2022 U.S. Nationals: Senior Pairs Short Program

[ice_tulip]

Very strange he was not masked yet he's the one who tested positive.

That's not strange at all. It's to be expected. Those who do not wear masks are at much, much higher risk for catching COVID than those wearing an N95.

But I'm sure Alexa didn't wear her N95 when alone with Brendan and her coaches and they may all have COVID which means Calalang/Johnson are also at risk along with many others.

 

[moonvine]

That's not strange at all. It's to be expected. Those who do not wear masks are at much, much higher risk for catching COVID than those wearing an N95.

But I'm sure Alexa didn't wear her N95 when alone with Brendan and her coaches and they may all have COVID which means Calalang/Johnson are also at risk along with many others.

Like I said. This is not safe.

 

[saturdaysun]

That's not strange at all. It's to be expected. Those who do not wear masks are at much, much higher risk for catching COVID than those wearing an N95.

But I'm sure Alexa didn't wear her N95 when alone with Brendan and her coaches and they may all have COVID which means Calalang/Johnson are also at risk along with many others.

No, I mean the fact that she was wearing a mask the entire time, because it indicated to me that she perhaps had symptoms, but he's the one who ended up testing positive is strange to me. So did he have symptoms and that's why she was masked up? While he didn't? That's what was strange.

 

[moonvine]

That's not strange at all. It's to be expected. Those who do not wear masks are at much, much higher risk for catching COVID than those wearing an N95.

But I'm sure Alexa didn't wear her N95 when alone with Brendan and her coaches and they may all have COVID which means Calalang/Johnson are also at risk along with many others.

Chris..all the Junior pairs, who are at least finished..

 

[ice_tulip]

No, I mean the fact that she was wearing a mask the entire time, because it indicated to me that she perhaps had symptoms, but he's the one who ended up testing positive is strange to me. So did he have symptoms and that's why she was masked up? While he didn't? That's what was strange.

She probably wore a mask because she didn't want to get COVID. Brandon didn't wear a mask because he didn't want to wear one. He must have thought he wouldn't catch coronavirus.

Skaters needed to be better educated on COVID and how contagious Omicron really is. They should have been advised on proper precautionary behavior. USFS also should have done a much better job protecting them. It's unacceptable that the official hotel for the skaters didn't have a mask mandate, and the skaters were co-mingling with the general public. Of course there will be many many more COVID positive tests in the coming days.

If I were a skater, I would have driven to the location and avoided airports. I would have had food delivered to my room and not eaten in common areas. I would have had a HEPA filter in my hotel room and cracked windows open if possible for better ventilation and air filtration. I would have worn an N95 when around others and insisted everyone on my team do the same. And I would have made sure everyone on my team including myself was fully vaccinated and boosted. I doubt many skaters are taking any of these precautions, but this is what is required to have a good chance to avoid Omicron. This variant is just about as contagious as measles. It's horribly contagious!!

 

[Dpbthomas1]

Canada is not letting fans or media attend their nationals .. precisely to limit possible exposure to the omicron variant.

I read that the hotel in Nashville where most skaters are staying does not have mask mandates and most people seen there are NOT wearing masks. Since this strain of covid is so easily transmitted, I wish the U.S. had banned spectators also. I'd rather have the skaters healthy and not ruin their chances for the Olympics.

 

[saturdaysun]

She probably wore a mask because she didn't want to get COVID.

That's your guess. But my guess is they had an inkling one of them was sick yesterday. Maybe they thought it wasn't COVID, who knows. But it's not a good look if they still went to practice when they had symptoms, and even worse for him since he was the maskless one.

 

[readernick]

Honestly, this Nationals was always going to be so dangerous. So many skaters train on the same ice as Alexa and Brandon including Mariah Bell and Nathan Chen. This Nationals isn't safe. I would still send K/ F to the Olympics. They had one bad program at Warsaw Cup ( a terrible event) but other than that they are the most reliable, balanced team. The best bet for the Olympic team event. If Brandon is vaccinated, it is highly likely he is asymptomatic especially if he caught COVID on the trip to Nashville. No evidence he had any idea he was ill. It is quite inappropriate to assume he knew. However, this event is a recipe for disaster. Omicron is so contagious even my friends who are careful, wear mask and are vaccinated are catching it and they have managed to avoid being COVID positive for the last two years. It's impossible to hold a safe event in these circumstances.

