Who should go to Worlds?

[Lonewolf]

Should the three top eligible skaters, Ashley, Bebe, and Katrina be selected to represent the US or should Kimmie be placed on the world team. If Kimmie is placed on the team, which of the three eligible skaters, Ashley, Bebe, and Katrina be cut to make room for her? I feel that Ashley, Bebe, and Katrina should go to worlds, seeing that Kimmie is not doing well right now. What do people think??

 

[fumie_fumie]

I think Kimmie will go to Worlds. It is not as though Hacker beat Kimmie by a wide margin. US Federation may not want to take a chance with Hacker who has no international exposure, while Kimmie has the pedigree of a champion and thus gets some respect from the international judges.

Worlds team is announced. Now it is a mute point to discuss it.

 

[krenseby]

I think Kimmie will go to Worlds. It is not as though Hacker beat Kimmie by a wide margin. US Federation may not want to take a chance with Hacker who has no international exposure, while Kimmie has the pedigree of a champion and thus gets some respect from the international judges.

Worlds team is announced. Now it is a mute point to discuss it.

It may very well benefit the federation to send someone experienced and respected instead of someone who's neither, but on the other hand, this may very well be Hacker's absolute chance to make the Worlds team. It's the Emily Hughes argument from 2006 all over again: why send someone more experienced instead of someone who has their first chance to compete at a glorious event. The only difference is that this is Worlds and that Katrina is a Hacker and not a Hughes ;-)

 

[fumie_fumie]

It may very well benefit the federation to send someone experienced and respected instead of someone who's neither, but on the other hand, this may very well be Hacker's absolute chance to make the Worlds team. It's the Emily Hughes argument from 2006 all over again: why send someone more experienced instead of someone who has their first chance to compete at a glorious event. The only difference is that this is Worlds and that Katrina is a Hacker and not a Hughes ;-)

Absolutely. This is a sport you don't want to be playing, if you are an underdog. Politics abound and your future lies in the hands of other people. You have very limited control over your destiny. But then, this is life.

 

[GoldMedalist]

Team was named already.

It's Wagner, Meissner, and Bebe.

Nice that Bebe finally gets a trip to Worlds. I hope she enjoys the experience.

Meissner or Bebe needs to PULL IT TOGETHER and deliver so U.S. has 3 spots next year. I'm confident that Wagner will place between 4th to 6th place, so one of the other two needs to get between 7th to 9th place, depending on how well Wagner does. Meissner is fully capable of that, she just needs to pull herself together (Bebe is too but, well, I just don't think she can do it).

 

[carolinefan177]

Team was named already.

It's Wagner, Meissner, and Bebe.

Nice that Bebe finally gets a trip to Worlds. I hope she enjoys the experience.

Meissner or Bebe needs to PULL IT TOGETHER and deliver so U.S. has 3 spots next year. I'm confident that Wagner will place between 4th to 6th place, so one of the other two needs to get between 7th to 9th place, depending on how well Wagner does. Meissner is fully capable of that, she just needs to pull herself together (Bebe is too but, well, I just don't think she can do it).

^^
Ditto

 

[PolymerBob]

Here is something. Kimmie goes to Worlds, but did not earn a by to next year's Nationals. If she wins in Sweden, does she have to go through regionals?

 

[TtonyV7]

Kimmie will have GP assignments, enough to grant her a bye regardless.

 

[chuckm]

If Kimmie gets picked for Skate America, that should take care of Regionals. But skaters have no say as to their invitations, so unless she gets TEB or CoR, she might have to do Sectionals.

It shouldn't be a problem, anyway. I'm sure she could easily make top 4 at Regionals, and the same for Sectionals.

 

[R.D.]

I think they made the right call. Wagner I don't know about...if she fights and does her best she should be top 10, hopefully. I don't trust BeBe although I do wish her the best of luck. And Meissner really needs to figure out what's getting at her. I think the pressure of winning worlds so early is finally starting to do her in big time. So sad, too. Because of that ONE episode she IMMEDIATELY went from up-and-comer and extreme underdog to favorite and chased. Maybe it's a good thing these young girls can't go to worlds because if one of them really breaks out, that pressure will be way too much for them to handle. More time on the junior circuit means more time under the radar. Zhang is somewhat of the exception here I guess because of her dominant results and even her high placements in the GP's. But that said, she really pulled it together in the freeskate. The poor SP just did her in.

