Team Trophy Before Other Events At The Olympics

[misskarne]

I don't know if it's that bad. Suppose some of the older guys hang on until Sochi. Like Plushenko, Joubert and Takahashi. Well if they make the team, their chances of making the podium in the individual event would probably be pretty slim. So I'm thinking it would make sense for skaters in that position to try both events. That would leave Gachinski, Amodio, and Kozuka to only do the individual event allowing them to be as fresh as they need to be to compete at the very top. It could be the same with the ladies, if anyone hangs on that long.

But that's unfair for those skaters. Plushenko, Joubert, Takahashi et al, why should they not be allowed to fight for individual honours as well? This is the biggest problem I (and I suspect a lot of others) have with this whole concept. Some skaters will have to skate for their country in the team event, and will then be expected to take on skaters who got to rest in the individual events.

I foresee a bunch of the favorites phoning it in for the team event in order to save themselves for the individual gold.

I agree, and this is what makes it a farce.

[loulou]

So do the skaters who don't actually skate in the team event but also represent a medaling country get a medal for that event too?

I think he didn't say.

However, Mr Cinquanta, when you attend a medal ceremony, they roll a carpet for you, so you don't slip. If they didn't put the carpet there, you would see that the surface is actually slippery. VERY slippery. Ask Fabian Bourzat.

He could even ask Margaglio, saving the effort to speak in a foreign language.

-- And good lord, he should know. Being from Milan and all.

[Ozzisk8tr]

Speedy knows more about ballet? He wouldn't know a Garguillade from his Sur le Cou-de-pied.

[Thais]

I don't understand why the ISU is not waiting for this Olympic cycle to end in order to properly introduce a new figure skating event (if that's ISU greatest wish).
Furthermore, why don't they just take the results from each discipline and then add them up and award the best overall team? Connecting all four discipline into one event isn't enough, in my opinion, to consider it a new event.
Plus, including Synchro as a new Olympic event might have a better impact both for this sport and the ISU, and for the figure skating fans as well. Many federation will then put more emphasis on this sport and might see its potential.

[Polymer Bob]

I think we are all assuming that the SAME skaters will skate team and individual. Maybe it will be a different group.

[Thais]

I think we are all assuming that the SAME skaters will skate team and individual. Maybe it will be a different group.

Perhaps, but in this case, how many countries will be able to compete in this event? And aren't the Olympic Games supposed to have some sort of criteria's in order to avoid seeing uninteresting and monopolised competitions? I mean it is the Olympics! We can't just invent a competition for such a huge event and send just four teams in it.

[LilJen]

I think we are all assuming that the SAME skaters will skate team and individual. Maybe it will be a different group.

I thought that's how the proposal was worded--that the same skaters had to do both events. Which sucks.

[Polymer Bob]

Remember 2009? Caroline and Rachael had gold hung around their necks, while Mao and Miki got silver. Wouldn't something like that be interesting?

[taf2002]

Everyone is talking like this is a done deal. Speedy can't just announce something & have it be so. No way will the big team countries (US, Canada, Russia, France, & Japan) sanction this.

If it did go thru, I agree with someone above, the medal contenders would be inclined to phone in the team performances & not risk injury. The suggesstion of taking the scores from the other events & adding them up makes too much sense for Speedy to consider it, but hopefully the rest of the ISU committee will.

[Vagabond]

It's unfair because skaters from minor federations like Yu-Na Kim would get extra rest/training time as opposed to say the Japanese or American skaters who would be performing in the team event beforehand.

Japanese skaters won't be in the team event. Japan doesn't have any Olympic-eligible pairs and doesn't show any signs of developing one in the next three years.

[Skittl1321]

The suggesstion of taking the scores from the other events & adding them up makes too much sense for Speedy to consider it, but hopefully the rest of the ISU committee will.

Actually, the IOC doesn't allow that. For Olympic medals to be awarded, the competition must be stand alone.

(That's why there are no mini medals for short programs at the Olympics)

[manhn]

And it doesn't make sense. Why potentially get two medals for one performance of a program?

[Theatregirl1122]

It is unfair to Kozuka if he has to compete but Daisuke gets to rest.

Please remember that this competition is not just some cheesefest. This is awarding Olympic medals. In this scenario, Kozuka is not "having to compete while Daisuke is resting". Kozuka would have another chance to earn an Olympic medal which Daisuke did not get. Kozuka had to compete in the preliminary round this year, and it did not hurt him.

I think this should be held after the regular competition, but I can't see giving skaters another chance to earn an olympic medal- when almost every other sport gives athletes more than one chance each cycle- as a bad thing.

[Thais]

Everyone is talking like this is a done deal. Speedy can't just announce something & have it be so. No way will the big team countries (US, Canada, Russia, France, & Japan) sanction this.

You have a point. However, I find it hard to believe that any of these big federations you named, would hate to have another chance of winning the Olympic gold medal.

[taf2002]

You have a point. However, I find it hard to believe that any of these big federations you named, would hate to have another chance of winning the Olympic gold medal.

I meant they would not sanction doing team before individual.

[Made4Dancin]

But that's unfair for those skaters. Plushenko, Joubert, Takahashi et al, why should they not be allowed to fight for individual honours as well? This is the biggest problem I (and I suspect a lot of others) have with this whole concept. Some skaters will have to skate for their country in the team event, and will then be expected to take on skaters who got to rest in the individual events.

If the older generation were to continue on to Sochi not being fresh wouldn't be the biggest obstacle to them getting a medal. Their biggest obstacle would be the judges who wouldn't be on their side in the first place. So as a fan of old people, I think a team even would be their best chance at a medal in Sochi and I'd be surprised if they didn't realize it. So it would make more sense for them to put their effort behind that goal while still hanging on to a long shot's chance at an individual medal.

[manhn]

Plushenko, Joubert and Takahashi will likely not be in a team event, as their federations would surely choose the "best" from each discipline to be on the team (ie. Gachinsky, Amodio, Kazuka, although nothing is set in stone). A more likely veteran type scenario is where someone like Rochette or Pachelet/Bourzet would consider returning or staying on not for a chance for an individual medal but a team one. Both would likely still be the best in their country by that time but may have considered retiring were it not for this team event.

[minignome]

I meant they would not sanction doing team before individual.

NBC won't sanction the ladies competition not being one of the last events of the Olympics.

[Vagabond]

As explained in Post # 30, neither Takahashi, Kozuka, nor Oda will be pariticipating in the team event.

On the other hand, some of these skaters may very well be pariticipating:

Stina Maritini & Severin Kiefer
Alexandra Malakhova & Leri Kenchadze
Georgi Kenchadze
Kristina Tremasova & Dimitar Lichev
Vitali Luchanok
Lesia Valadzenkva & Vitali Vakunov
Lubov Bakirova & Mikalai Kamianchuk
Danielle Montalbano Evgeni Krasnopolski
Brooke Elizabeth Frieling & Lionel Rumi

There's also a chance that having a Team competition will lead to getting rid of the Exhibition.