Czisny preparing for one last run at Olympic glory | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Czisny preparing for one last run at Olympic glory

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
The US federation almost always takes the thrid place finisher at Nationals, if 3 spots are available, to Olympics and Worlds....

I would never send anyone less than the best available to an Olympics or worlds. Suppose you believe all of Christina, Mirai and Agnes are better than Hicks, but you somehow manipuate the selection to send Hicks to Worlds...

What I wish is that we could take "what we believe" out of the equation altogether. That is why I have never complained about the rule, let the skaters earn their spots at nationals. That takes "belief" off the table. No need to manipulate anything.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
What I wish is that we could take "what we believe" out of the equation altogether. That is why I have never complained about the rule, let the skaters earn their spots at nationals. That takes "belief" off the table. No need to manipulate anything.

Yeah...except the Nationals results ... :eek:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
^ I look at it this way, R.D. If the USFSA is blatantly cheating by giving favored skaters a higher placement at Nationals than they deserve, then that is where our outrage should be directed, independent of other considerations.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
The US federation almost always takes the thrid place finisher at Nationals, if 3 spots are available, to Olympics and Worlds.

Are you assuming Wagner will retire after this coming Worlds? She may continue 2 or even four years after Sochi.

It's likely that Ashley intends to retire after next season, being that she has an outside shot at an Olympic bronze and a very good chance at a World medal. She's said she would have retired after the Vancouver Olympics, had she qualified, so I don't know if much has changed in her perception that the Olympics will be the absolute epitome of her career.

I can't see her continuing for so long after Sochi, honestly. She knows that the younger girls are catching up to her (Gracie may actually steal her national title in 2014), and I just can't imagine that she wants to pour more time and money into training when she probably wants to fondly look back on her career and then move on to another phase of her life.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
It's likely that Ashley intends to retire after next season, being that she has an outside shot at an Olympic bronze and a very good chance at a World medal. She's said she would have retired after the Vancouver Olympics, had she qualified,...

...keep in mind, just because she SAYS she would have done so doesn't mean that she ACTUALLY would have done so...both Nagasu and Flatt stuck around afterwards, after all.

I can't see her continuing for so long after Sochi, honestly. She knows that the younger girls are catching up to her (Gracie may actually steal her national title in 2014),...

That's a real possibility. I won't say "strong" possibility yet, as we do not know what shape Gold will be in mentally, but it's true, Wagner should be watching her back.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
...keep in mind, just because she SAYS she would have done so doesn't mean that she ACTUALLY would have done so...both Nagasu and Flatt stuck around afterwards, after all.

I can't recall if Nagasu/Flatt ever intended to retire after 2010...both were, after all, still young. Then again, Wagner wasn't much older...the same age that Gracie will be in Sochi.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Mirai pretty much said after 2010 that she looking forward to the next Olympics so she was going to stay in till 2014 no matter what. Flatt on the other hand probably knew going to Stanford and still trying to compete was going to be too hard plus it's obvious that she would have been passed up even without the injuries that plagued her the last year or so.
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
^ I look at it this way, R.D. If the USFSA is blatantly cheating by giving favored skaters a higher placement at Nationals than they deserve, then that is where our outrage should be directed, independent of other considerations.
In addition to your outrage, imagine the outrage Gao, Nagasu, Agnes would have if they outskate a Hicks or a Wang, yet were nevertheless somehow passed over for a trip to Sochi as suggested by mskater 93. All three have been skating to a high level over the last 3 years, yet none has made a world team in 3 years. Christina has given up a year at Harvard and surely expects to be treated fairly. I am sure Nagasu's family is not rolling in bucks and is sacrificing to continue skating. Agnes has been third the last two years, and probably believes the 3rd spot is rightfully hers (despite subpar international results). The judging in Omaha was certainly suspect, and the US Fed would be wise to not have a second year in a row on National TV with suspect judging.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
^ This.

Mathman is right in pointing out that, fair or not in our eyes, Nationals results are Nationals results.

That said, I don't believe that Courtney, a very dark horse, will win bronze or better in the immensely strong field that will be bringing out the big guns for the Olympic trials. Even if she manages to out-skate Christina, Agnes, Mirai, AND Alissa (it almost happened last season, but again, every lady buckles down and means business in the Olympic year), it's unlikely that the USFS will give her the third spot -- they DO reserve the right to consider other competitions besides Nationals. Just because it hasn't happened in a while doesn't mean that it never will again; with their ultimate (some might say far-fetched) goal to get a US lady on the Olympic podium after falling short in 2010, the federation would be wise to evaluate who COULD place highest in Sochi.

