- Joined
- Dec 18, 2003
millie said:This is what I don't understand! A skater that is injured can get a bid to go to the Olympics even if they don't skate all year and by-pass everthing and everyone else. Then there is another skater that has proved herself and can do it, is on top of her game and can't go because of her age. Rules were changed before and I think they can be changed now. If Mao is the best in her country, then I think that the best should go to the Olympics.
IMO, here is the big difference in the situation with possible "byes" (i.e. for injury, etc.) v. the age rule and Mao.
The age rule is established by the ISU, and as far as I can tell from personal research and that of other posters, the age rule is only something that can be modified by a vote of the full ISU Congress, which meets after the season ends. There is nothing in the rules today that allows for an exception process - and those are the current rules in place that all Federations were operating by when the season began.
The method of determining the Oly team that a country sends is left to the individual Federations, so long as those fit within IOC rules (which as far as I can tell trump everything else) and the ISU rules (where the age limit comes into play). The USFSA has it's rules about Nationals, but also provides for exceptions for various reasons. That is a rule that I assume has been passed by proper process with the USFSA. (and other Federations have other rules for determining World / Oly team selection - i.e. the Japanese Federation apparently puts less emphasis on Nationals than the USFSA, and more emphasis on other events through the season for World team selection, which is their right to do under existing rules).
The citizenship requirements are an IOC rule - that's where Tanith's issue (and other's) lie.
Looks to me like the "rule tree" looks like this:
First: Does this team member assignment meet IOC rules? (in Tanith's case no, because of IOC citizenship requirements, unless it's fixed in time via the law change)
Second: Does this team member assignment meet ISU rules? (in Mao's case, no, because of the age rules)
Third: Does this team member meet USFSA rules? (based on currently possibilities, this might come into play for MK, or possibly someone else if injured, based on USFSA rules for how a bye could be granted.
When this thread originally started, I was ambivalent about age rules. But especially after reading Chuckm's post (possible ISU motivations for the age rule) along with other well put posts about how kids do the big jumps anyway (which I believe), I am inclined to root for doing away with the age rule when the next ISU congress rolls around. (not that I get to vote....but....)
I do stand by my original opinion that rules are rules, and when you start trying to circumvent existing rules in the middle of the game, trouble is invited, and fairness to all is compromised.
DG
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