I am sorry if this is rude or if i misunderstood your post, (or if my most replies in this thread currently is toward your post, flattfan, but there are some points in your posts that i respectfully disagree.). It seem to me that you think JSF should push her to go regardless of her injuries when you said, and I quote "JSF should have strong arm Satoko into going. I think if they guarantee her a spot on the Olympics, she would have gone and place a lot higher than these 3". you actually think JSF should force her (hence the words"strong arm") to go even though she is badly injured?
Remember that JSF's interest and Satoko's interest are not aligned, not necessarily aligned last year, this year, or next year. They are two separate entities.
From JSF perspective, yes, they should strong arm her to go. Other girls are going are badly injured. Why do they have to make special consideration for Satoko's injury? If you can walk, you can go. Case in point: Rika. They don't have to dangle any carrot in front of her at all. Since she's the anchoring skater for the past few years for JSF, I think they should guarantee her a spot if she can keep 3 spots this year.
Of course, Satoko and her team don't have to do anything JSF ask. They also have to realize they won't get any favors in the future. This is how relationship works, you rub my back, I rub yours. I need your help. You are injured? I still need your help. Can you help or not?
Then you imply that if JSF dangle the Olympics spot to lure her to Worlds, Satoko would go. With or without the Olympics spot bait, she would go if she was not that injured l, i woukd think? I find it belittling to the skater to imply that Satoko was using her withdrawal as a tactic or leverage to get a guaranteed spot, not her achievements. I feel the statement that I quoted takes her injuries too lightly. There are different type and severities of injuries. Some are manageable and athletes can still perform, but some are not.
Injuries can get worse and worse if the athletes force themselves, even when their bodies finally told them to stop and heal. Eventhough she can endure during GPF, pushing herself when she has experienced the pain can worsen the condition, which apparently seems to be the case. If Satoko's injuries are manageable, do you honestly think she will give up her chance to fight for her team? She is not the type of skaters who give up without a fight. Even when she faced a lot negative comments on her jumps, her expressiveness, she didn't give up but she works hard to rectify the issues.
If you sit back and look at it from Satoko's perspective. If she sits this one out, they will only have 2 spots next year. The junior girls are insanely good and will turn senior. There are a bunch of girls waiting in the wing to take over. If JSF offers a guarantee spot, it's stupid not to. What is she working toward? A spot on the Olympics, right? If not, she can just retire today.
She's in a very precarious situation. She doesn't have to take it, but it's her own interest to take it. If she's confident she can come back next year and hold off all of her competitors, then she can say no. If she's not too confident, the smart thing to do would be to keep 3 spots and keep a spot for herself.
I didn't say she's withdrawing as a tactic. She's injured. No doubt about that. I said had she given the right incentive, she would have gone. JSF didn't give any incentive, why would she go and risk further injury just to keep 3 spots.
You voiced the question yourself whether Rika was facing serious injuries which cause her performance to freefall. If this is what you think, than Rika is actually a clear example why pushing yourself while you're injured can be a boomerang against yourself. I am not belittling her injuries or her dedication, but when an injury has significantly and detrimentally affect the athletes performances, than one has to think whether it is wise to force the athletes to the breaking point. I agree with your comment that jsf shouldn't send an injured skater, but this should also apply for Satoko. I didn't know why JSF sends Rika if she is injured, they must have their justificatios (again, this is not a shade thrown at Rika please). I just wish that Rika can have proper rest and healing too if the injuries began to adversely affect her performance. Just want to say though, when an athlete has to withdraw from a very important competitions, usually it means something much more serious, which might have already affected the athletes psychologically. I would say Mao was an example. Her injuries have caused her poor performances, which caused her to feel despondent (i recall she said that she felt like she lost everything in one of interview, if I am not mistaken). To lose confidence in oneself is perhaps, in my amateur opinion, worse than the physical injuries.
This is the whole point, JSF doesn't care if you are injured, if they ask you to jump, you better jump. If you don't jump, you face the consequences later. Do you think Rika is any position to say no to JSF?
Like I said, Satoko/Mai/Wakaba will need to win National next year to get a spot. The second spot is Marin's.
