I understand Kwan herself was once bumped in favor of Nancy Kerrigan, but does everyone think it is kosher for her to bump someone else off the squad at this point in her career not having earned same or nearly so (per Kerrigan) at the Nationals? She has petitioned to do so.
Kwan has had several chances to win gold and has not. Now, at the tail end of her career, injured and fairly unfamiliar with the new scoring system having not skated competitively under it to speak of, is it right to just give her a spot over someone who more or less earns it in competition? For old times’ sake apparently?
Before watching last night’s national short program I would have said there was no way the people in charge would let her on the team.
After watching it I’m fairly confident there’s no way they can deny her petition. Sasha Cohen was exellent. The rest of the field was rather blah. Emily Hughes turned into a half way decent performance but her overall routine lacked a certain polish. Alissa Ciszy was a disappointment. Kimmie Meisner had problems with her jumps. Bebe Liang was pretty good technically but I’ve seen her do better artistically.
DH and I were joking they’d not only allow Kwan but start looking into whether Sarah Hughes could get some time off from Yale or maybe Tara Lipinski wanted to compete again or even Kristi Yamaguchi might be in any kind of shape after giving birth in November.
Arguably – and I’m quite happy to argue it – she’s the best female figure-skater ever. She’s got a weird Olympics jinx thing happening (as did Kurt Browning, who I’d argue is possibly the best male figure-skater ever, and who, despite four World titles, never won an Olympic gold), but if she wants another shot, go ahead and give it to her.
Sports, even girlie sports, should be decided between the line, or in the rink or where ever the athletes compete.
Sports, especially the Olympics, are the ultimate meritocracy.
If she wanted to qualify, she should have competed and earned a spot. If she was injured? Well, injuries are a part of sports. How many championships or gold medals would be in different hands if it weren’t for injuries.
To give Kwan a spot is to deny a spot to someone who earned it on the merits.
I remember in 1992 when Reebok built a whole ad campaign on Dan vs. Dave in the Decathlon. Dan didn’t even qualify! No one gave him a spot and the ad exec who thought the thing up was likely canned.
But, Dan won the gold in 1996!
Merit. That is what sports is all about. No free lunches.
One of the amusing things about this is that if she competed at the Nationals, she would undoubtedly win, but would be too injured to be in the Olympics. If the Olympics weren’t going on, she would probably do the Nationals.
It’s ridiculous to drop our best skater because of a scheduling issue. Suppose Qwan were a quarterback on a team one win away from the Superbowl. If the coach pulled Qwan from the last playoff game, saving her up for the Superbowl, would anyone object and say she didn’t have the right to play in the Superbowl? Skating doesn’t have a coach to make that kind of call, so Qwan needs to do it for herself. I think she’s making the right call.
There is clear precedent in skating for this. It’s also the right thing for the US Olympic team, and for the US. What’s the problem?
That analogy doesn’t work for an individual sport. A better one would be if Roger Federer was too injured to participate in the opening rounds of Wimbledon, but got better just as the semis were starting and then demanded to be given a spot because he’s the best player in the world.
Stuff like this (and judging issues) just cast large shadows of the sport of figure skating.
Kwan is a league unto herself. I hope she does get a slot.
I liked what I saw of Emily Hughes.
I am still cold to Sasha–she doesn’t engage the audience. Technically she can be brilliant (although she has a habit of choking in the Long Program), but to me she is all about herself. I can’t describe it well–but it does not endear her to me.
Yeah, I know–in competitve sports it’s not about being endearing.
IT’s ridiculous to say this is a scheduling issue. She didn’t qualify.
No, because playing in the conference championship isn’t necessary to “Qualify” a player for being in the Super Bowl. As has been pointed out, this parallel just doesn’t make any sense at all.
A more accurate parallel to football would be if the Indianapolis Colts were to have a bunch of guysn get hurt in practice tomorrow and then have an injury-depleted squad lose on Sunday, and then people started saying “Well, they didn’t technically qualify for the Super Bowl, but gosh darn it, they’re really the best team and would have won if not for those pesky injuries. They should go to the Super Bowl anyway, and we should kick one of the other teams out.”
She isn’t making a “Call,” she’s trying to get a spot in the Olympics without going through the qualification process. I guess it’s the right call for herself.
Ask the skater who went to the nationals, won a spot in the Olympics fair and square, and loses her chance to be an Olympian.
according to MSN story this is how the Olympic spots are earned
Only the winner of the women’s event is guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team, with the federation’s International Committee selecting the other two athletes after the free skate Saturday night. There are 35 people on the committee, but at least nine will have to recuse themselves because of personal or professional conflicts; a simple majority is needed.
The committee will base its selection on how athletes fared at six competitions. They are, in order of importance: nationals; the 2005 Grand Prix final; the 2005 world championships; the 2005 Four Continents championships; the 2005 Junior Grand Prix final; and the 2005 world junior championships.