You do not see Denmark, Israel, Poland, and Ukraine as smaller Federations? Italy is not exactly huge. It is competitive. Spain & Slovakia would be in the hunt if their teams hadn't split up. I do see the top three spots as being a matter of having three athletes with a shot at a medal. And the U.S. & Canadian dance teams do all have scores that indicate a shot at a medal. (Seven of the top teams have a world medal and two others have defeated teams that have one in competition).
The U.S. men do not. (If the second spot is all about developing the future, then should all the experienced athletes hang up their hats and drop out of the running? I don't think so).
yes i do see these as small feds.... Italy a middle one.... but my point is that especially for ice dance, it's primordial to develop in asian markets and right now, the top 20 is crowded... imagine if Russia had sent B/S last year and earned 3 spots as well... one more team... the japanese and chinese teams are not guaranteed to make the Free Dance... it's so crowded that one year, a young but not known team from Canada didn't make the free dance... So, making earning the spots easier is a problem.
For the 3rd spot earning a medal, in my original post i had written that exceptionally right now, the US and perhaps even the Canadian Ice dance teams 3rd team could do so... (but again, previously for Canada, the 3rd team didn't make the FD).... same with Russian ladies... but most of the time, the 3rd single athlete or team is NOT really a shot at a medal.
I think you are not reading my post the way I intended it to sound like

and honestly if I wrote it at 4am ,and it is a bit long and messy, it's confusing for me to read your reply. I am talking generalities here. I am talking about the fact that karne and some other USA posters talked long and large about the 3 spots for the USA. Many of them see it as a 3rd chance for a medal...
What I am saying is that the system is already quite generous and that the top 10-15 in each discipline is extremely crowded. Making it easier to earn more spots would mean that it's even more difficult for smaller federations... China missed their 3 spots in pairs. They do have 3 great teams capable of top ten and better. One of these teams will stay at home and that's too bad... but if the rules were easier, then not only China but other countries in all disciplines would earn 3 spots.... that's my point...
I was not trying to do a case by case study but was trying to talk in general.... In each discipline, with a magic number of 14 or 15 or even 16... you would definitely hurt the smaller federations because the top federations or the "middle or small one with a current expertise in one field" would keep filling the top 10-15 and with easier rules 20....
Who would make the free skates??? Would would earn points? Would would get GP assignments? That was my point... Not really did i want to discuss particulars and exceptions.. when did Canada have 3 ladies able to compete??? Yup it sucks we don't have 3 spots now, but the girls didn't need it before.... When did Canada have 3 extremely strong dance teams.... just this year when V/M came back... Before there were 2 ... So it's not serving to talk about the exceptional strength of a country in a discipline when it goes in cycles...as when strong, these countries still get their 3 spots... and when not, they won't... or their team spot will be a young team developing or whatever.... Russian girls were not always so strong.