They didn't send Polina E to Jr. Worlds despite her holding the junior national title; they'd be inviting a quintessential example of Murphy's Law if they sent Courtney to the Olympics (a far bigger competition, I think everyone would agree) without ANY senior international experience.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
IMO there is no way Nagasu is staying in past 2014. I am pretty sure she is going to give one last try to make an Olympics (and Worlds) and then she is finished, win or lose. She knows she will never come anywhere near where she was in 2010 again, as her career has been on steady decline since then, and she is not a favorite of the USFSA as the judging at this years Nationals proved. Even if she came up with spectacular skates to win that 3rd spot on the Olympic team (which would be atleast a minor surprise at this point, but possible and clearly the only thing she is staying for) she would retire on that high note. The array of up and comers in the U.S would all plow past her at that point, in reality they probably already are and her hopes to make it to Sochi are fairly dim IMHO.

As for Czisny her hopes of making it to Sochi are even less than Nagasu I feel, however we have not seen her in front of U.S judges since being held up at the 2012 Nationals so who knows. She still might be a special pet of the USFSA but even if she will need performances on par with her 2011 Nationals to even have a hope of that 3rd spot.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
In addition to your outrage, imagine the outrage Gao, Nagasu, Agnes would have if they outskate a Hicks or a Wang, yet were nevertheless somehow passed over for a trip to Sochi as suggested by mskater 93. All three have been skating to a high level over the last 3 years, yet none has made a world team in 3 years. Christina has given up a year at Harvard and surely expects to be treated fairly. I am sure Nagasu's family is not rolling in bucks and is sacrificing to continue skating. Agnes has been third the last two years, and probably believes the 3rd spot is rightfully hers (despite subpar international results). The judging in Omaha was certainly suspect, and the US Fed would be wise to not have a second year in a row on National TV with suspect judging.

I am pretty sure regarding Sochi the 3rd spot will go to whomever skates well at Nationals (although if someone is held up and gifted the spot blatantly with big problem it would be Agnes based on NAtionals scoring over the years). However post Sochi they will look to Generation Next and the old guard are also wisely taking their last kick at the can to try for Sochi but will move onto the next phase of either their skating (shows, pro, choreography) or life after next season. The only one who could stay in realistically is Ashley, but I think alot of whether she does will depend on her results next season. She probably will stay in a year or two more if she doesnt atleast medal at Worlds, to try for that in a likely weakened field, although the 2014 Worlds will already be missing some veterans, so if she cant medal there it could be an indication she either had a bad event, or perhaps the up and comers are already passing her by and best she perhaps move on to then.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
An insane statement. 24 years old. OH NO.

A couple months from turning 25, in ladies amateur singles skating that is definitely old, and for someone who had great success in their mid teens it is really old. How many have success at that age. Even Kwan was considerably past her prime by then. Butyrskaya, Kostner, Arakawa and Slutskaya are the only exceptions in modern times, and Butyrskaya and Arakawa were only good at that age and beyond since they were mediocre international level skaters until atleast 22.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Give it a rest with your tired pettiness. Life isn't a box and those who really yearn and work to accomplish something are capable of going beyond the short-sighted limits you'd like to place upon them. Also, you forgot Akiko Suzuki.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
You have to wonder if Mirai's parents will fund her skating through 2018 if Mirai continues to finish out of the top 3 at US Nationals year after year.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
You have to wonder if Mirai's parents will fund her skating through 2018 if Mirai continues to finish out of the top 3 at US Nationals year after year.

Well, her international results haven't slipped as much as her low Nationals placements would seem to portend. I think she has some sponsors, and she's quite popular in her home town, so that covers at least some of her skating costs.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Every skater fights their own inner demons, sought their own unique battles and versions of glory.

It is more than medals for someone who has accomplished so much for the sport, but still seems so under appreciated like pretty much every one else impossible to to follow the legacy set by MK. No matter what results she 'failed' to deliver, when she did, she is a hero. but when she fails miserably, her spirit in tatters, body that simply gave up on her, she still doesn't gave it up on her self. Does that make her goals any less than heroic or more so?

Are other skaters who are not even close to Alissa's level, older, or recovering from worse injuries but carry on competing because they love it and they continues to strive bettering themselves running fools errands? Clearly they are not the fools in this equation.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Every skater fights their own inner demons, sought their own unique battles and versions of glory.

It is more than medals for someone who has accomplished so much for the sport, but still seems so under appreciated like pretty much every one else impossible to to follow the legacy set by MK. No matter what results she 'failed' to deliver, when she did, she is a hero. but when she fails miserably, her spirit in tatters, body that simply gave up on her, she still doesn't gave it up on her self. Does that make her goals any less than heroic or more so?

Are other skaters who are not even close to Alissa's level, older, or recovering from worse injuries but carry on competing because they love it and they continues to strive bettering themselves running fools errands? Clearly they are not the fools in this equation.

:points: to os168! Best of luck to Allisa in the new season! :party:
 
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