U.S. Figure Skating reprimands, fines Rachael Flatt

1. The US Federation on selecting athletes etc

a) Skate America can withdraw an entire team if they want to.

The ICMS may withdraw the U.S. Team from a previously selected
international competition for reasonable cause at any time during the course of the
skating season.

Click to expand...

ICMS - International Committee Management Subcommittee - this group are the people that, by applying previously established criteria, choose the athletes to skate in international competitions.

Skaters meeting the above criteria who did not compete or complete competition in
the current U.S. Figure Skating Championships due to injury or illness, verified by
U.S. Figure Skating personnel, may be considered for selection. In addition, U.S.
Figure Skating medical personnel must verify that the athlete(s) will be physically
ready to compete at the Olympic Games. The complete USOC approved Team
Selection procedures will be posted on the U.S. Figure Skating website at
usfigureskating.org.

Click to expand...

Somewhat intriguing to me is that only for the Olympic Games do we have a check up by medical personnel mentioned as a prerequisite

Permission to compete in any competition specified in ICR 2.02 (E), ICR
2.03 (B) and ICR 10.25, is a privilege predicated upon the athlete signing the
appropriate U.S. Figure Skating contract or agreement and thereby agreeing to abide
by the official rules of U.S. Figure Skating and the USOC if appropriate, and any
other such rules, regulations, obligations and codes of conduct contained in the
contract or agreement.

Click to expand...

This is presumably where Flatt went wrong. I haven't found that contract, but I'd be interested to read what it says. But it's worth mentioning that they only specified withdrawl of an entire team, not a specific athlete, at the behest of hte federation

2. More Thoughts therein
Realistically, though, if your federation tells you “You’re too injured to go compete” I doubt you ignore them and compete anyway. The risks are too great. Additionally, I think a federation would actually be more inclined than an athlete to send themselves out to competition. In most cases, it’s unlikely that the next in line is of equal ability. For example, in 2009, if Lysacek withdrew, Ryan Bradley would replace him. In 2008, Lysacek (two time medalist and fifth in 2007) was replaced with Carierre.

Furthermore, it’s not like it’s a guarantee that the next in line would’ve been able to go. According to the link posted on page 18, Flatt found out on April 22 that she had a stress fracture. The event was on April 29th. So, she notifies on April 22 (a Friday, I might add)... This is how the conversation goes, I expect.

Flatt: “I have a stress fracture in my leg, but I still feel I can skate”
US Fed: “A stress fracture. In your leg? I doubt you can compete with THAT.”
Flatt: “Should I withdraw?”
US Fed: “No. Go to Russia. We’ll notify Team Nagasu and have them in place just in case.”

It’s unlikely Nagasu even applies for the visa until Monday, April 25 – How fast do we seriously think they can expedite the application? Meanwhile, a team doctor from the US federation monitors Flatt’s practice sessions. If her practices go like her SP did, the team doctor likely gives her the unconditional go-ahead. Nagasu watches from the audience. If her practices resemble her LP, the doctor says “I don’t think she’ll do well, we should take her out.” Do they actually withdraw her if there’s not a guarantee that Nagasu can get to Moscow? I love Czisny, and am entirely confident she would’ve been top ten regardless of the drama surrounding her countrymate (thus assuring two spots), but would they?

So that’s why this whole circus seems, to me, to be a lot of smoke and mirrors. I sincerely doubt the outcome (anyone other than Flatt and Czisny skating) would’ve been changed. Even if you believe Carroll when he says that Nagasu was ready, there’s no guarantee that she would’ve even made it to Moscow in time. Now, if you believe that as soon as she had the injury (before diagnosing what it was) she should’ve notified the US Fed and Team Nagasu, I’d point out that skaters get injured all the time and I personally don’t know what level of injury (pre-diagnosis) is a good standard to expect that from.

Team <insert name>: “I got a papercut”
Team <competitor>: “Oh, better get that Visa. A papercut can be deadly” (no, you know what’s deadly? A cardboard cut. Hate those).

3. The team
Team USA, in figure skating, as only been a team once. At the World team trophy in 2009. It doesn’t exist as an entity. That’s not to say that the team construct isn’t a valuable ethos to have around, for both athlete and spectator (indeed, as Hernando exemplifies, it’s practically mandatory for a spectator to get involved in any international sport).

But when I cheer for track and field, I don’t cheer Jamaica. I cheer for Usain Bolt. When I cheer for tennis, I don’t cheer for Slovakia, Spain, and Belgium. I cheer for Djokovic, Nadal, and Clijsters. Conversely, when I cheer for hockey, I cheer for Team Canada or the Vancouver Canucks (regardless of the last two weeks) or Montreal Canadians. I don’t cheer for Sidney Crosby, the Sedin twins, or whomever plays for Les Habitents. The difference? The Sedin twins are teammates. Flatt and Nagasu competitors – they compete against each other.