 

[moonvine]

Canada is not letting fans or media attend their nationals .. precisely to limit possible exposure to the omicron variant.

I read that the hotel in Nashville where most skaters are staying does not have mask mandates and most people seen there are NOT wearing masks. Since this strain of covid is so easily transmitted, I wish the U.S. had banned spectators also. I'd rather have the skaters healthy and not ruin their chances for the Olympics.

I wish they had too. It is why I finally decided not to go. I thought about testing myself daily. But I couldn’t take a risk in any way I might derail anyone’s Olympic dream.

I also wished for skaters to drive and was very worried when I saw Alexa was on a plane.

I do think Jason said he was driving and not staying in the same hotel.

 

[ice_tulip]

Interesting to think how the Olympic selection will go in different possible scenarios.

If Cain-Gribble/LeDuc skate decently and get Gold or Silver, they are on the Olympic team.

If Calalang/Johnson skated nearly flawlessly and win the Gold medal, I don't see USFS giving Scimeca/Frazier their Olympic spot.

If Calalang/Johnson skate poorly amongst an overall poor field and eke out the Silver, S/F will get the 2nd Olympic spot.

If CG/L gets silver and L/M get Gold with a flawless rousing performance, USFS will have a harder decision. They'll have to look at the body of work. L/M's recent Gold medal at Golden Spin of Zagreb where they beat S/F by 9 points will help L/M's case. I think USFS will end up going with S/F anyway and there will be controversy.

If CG/L get Gold and either C/J, L/M, or any other pair gets Silver, I think S/F will be selected over the silver medalists.

If CG/L bomb and get bronze or worse, it will be really awkward for USFS to select S/F who didn't compete and also CG/K who didn't even finish Top 2. They probably wouldn't be able to do that and would choose between CG/L and S/F for one spot and stick with the gold medalist for the other spot.

 

[moonvine]

Honestly, this Nationals was always going to be so dangerous. So many skaters train on the same ice as Alexa and Brandon including Mariah Bell and Nathan Chen. This Nationals isn't safe. I would still send K/ F to the Olympics. They had one bad program at Warsaw Cup ( a terrible event) but other than that they are the most reliable, balanced team. The best bet for the Olympic team event. If Brandon is vaccinated, it is highly likely he is asymptomatic especially if he caught COVID on the tip to Nashville. No evidence he had any idea he was ill. It is quite inappropriate to assume he knew. However, this event is a recipe for disaster. Omicron is so contagious even my friends who are careful, wear mask and are vaccinated are catching it and they have managed to avoid being COVID positive for the last two years. It's impossible to hold a safe event in these circumstances.

Agree with all points. This event is not safe and it’s dreadfully unfair to the athletes.

 

[ice_tulip]

Honestly, this Nationals was always going to be so dangerous. So many skaters train on the same ice as Alexa and Brandon including Mariah Bell and Nathan Chen. This Nationals isn't safe. I would still send K/ F to the Olympics. They had one bad program at Warsaw Cup ( a terrible event) but other than that they are the most reliable, balanced team. The best bet for the Olympic team event. If Brandon is vaccinated, it is highly likely he is asymptomatic especially if he caught COVID on the tip to Nashville. No evidence he had any idea he was ill. It is quite inappropriate to assume he knew. However, this event is a recipe for disaster. Omicron is so contagious even my friends who are careful, wear mask and are vaccinated are catching it and they have managed to avoid being COVID positive for the last two years. It's impossible to hold a safe event in these circumstances.

You really have to be boosted to get ample protection from Omicron. Studies have shown that double vaccination with mRNA vax (Moderna or Pfizer) only shows about 35% protection against symptomatic infection, but that number dwindles after just a few months. Those who just got the 1-dose J&J vaccine have basically no protection whatsoever. If you're boosted with Moderna or Pfizer, your protection against symptomatic infection jumps up to ~75%.

I agree that the way USFS is holding the event, it is not safe. Should have either cancelled it altogether or had it virtual or required everyone is double vaxxed and boosted AND had players stay in a hotel without the general public, among other precautions.

