The Commitee at US Nationals

This may seem like a dumb question, but has a Commitee always decided which skaters go to the Worlds and Olympics after US Nationals? I've been a skating fan since 1998, but I believe this is the first year I've heard of this. I just always assumed the top three/top two were the ones who were automatically sent to the Worlds or Olympics.

that's what tradition dictates (the top skaters at nationals go)

the committee (wink wink) keeps the USOC from getting a say in who goes where.

Short answer: Yes.

ETA a slightly longer answer: The International Committee Management Subcommittee (ICMS) of 9 members votes to produce separate ballots for the Olympic team, World team, Four Continents team, and Junior World team, and the entire International Committee of 35 members then must vote to approve these teams. The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has final approval over ("rubber stamps") the Olympic team nominees.

I am certainly pleased with the way the committee chose the Olympic skating team. Following tradition they chose the medalists.

There were some who seemed upset that Sasha might be chosen if she finished 3 or 4 but we can see that did not happen.

Both Sasha and Mr Nicks were quoted in separate interviews using the term "Olympic trials."
If that is not technically correct it is how they perceive Natls and they understood that only a 1 or 2 finish would be good enough to make the Olympic team.

I think all of the skaters and coaches know this and it is what gives Natls such an electric atmosphere.

I hope they never change this tradition and will continue using Natls results for selecting Natl teams.

For now we can only wonder what would have happened if Evan had missed more jumps and finished behind Ryan. Perhaps pcs and goe would have been scored in a way to save the committee such a dilema.

Whatever the reasons for establishing the ICMS, it has, among other duties, the final say on the selection of the Oly team. What goes on at the meetings is not public.

janetfan said:

For now we can only wonder what would have happened if Evan had missed more jumps and finished behind Ryan.

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I was almost hoping that would happen, just so we could see how it all played out.

We have one regular contributer to Golden Skate who is pretty high up in the inner circles of the USFSA, and he posted without hesitation that if Evan finished fourth he would not be selected for the Olympic team. It could have gotten interesting.

Mathman said:

I was almost hoping that would happen, just so we could see how it all played out.

We have one regular contributer to Golden Skate who is pretty high up in the inner circles of the USFSA, and he posted without hesitation that if Evan finished fourth he would not be selected for the Olympic team. It could have gotten interesting.

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And if Evan had missed making the Olympic team I doubt if he would have been asked to appear on the red hot Leno Show!

Mathman said:

We have one regular contributer to Golden Skate who is pretty high up in the inner circles of the USFSA, and he posted without hesitation that if Evan finished fourth he would not be selected for the Olympic team. It could have gotten interesting.

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I find that scary. Ice is slippery. The reigning World Champion (who also continued to be the top US man on the GP this season), of all people, wouldn't have been allowed to have one off-day? I don't know.... If I'm a country picking a team for the most important sporting event in the world, I want to choose my best athletes who are capable of putting up the best finishes. I don't want selection of an Olympic team based on who may or may not have had luck on their side one day in January.

Do we want our top athletes to peak for Nationals, or the Olympics? Or are they expected to peak at both? It's almost as if Nationals are more intense and pressure-filled than the Olympics themselves-- well, for the front-runners anyway. An underdog who doesn't think he has much of a chance at an Olympic team may go into Nationals feeling pretty relaxed, and in turn may be able to sneak up to the top of the leader board. But does that mean he's really "earned" a spot in the most prestigious sporting event in the world? Or has someone like Evan, who has continually proven to be one, if not the, top American man, and a legit contender for Olympic gold, earned an Olympic spot before even getting to Nationals? I'm not even an Evan fan, but I would have found it extremely disappointing if the committee didn't absolutely consider him for the Olympic team had he finished 4th at Nationals.

gold12345 said:

Or has someone like Evan, who has continually proven to be one, if not the, top American man, and a legit contender for Olympic gold, earned an Olympic spot before even getting to Nationals? I'm not even an Evan fan, but I would have found it extremely disappointing if the committee didn't absolutely consider him for the Olympic team had he finished 4th at Nationals.

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I think if Lysacek had finished 4th at Nationals ICMS still would have nominated him to the Olympic team (ditto for Davis/White and Belbin/Agosto).