 

[gold12345]

Absolutely. This is a sport you don't want to be playing, if you are an underdog. Politics abound and your future lies in the hands of other people. You have very limited control over your destiny. But then, this is life.

Agreed, but this really isn't a political decision. Hacker, who had the competition of her life, beat Meissner, who had the worst competion probably of her career, by mere hundreths of a point. Hacker has absolutely no chance to place top 10 at Worlds, whereas Kimmie does. You have to go with the skaters who will put you in the best position to retain 3 spots for the U.S.-hosted World Championships next year. Kimmie has two months to get ready for Worlds. I think she'll be fine. At least now, Bebe won't have the weight of the world on her shoulders to get in the top 10, which is honestly something I don't expect from her.

 

[bekalc]

My feeling is that if the USFSA had just Wagner, Liang, Meissner, and Hacker to consider, then I would have no issues with sending Hacker not Meissner.

But as far as I'm concerned, the only skater who really earned her placement on the team is Ashley Wagner. All of the others are just eligible based on technicalities. Skaters who beat them can't go.

I feel like the USFSA needs to think about the fact that the Gold and Silver medalists will be eligible next year, and the USFSA owes it to those girls to choose the team most likely to earn three spots. Katrina would be hard pressed to make it passed the short program. (Seriously!) I'm willing to beat the newly crowned Korean National champion would beat her.

 

[flying camel]

I feel like Wagner will do well enough. I expect Kimmie will regroup. The pressure is off. She has no where to go but up. Like someone else said I don't trust Bebe to do very well. But at leat she gets to finally go after how many tries?

I wonder if any of them will go to four continents. I guess Hacker will go since she didn't make the world team, but who else? I wonder if they will send Czisny.

 

[chuckm]

Wagner, Liang and Hacker are going to 4CC.

Pairs and Dance teams for 4CC:
Inoue/Baldwin
Castile/Okolski
Vise/Trent

Davis/White
Navarro/Bommentre
Wester/Barantsev

 

[fumie_fumie]

Chuck,

Thank for piecing together the rest of the puzzle. In US, there is so much attention on the singles' events, you don't get to hear a lot of pairs and dance competitions.

 

[Tinymavy15]

i am so happy that Bebe finally got to the world team! She must be really happy. I have to disagree aout sending kimmie though. that girl needs to get home and train and work out her jump issues and enjoy college.

 

[Wrlmy]

While it's not entirely implausible that Katrina will actually do better than Kimmie, I'm certain Kimmie will receive more than 10 points in pcs compared to Katrina. I do feel bad for Katrina. This year might have been her last and only chance to go to the worlds.

 

[skatergirl45]

Poor Katrina. I at least hope that the US will send her to 4C.
Anyways, congratulations to Bebe and Ashley on making your first world team!!!!

 

[Chrystia Mee]

I'm torn about the world team for women. But overall I think the US committee made the bet choice for the world team. Unfortunately for Katrina, it does mean she is not on the world team.

Kimmie is still a national/world champion of previous years. She did medal at her GP assignments this year as well. Even if she's not on the podium, she will still stand higher in the ranks. As someone said its about 1-2 point difference in their scores and that is with Kimmie's four falls in the compeition, and none from Katrina. Also Katrina doesn't seem fully comfortable with her lutz/flip or whichever one she was trying to do (too many edge changes this evening from all the girls). I have a hard time seeing Katrina being taken seriously without a solid lutz. Kimmie if she can do a clean program will likely be in the top six in my opinion.

Obviously Wagner earned her spot fair and square this evening. And I am glad Bebe is on the team. I don't see her being a major contender in the future sadly, so I'm glad she gets to go just once to Worlds after all her years of hard work! Congrats to Bebe.

 

[pista04]

To the reply before the one above me, Hacker will be at 4CC.

And, I think it is best that they sent Meissner. Visually, it's almost like a Venn Diagram, but vertically and with a different meaning. Meissner at her very worst is at the same level as Hacker at her very best. It just so happens thats what turned up at Nationals this year.