 

[ice_tulip]

That's your guess. But my guess is they had an inkling one of them was sick yesterday. Maybe they thought it wasn't COVID, who knows. But it's not a good look if they still went to practice when they had symptoms, and even worse for him since he was the maskless one.

That's a bold accusation with absolutely no basis.

She knew they were going to get tested. N95 doesn't reverse infection or make a positive test negative.

I think they had no symptoms at the time and Alexa was just more careful than Brandon.

 

[el henry]

Also posted in the dedicated thread, but, Brandon tested negative on Monday. He felt sick today, and tested again, although not required:

Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier out of figure skating nationals (COVID-19)

Pairs national champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships due to Frazier testing positive for COVID-19.

olympics.nbcsports.com

Alexa's IG post:

 

[ice_tulip]

I would still send K/ F to the Olympics. They had one bad program at Warsaw Cup ( a terrible event) but other than that they are the most reliable, balanced team. The best bet for the Olympic team event.

Don't you want to see how the others skate before selecting K/F for the Olympic team? I know I do...

 

[readernick]

You really have to be boosted to get ample protection from Omicron. Studies have shown that double vaccination with mRNA vax (Moderna or Pfizer) only shows about 35% protection against symptomatic infection, but that number dwindles after just a few months. Those who just got the 1-dose J&J vaccine have basically no protection whatsoever. If you're boosted with Moderna or Pfizer, your protection against symptomatic infection jumps up to ~75%.

I agree that the way USFS is holding the event, it is not safe. Should have either cancelled it altogether or had it virtual or required everyone is double vaxxed and boosted AND had players stay in a hotel without the general public, among other precautions.

Most of my friends who caught it have been boosted and yet they still caught omicron. None had serious symptoms. They either had cold like symptoms for a short time or were asymptomatic but got tested because they knew they had been exposed. I'm sure the vaccinations helped them in terms of symptoms but for the purpose of events like this it doesn't matter. A positive test is a positive test. Canadian nationals while better in some ways ( no audience) isn't even requiring their skaters to do PCR tests. These just aren't safe events.

 

[cheerknithanson]

Well I hope everyone who is competing will have a fun time and skates their hearts out. Olympics in a month and spots to be claimed. I'm EXCITED!

 

[Yeslekyelnats]

Unfortunately, I don't think they will be going. The Pairs seemed to be a very tight and hard battle between the top 4 places. I think they may have done it as if Alexa/Brandon place in the top 3, they would send them. I don't think the US will be sending them, but I was really looking forward to seeing them at the Olympics.

They only needed top 5 due to body of work

 

[Yeslekyelnats]

She probably wore a mask because she didn't want to get COVID. Brandon didn't wear a mask because he didn't want to wear one. He must have thought he wouldn't catch coronavirus.

Skaters needed to be better educated on COVID and how contagious Omicron really is. They should have been advised on proper precautionary behavior. USFS also should have done a much better job protecting them. It's unacceptable that the official hotel for the skaters didn't have a mask mandate, and the skaters were co-mingling with the general public. Of course there will be many many more COVID positive tests in the coming days.

If I were a skater, I would have driven to the location and avoided airports. I would have had food delivered to my room and not eaten in common areas. I would have had a HEPA filter in my hotel room and cracked windows open if possible for better ventilation and air filtration. I would have worn an N95 when around others and insisted everyone on my team do the same. And I would have made sure everyone on my team including myself was fully vaccinated and boosted. I doubt many skaters are taking any of these precautions, but this is what is required to have a good chance to avoid Omicron. This variant is just about as contagious as measles. It's horribly contagious!!

You would drive to Nashville from California??

 

[Yeslekyelnats]

Canada is not letting fans or media attend their nationals .. precisely to limit possible exposure to the omicron variant.

I read that the hotel in Nashville where most skaters are staying does not have mask mandates and most people seen there are NOT wearing masks. Since this strain of covid is so easily transmitted, I wish the U.S. had banned spectators also. I'd rather have the skaters healthy and not ruin their chances for the Olympics.

Canada also isn’t testing skaters. I wouldn’t give either federation a gold star