Qualification System for 2014 SOCHI Olympics Figure Skating, including Team Event

[Sylvia]

2014 Olympic Winter Games (OWG) - Sochi - Qualification Systems & Rules for the Figure Skating Team Event
18 February 2013

The basic Qualification Systems for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games had been posted on the ISU website early 2012. At the same time, the IOC had informed the NOCs accordingly.

In the meantime, the Qualification System for Figure Skating and the Rules for the Figure Skating Team Event have been reviewed and updated by the ISU Council in consultation with the IOC (Rule 400, paragraph C) also taking into account the latest Rule changes adopted during the 2012 ISU Congress.

Qualification Systems Figure Skating document (12 pages): http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=4263

MINIMUM TOTAL TECHNICAL SCORE

As per Rule 400.A/B, paragraph 5 of the 2012 Special Regulations Single & Pair Skating/Ice Dance, to be entered into and participate in the individual events (Ladies, Men, Pair Skating, Ice Dance) of the Olympic Winter Games, a Skater/Couple must have reached on or before the final entry deadline (January 27, 2014) in an ISU Championships or ISU recognized International Competition (as per Article 38 paragraph 7 of the ISU Constitution and Rule 107, paragraph 1 to 9 of the ISU General Regulations) during the ongoing or immediately preceding season the applicable Minimum Total Technical Score (points) established for the ISU Championships (see ISU Special Regulations Single & Pair Skating/Ice Dance, Rule 378, paragraph 3). The applicable Minimum Total Technical Scores shall be decided by the ISU Council and shall be published in an ISU Communication at the beginning of the Olympic season 2013/14.

QUALIFICATION TIMELINE

10-17 March 2013 - ISU World Figure Skating Championships – London ON, (Canada)

15 September 2013 - NOCs qualified through the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013 confirm to ISU participation in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games

September 25-28, 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy, Oberstdorf/Germany

30 October 2013 - Confirmation by ISU regarding allocation of qualification places

5 - 8 December 2013 - ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (Japan) and subsequent ISU information regarding the qualified Teams for the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event.

11-19 January 2014 - ISU to inform relevant NOCs regarding reallocation of quota places that will have to be confirmed by the NOC within 24 hours. Lack of a NOC response to the ISU within this deadline will be considered as a refusal of the offered quota place

20 January 2014 - Final allocation of quota places by the ISU

24 January 2014 - End of re-allocation process

27 January 2014 - Deadline for Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee to receive entry forms by name submitted by the NOCs

[danafan]

The Olympic field is already limited due to maximum entries. I really don't see why the minimum score is necessary.

Imagine you could finish high enough at Nebelhorn to qualify, but not have the minimum score and someone who finishes below you who happened to have made the minimum score previously would get to go instead.

Or the ISU could just take the final qualifiers' scores in each discipline from Nebelhorn and make that the minimum tech score.

Of course they would never do that.

[allezfred]

So the ISU are going to arbitrarily decide a minimum TES score for the Olympics before the final Olympic qualifying competition?

[barbk]

So the ISU are going to arbitrarily decide a minimum TES score for the Olympics before the final Olympic qualifying competition?

Ummm...isn't that better than holding a qualifying competition where nobody knows what score is needed to meet qualification? Most sports with qualifying times or points (swimming, track & field,...) publish them ahead of time, often as "A" and "B" times.

[kwanfan1818]

Since they already have a way to limit the field size, they can go with a lower set of scores, like the Euros/4C's score. If they go with a Worlds-like set of scores, they might not be able to fill their fields, since the national NOC requirements can exceed ISU qualifying requirements.

I'm guessing they'll do the latter, anyway, since they always reserve the right to change the scores.

[leafygreens]

I don't blame them as the min score would prevent a bunch of third-tier Americans competing for Azerbaijan or Chinese Taipei just to say they are Olympians.

[allezfred]

Ummm...isn't that better than holding a qualifying competition where nobody knows what score is needed to meet qualification?

