Meanwhile if Takahashi or Hanyu miss the podium, especialy if they have done well on the Grand Prix, I would see them being named to the team without even needing "another chance".
Actually, this issue was adressed in article that was available here:
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20130620-00000034-spnannex-spo
The article has been removed (it was published shortly after the Japanese Olympic team selection criteria were published), but the translation by Akira Andrea is still available:
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/sho...ive-of-Sochi&p=3942208&viewfull=1#post3942208
To sum up the article:
there will be no safety net for the previously succesfull skaters if they fail to meet the selection criteria, not even for Mao Asada.
In 2006 Miki Ando placed 6th at her Nationals and was still sent to the Olympics.
Because she qualified according to the rules. Admittedly they were stupid rules, but they were publically announced and closely scrutinized by the media. It was reported after every competition how many points each skater has collected, and who is close to making the team. IIRC, the order was:
1. Fumie
2. Miki (or was she actually 1st? I'll need to check)
3. Shizuka
4. Yoshie Onda
5. Yukari Nakano
If anything, Shizuka was close to being dumped from the team in favour of more solid Yoshie Onda, who won the LP at Nats over her (and yes, it's a big relief for Japan that that didn't happen).
In 2006 she wasnt even close to the dominant Japanese skater either- Asada (ineligible for those years Games), Shizuka, and Fumie Suguri were all considered better at that point, (...)
That's not quite true. Asada was in a class of her own, but Shizuka was struggling (had issues with spin levels and back pain due to learning to do a Biellman spin, didn't make the GPF, 3rd at Nats barely 1.3 points ahead of Yoshie Onda) and many fans thought her switching to Morozov so late in the season was a reckless idea. Fumie missed the GPF, didn't have a 3-3 or 3L and her 3S was shaky, plus her spins under early CoP were just... not good and she kept losing levels.
Yukari was on the (slow) rise, but she placed ahead of Miki at NHK/GPF barely by a couple of points, and she lost the Nationals bronze medal to Yoshie (plus, the judges never really were a big fan of her wrapped leg).
Miki's situation was a bit similar to Gracie Gold's this season - pretty girl with big jumps and big scoring potential, loved by sponsors. Yes, looking back it was visible she was starting to slump, but people, JSF including, kept hoping that she'll skate at Olympics 2006 like she eventually did at Worlds 2007.
[quotes]Again in 2010 when she was 4th. They didnt even make her go to Four Continents, she was on he team. [/quote]
Ruuuuuuuuuuules!
Since the 2006 system proved to be faulty, JSF changed it to:
1st spot: the skater who places the highest on the podium at GPF.
2nd spot: the winner of the Japanese Nationals.
3rd spot: the skater who does the best at Nationals (aside from the winner), with the International results taken into consideration.
That 1st spot was gunned after by all of the skaters, as it guaranteed the qualified athlete some peace of mind at Nationals. It was actually Morozov strategy to use the time leading to Nationals as some much needed rest, as Miki strained her back at that time. There was no controversy in that - leading to the Nationals she was clearly the strongest skater (even beating YuNa in the SP at GPF).
If anything, there was some controversy on Akiko vs. Yukari, as their results at Nats were separated by merely 0.17 points, and Yukari was, arguably, more internationally accomplished. Unfortunately for Yukari, Akiko had also a GPF bronze to her name.
People also need to get off the habit of reading too much into Oda's early season performances. He always looks very strong early season, and fades as it goes.
Well, last season he did in in reverse - he had a slow start (as he was recovering from a left leg injury), but his scores from his 2 post-Nationals competitions were highest than those of the Japanese men at 4CC & Worlds, and he managed to land 4-3 in the SP for the first time since he got injured, and 2 quads in the LP for the first time ever (at Bavarian Open). His LP score at BO was 178.06 (2 quads, but doubled 3L).
Of course, one can never know how he'll handle the pressure later on, and how his leg will hold on while doing all those quads, but the potential is there, and his programs already had the EuroSport commentators tickled pink.