So, for fans of US figure skating who hope to see more American competitors on the circuit/at worlds, it’s easier to operate as if they are teammates – the 13 points required for a third spot. For any federation, it’s better to invoke that feeling – it allows fans to root via patriotism if they lack knowledge (not a bad thing. It’s a hook most of us got caught on). And we see them do that with things like team leaders, team photos, etc.

But, for the athlete, I believe it’s different. There’s no such thing as “All for one and one for all.” Flatt specifically doesn’t get to share in the achievements of Alissa Czisny, Mirai Nagasu or any other American skater. She can applaud them, be happy for them, etc, but they aren’t hers because she competes under the same flag as they do. And those four minutes on the ice don’t belong to the nation, to the coach or choreographer or physiotherapist... they belong to her.

Should she have withdrawn? Maybe. But nothing to do with team spirit. If she thought she couldn’t compete, she should have withdrawn. If she could’ve done more damage to her health, she should have withdrawn.

As Olympia quoted, the past is prologue.

ImaginaryPogue said:

1. The US Federation on selecting athletes etc...

Click to expand...

All organizations arrogate power to themselves and write into their by-laws, "we hold all power."

Setting that aside for the lawyers, to me this whole debate comes down to who’s big asnd who’s small.

In the United States the emphasis is on the individual skater. The individual skater competes at U.S. Nationals for a trip to the world championship. The idea that the U.S. Figure Skating Association selects and sends a team is pushed into the background. The skater is big, the federation is small.

In other countries, the federation is everything, the skater is nothing. It is a different way of looking at things.

Mathman said:

In addition she received team A funding from USFS, estimate $5,000.

Click to expand...

for her whole preparation in team A they give only 5 thousand dollars per year?

In the 1990s and eary 2000s they were half to three-quarters full for
figure skating. I would always count the house. So many sections, so
many rows per section, so many seats per row...oh, has the show started
already?

Click to expand...

My first thought before I read the rest was: counting the seats one by one?

seniorita said:

for her whole preparation in team A they give only 5 thousand dollars per year?

Click to expand...

I don't know what the amount is. I keep hoping that if I throw enough made-up numbers out there, maybe someone will come on board who actually knows something and give us the low-down.

I did find one article about the budget in 1999 that said in that year the top skaters in the team A envelop got $6000 to $9000, then on down to $1000 to $1500 for the C team.

That was back when the USFSA had lots of money -- a TV contract worth $95,000,000 compared to the current one worth basically zilch. So, even taking inflation into account I doubt if the amount is higher now. The wording in the description of funding envelopes makes me think that it is not a set amount in cash, but rather money for expenses when they travel to competitions.

Anyway, it is not very much compared to how much the skaters themselves must pay for coaching, ice time, choreography, costumes, etc., independent of direct expenses attached to a particular international competition.

By the way, since the USFSA is a non-profit organization, their federal income tax forms are in the public domain and available on line. I have not been successful in finding the annual financial reports to their members and board of directors, though -- I guess they figure it is none of my business.

Spun Silver said:

But the thing is, don't you people read the financial news? So many homeowners these days are underwater, owing more than their equity in the house. Just because Sasha plunked down the DP for a big house in a ritzy 'hood, that doesn't mean she can keep up the payments. She comes from a pretty wealthy family that can certainly afford vacations, but I'm wondering about her own present earning power.

I have yet to see any factual data here on what SOI pays NOW. I do know, from having been to three shows in the past 5 years, that it is struggling desperately to get even 1/4 of a full house, and that's including papering the house with giveaways to seniors and kids. They can't be paying giant salaries when they're not selling tickets. And $10-20K per performance, as Seniorita suggests, is not credible. That's more than most opera singers get, and opera is way more popular than skating. (E.g., the Met runs for 7-8 months each year in NYC, 7 performances per week, in a house that seats 3000, that's regularly 60-100% full... NOT 25% like SOI in its *annual* performance in E. Rutherford or Newark.)

Click to expand...

I don't read the financial news-I do follow it at times on CNN, etc. There is no way to know what skaters like Sasha make NOW but it is possible she has been careful with her earnings. Her dad is an attorney with connections I assume to financial advisers who may have helped Sasha make some wise investments with her earnings. The same with the other skaters who skated with COI and/or SOI but this is all just speculating of course. She's apparently going to University now. I don't know if by scholarship but if not then it's coming out of pocket apart from any grants/loans she may qualify for. And that's not counting her living expenses in that area.

Yes, that's my point... she might be doing just dandy, but we really don't know.

What Disson pays its skaters for the TV shows is another thing we don't know.

