For ice skating enthusiasts . . . they did it again!

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

They put the fourth place winner on the Olympic team instead of the bronze medal winner. They have done this before. She is supposedly the reigning "queen" of U. S. ice skating, and second in the world, but she performed badly in the national competition. I don't believe in this practice and feel such empathy for the winner of the bronze medal who should have been the one to go.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

JustJules · ‎06-25-2013

Ford, they had Scott Hamilton on the Today Show this morning to discuss this. While it might have some controversy it isn't the first time this has happened. The Nationals are not the determining factor for who makes the Olympic team, although the Nationals do play a part, but the decisions and selection of the Olympic team is based over a couple years prior, not just one event. Even though she finished 4th in this competition, she has been strong and has more than earned her place on the team in my opinion. Of course it is heart breaking for the young lady that came in 3rd, but that was no guarantee of her making the Olympic team. I don't think it was unfair at all, it is how the sport is run. The Olympic team needs to represent the best we have, not just based on the performance in one particular competition. Anyone can have an off day.

Sushismom · ‎03-09-2010

I don't have a problem with how the Olympic team is determined. The problem with basing a decision solely on one performance is that a great skater can have an off one and an average skater can have a good one. Do we then select the average skater over the good?

Mirai Nagasu is an inconsistent skater, more so than Wagner. In my opinion, neither of them are really Olympic material.

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

On 1/13/2014 Jules5280 said:
Ford, they had Scott Hamilton on the Today Show this morning to discuss this. While it might have some controversy it isn't the first time this has happened. The Nationals are not the determining factor for who makes the Olympic team, although the Nationals do play a part, but the decisions and selection of the Olympic team is based over a couple years prior, not just one event. Even though she finished 4th in this competition, she has been strong and has more than earned her place on the team in my opinion. Of course it is heart breaking for the young lady that came in 3rd, but that was no guarantee of her making the Olympic team. I don't think it was unfair at all, it is how the sport is run. The Olympic team needs to represent the best we have, not just based on the performance in one particular competition. Anyone can have an off day.

I know it has been done before. However, none of the other sports in the Olympics do this, not gymnastics (also a subjective scoring method), not skiing, not swimming, none of them. They are all based on the performance given that day whether they have won all other kinds of kudos in the past. I don't see why this one should be any different.

Not a real biggie in the scheme of things. Let's see how she does at the Olympics and if she can hold it together. It's obviously a done deal and the one eliminated doesn't hold any resentment, she has accepted it gracefully.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

On 1/13/2014 Sushismom said:
I don't have a problem with how the Olympic team is determined. The problem with basing a decision solely on one performance is that a great skater can have an off one and an average skater can have a good one. Do we then select the average skater over the good?

Mirai Nagasu is an inconsistent skater, more so than Wagner. In my opinion, neither of them are really Olympic material.

The South Korean skater will probably win gold, as she is the favorite. [Sorry, I am not good with names, but you all know who I mean.]

IMO, the best American skater we've ever had was Michelle Kwan, who was in the Olympics several times and even skated perfect programs and still didn't win gold. The Asian skaters are in the top tier now . . . it used to be the Russians.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

Sushismom · ‎03-09-2010

Actually, the same thing CAN be done for selection gymnasts for the Olympics:

The individual all-around champion from the combined two day competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be automatically qualified to the U.S. Olympic Team. The reamining athletes will be determined by the Selection Committee from among the competitiors at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

I absolutely agree that Michelle Kwan was the best. It broke my heart when she missed out on gold the second time. I loved watching her skate. Not so much with Lipinski or Hughes. I'd also say that Brian Boitano was the best we had, too. He was magic on ice. I miss seeing those beautiful Spread Eagles that he did, along with his incredible Death Drop.

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

On 1/13/2014 Sushismom said:
Actually, the same thing CAN be done for selection gymnasts for the Olympics:

The individual all-around champion from the combined two day competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be automatically qualified to the U.S. Olympic Team. The reamining athletes will be determined by the Selection Committee from among the competitiors at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

I didn't know that. However, another case of "subjective" judging and obviously decision-making as well.

I did watch the 2013 "Worlds" skating event and I don't think anyone is going to beat the South Korean skater, Kim Yuna, who won the gold medal. So it's moot who reps the US, although there could be an upset I guess.

[By the way, I had to look up her name, LOL.]

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

qvcaddition · ‎03-10-2010

I watched the men,s yesterday and Brown kicked it out of the park, and was first, yet, the skater after him made it, got 10 more points and Imo find,t do as well.

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

On 1/13/2014 Sushismom said:
Actually, the same thing CAN be done for selection gymnasts for the Olympics:

The individual all-around champion from the combined two day competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be automatically qualified to the U.S. Olympic Team. The reamining athletes will be determined by the Selection Committee from among the competitiors at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

I absolutely agree that Michelle Kwan was the best. It broke my heart when she missed out on gold the second time. I loved watching her skate. Not so much with Lipinski or Hughes. I'd also say that Brian Boitano was the best we had, too. He was magic on ice. I miss seeing those beautiful Spread Eagles that he did, along with his incredible Death Drop.

It broke my heart too. She was elegant to watch. No one will ever do a "spiral" the way she did it.

I agree with Boitano too . . . a great skater with absolutely no ego ever.

I'm not into skating anywhere as near as much as I used to be, but it's still the only winter sport I watch at the Olympics.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

Sushismom · ‎03-09-2010

With some of the rules changing a while back, the judging isn't quite as subjective as it used to be. And, again, it's more than just one performance they're looking at when selecting Olympic Team members. Of course, it's heartbreaking for those who perform well yet are not selected. But, again, the idea is to send the best we have to the Olympics, not necessarily the best in one performance.

Yeah, I doubt any of the U.S. Women's skaters has a chance against Yu-na. But, at the same time, she's not a shoe-in. Look at what happened to Kwan - twice!