't say 'fit enough to skate'...just 'fit enough to be selected.' So all she has to do is prove that she's fit enough to give interviews & do endoresements????!!!!!
 
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curious

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
Frau Muller said:
Uh...I'm not so sure, guys, that a mere drs note will do it. The USFSA is supposedly a serious organization representing ALL skaters in the competition (read that - Meissner, Czisny, BeBe & whoever else will be waiting with bated breath for the outcome to see if she'll go to Turin). A drs note or even an SP run-through won't do it.

Remember when Slutskaya had to skate a 'demo/proof' of BOTH her SP & LP to the Russian Federation before she was named to the 2004 Dortmund Worlds team? Also - I clearly recall Nancy Kerrigan's 'demo/proof' before she was named to the 1994 Oly team...and Gerardo Rivera & a gazillion other reporters were there!!!!!! What's to keep Geraldo from planting himself in front of Michele's home rink this time? :laugh:

Mathman, I was referring to the AP report's quote above: "Kwan must prove to the federation by Jan. 16 that she is fit enough to be selected for the Olympic team. " uh......fit enough to be selected....true, it doesn't say 'fit enough to skate'...just 'fit enough to be selected.' So all she has to do is prove that she's fit enough to give interviews & do endoresements????!!!!!



was the marshall joke televised? she doesn't have to prove a thing cause she is da kween lol!:biggrin:
 
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Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I think a doctor's note certifying that she was recovered and ready to go would satisfy the requirements.

Dr. MM, can you provide the note:rofl: ?
 

mememe

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 20, 2004
According to an article on asian athlete news, USFS doesn't intend to send anyone out to see if she's fit -- a doctor's certificate will be sufficient.

I don't know if the reporter got the information straight -- or if they're talking about different things (like, a certificate from the doctor would be sufficient to get her named to the team by the 16th, but she'd have to do a test skate to remain on the list that is submitted by the 30th).

Whatever, here's the link:

http://asianathlete.com/DaScoopsFor...ay.aspx?ID=2681
 

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Well, the 30th would be a better date for Michele, giving her more time to prepare the programs & nurse herself to health. That wuld be great news, if true.

Imagine the tension with the alternate, though! She will have to keep herself in total shape & continue to train as if she were truly going to Turin! Even AFTER Michele is deemed 'fit' & able to comple, the alternate should stay at tip-top competition level & not go off on holiday (as happened with poor Angela Nikodenov when named to a Worlds team at the last minute & she had gone off to Bulgaria!).
 

attyfan

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Mar 1, 2004
Frau Muller said:
Well, the 30th would be a better date for Michele, giving her more time to prepare the programs & nurse herself to health. That wuld be great news, if true.

Imagine the tension with the alternate, though! She will have to keep herself in total shape & continue to train as if she were truly going to Turin! Even AFTER Michele is deemed 'fit' & able to comple, the alternate should stay at tip-top competition level & not go off on holiday (as happened with poor Angela Nikodenov when named to a Worlds team at the last minute & she had gone off to Bulgaria!).

Well, that is what Michelle had to do when Michelle was the alternate, in '94. She had to train until after Opening Ceremonies, until it was legally settled that no decision on busting Tonya would be made until after Olys. Since the alternate then went on to Worlds, it wouldn't be a bad idea to stay in shape!
 

tripleflutz

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 14, 2003
is a bye fair?
....I'm not real comfortable with a bye, because it implies that Michelle owned a spot all along and that Nats was meaningless for her. Now is that fair to those who will compete at Nats? In 91, Jill Trenary asked for a bye and in 96, Nicole Bobek asked for a bye, both times because of a slow recovery from an injury, and both times the answer was no.

Should she have to test?
....Yes, I guess she does have to prove she can perform at a certain level, after all, at Marshall's she didn't complete a single clean triple, they were all doubled, flutzed, under-rotated or two footed. If she were to skate like that in Turino, I doubt she could make the top twenty under COP. If she can't skate well enough to even compete at Nats, how much can she expect to improve in a month?
....and if they are going to consider giving a bye, then the 16th is reasonable, because they always announce the team at the end of Nats, and it would be very unfair to keep the other skaters hanging for two more weeks while Michelle tries to get in shape for a test.
.... I don't want her to go out with a very poor performance in front of the whole world, that would be really sad. So if she can skate then thats one thing, but if she's not able to perform at an acceptable level, then its better if they don't send her to Turino.
 
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Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
I think they should send Michelle and the Nationals bronze medalist to 4CC. Whoever places higher would get to go to Turin.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Regarding the timing of the decision for Olys or not. If I recall correctly there was an announcement regarding Nancy at the competition. It was either right after the ladies competitiion or the next day during the Exhibitions.

Like the Nancy case, I am sure it will be televised.

Joe
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I don't think staying in shape will be an issue, because I'd expect the alternate to be slated for 4C's anyway.
 

hrmsk8ngnutt

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Test Skate?

IIRC, Nancy Kerrigan and Jenni Meno/Todd Sand had to prove they could skate before officially being named to the Olympic team in 94 and 98, respectively. So, it's not unusual that Michelle would have to do the same.

Herm (sk8ngnutt)
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
According to the document that Sylvia posted on this thread, USFS medical personnel must examine the skater after the skater petitions to determine if the bye should be granted, and then again before 16 January to confirm that the skater is healthy enough to be named to the team. That doesn't preclude, however, a doctor watching a test skate.
 

Enero

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
I'm not so sure a "proof skate" by Kwan would be televised. The only reason why Nancy's was televised was because of the "whack," which was a huge story not only in sports news but regular news. This is not the case with Kwan. She's asking for a bye and perhaps having to do a "proof skate" because she was injured due to practicing, which is not National/Regular news.

I think if Kwan does have to skate to prove she can compete in Turin it'll be done privately with the necessary "judges" there, and maybe with limited media. But I don't think it'll be televised.
 

JanJam

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 25, 2005
tripleflutz said:
...after all, at Marshall's she didn't complete a single clean triple, they were all doubled, flutzed, under-rotated or two footed.

At least, she didn't claim to be in perfect health and yet just splat from nowhere at the end of her program. :rofl:
 
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