Imaginary Pogee said:

1. The US Federation on selecting athletes etc

a) Skate America can withdraw an entire team if they want to.

The ICMS may withdraw the U.S. Team from a previously selected
international competition for reasonable cause at any time during the course of the
skating season.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I don't know why I am so interested in these legal and procedural matters, but I am.

Someone posted the entire document under question on FSU. Here is is. I note that Phil Hersh quoted parts of it in his stories, but also omitted some parts.

http://www.usfigureskating.org/Athletes.asp?id=212

Training Commitment, Injury & Case Management.

I, the skater, agree to adhere to my seasonal plan and to develop and maintain a level of health and fitness that will enable me to train at a high level and compete in peak condition. In the event that I become injured and/or ill to the extent that I requires surgery and/or ongoing medical treatment, and/or is otherwise unable to train consistently, effectively, and according to the seasonal plan, and which may therefore jeopardize my ability to compete for Team USA, I agree to communicate the situation with U.S. Figure Skating’s Director of Sports Sciences & Medicine and/or Senior Director of Athlete High Performance. Under such circumstances, I authorize U.S. Figure Skating to request a Return-to-Plan Plan & Status Report (see Exhibit 5 - RETURN-TO-PLAY PLAN & STATUS REPORT REQUIREMENTS) from me and/or my healthcare provider(s) and that this information may be shared with select members of the International Committee Management Sub-Committee. I understand that all such communication will be handled with the utmost discretion and is incorporated for the sole purpose of enabling U.S. Figure Skating to help facilitate access to services that may support my effort to recover.

Failure to comply.

I, the skater, understand that if I individually fail to meet each of the competition readiness requirements defined by U.S. Figure Skating, I may be deemed “not ready” or “unprepared” for competition, in which case, except for Senior Grand Prix events, the Grand Prix Final, the World Team Trophy, the ISU World Championships and the Olympic Winter Games, U.S. Figure Skating reserves the right to replace me on a team, or revoke all of my expense coverage related to my assigned competition (ex. travel, lodging, apparel, etc). For Senior Grand Prix events, U.S. Figure Skating reserves the right to decline to pay for travel and lodging expenses of my coach.

Click to expand...

Imaginary Pogue said:

ICMS - International Committee Management Subcommittee - this group are the people that, by applying previously established criteria, choose the athletes to skate in international competitions.

Click to expand...

The exact words of the statement of responsibility of the International Committee is, in full:

he U.S. Figure Skating International Committee is responsible for the approval of criteria used to select and enter athletes to compete in all international competitions, the ISU Championships (World Championships, Four Continents Championships, World Junior Championships) and the Olympic Winter Games.

Click to expand...

The Management Subcommitee (which some refer to in hushed tones as "The Committee" )...

...is responsible for nomination and entry of athletes to compete in all international competitions and the World University Games, based on the approved criteria.

Click to expand...

Do you agree that "nominating and entering based on approved criteria" reads differently from "choosing?"

Mathman said:

I don't know why I am so interested in these legal and procedural matters, but I am.

Someone posted the entire document under question on FSU. Here is is. I note that Phil Hersh quoted parts of it in his stories, but also omitted some parts.

Do you agree that "nominating and entering based on approved criteria" reads differently from "choosing?"

Click to expand...

I'm of your ilk (the chance to use that word is so rare that I'm always looking for an opening ). The nits of legal mechanics are fascinating in their way and a guilty pleasure.

A question: does "nominating and entering" legally imply a converse right, i.e. "de-nominating and de-entering"? As I'd only classify myself as a legal beagle, even in a generous mood, I'd be interested in hearing from one of the eagles on the subject.

Robeye said:

I'm of your ilk (the chance to use that word is so rare that I'm always looking for an opening ). The nits of legal mechanics are fascinating in their way and a guilty pleasure.

A question: does "nominating and entering" legally imply a converse right, i.e. "de-nominating and de-entering"? As I'd only classify myself as a legal beagle, even in a generous mood, I'd be interested in hearing from one of the eagles on the subject.

Click to expand...

I hope some of our lawyers weigh in, too. :yes:

My impression is that the Management Subcommittee is kind 9f a dogsbody for the full International Committee. To me, "nominating according to criteria" carries the idea that they only have to decide which athletes met the accepted criteria, and not make any judgment of their own about who is most worthy to be on the World team, etc.

As a practical matter, I think any "de-selecting" would have to be done upstairs -- by whoever is in charge of the whole organization.

By the way, under "penalties for non-compliance," I don't see anything about fines or reprimands.

I think the general language along the lines,"the USFSA reserves the right to refuse service to anyone" is to cover big-time stuff like the Tonya Harding situation. (It didn't work. Harding, by threatening legal action, was allowed to skate at the 1994 Olympics no matter what powers the USFSA reserves to itself.)