No, it's not. What happens if they set the score too high and a skater/country earns a place at Nebelhorn, but can't use the place they earned because they don't have whatever TES score the ISU designates?

Unlike the scores for ISU championships, I don't believe the qualifying scores for Olympics can be adjusted mid-season either. That's certainly the case for athletics and swimming at the Summer Olympics. The A and B standards never change.

[Skittl1321]

I don't blame them as the min score would prevent a bunch of third-tier Americans competing for Azerbaijan or Chinese Taipei just to say they are Olympians.

Didn't a lot of the country hoppers make the minimum scores for World's anyway though? So one would presume they'd be able to make them for the Olympics too. If anything, it will mean that if these countries want representation, they CAN'T use their 'real' citizens.

[leafygreens]

Good point as it would prevent a smaller country from ever competing a team. However, I brought up in another Sochi thread that perhaps skaters from different disciplines could be put into a Unified Team of various nationalities. I'm more interested in discouraging country-hopping than discouraging smaller countries.

[kwanfan1818]

Which third tier Americans representing Azerbaijan or Chinese Taipei have qualified for the Olympics in the first place?

If they did, either at Worlds or the qualifier, they are hardly third tier.

It would be easier for the ISU to adjust the scores for the Olympics mid-season: they already will have a hierarchical list of qualifiers by the end of September, and they can lower the minimum to ensure they have a full field, because no matter how many skaters qualify after they're raised, it just a increases the wait list, not the field size, like at Euros or Worlds.

That's why minimums for Olympics are redundant.

[Cherub721]

The only scenario I see where it could be necessary would be in a case where Denis Ten or Elene Gedevanishvili place in the top 10 and qualify a second spot. The minimum score would be necessary to ensure that the federations don't send a really poor quality skater as their #2.

It doesn't seem worth it to me, though, because this has actually happened in the past and their federations elected not to use their second spots, nor did Bulgaria use its second ice dance spot in 2006, and I'm sure there are other examples. I don't think most federations actually want to send an embarrassingly bad skater to the Olympics, even if they had the opportunity (which is very rare).

What's going to happen is the minimum score is going to cause headaches when someone without it skates a blinder at Russian, US, or Canadian nationals.

[danafan]

The only scenario I see where it could be necessary would be in a case where Denis Ten or Elene Gedevanishvili place in the top 10 and qualify a second spot. The minimum score would be necessary to ensure that the federations don't send a really poor quality skater as their #2.

It doesn't seem worth it to me, though, because this has actually happened in the past and their federations elected not to use their second spots.

Kazakhstan actually has a very good number two guy, Abzal Rakimgaliev, who competed in Vancouver Olympics with Denis Ten. He didn't qualify for the free, but he did at worlds two years prior.

[4rkidz]

The Olympic field is already limited due to maximum entries. I really don't see why the minimum score is necessary.

Imagine you could finish high enough at Nebelhorn to qualify, but not have the minimum score and someone who finishes below you who happened to have made the minimum score previously would get to go instead.

Or the ISU could just take the final qualifiers' scores in each discipline from Nebelhorn and make that the minimum tech score.

Of course they would never do that.

I could understand a minimum standard - every sport has that plus don't they always say that each comp is different so couldn't really just use one competition? What I would like to see is a very basic minimum international olympic standard - (dble axel/one triple in TES marks).. and then if they have more than required.. then YAY and have a qualifying competition at the event - that way those one skater countries who have worked really hard to get there will at least get to be a part of the olympics.. because isn't that what the event is also about - bringing together skaters from all over the world - not just the key countries?? Also I think they should be able to have till a month of so before the Olympics to reach that minimum.. start of the season I don't agree with..

[kwanfan1818]

Georgia gave back a second spot that Gedevanishvili earned in LA for Vancouver.

If someone skates a blind at Nationals, and it's too late to register for an international before the Olympics, then there will be more criticism that the Feds don't identify their talent and keep them home instead of giving them an opportunity to make the minimums.

If I were one of the January/early February internationals, I'd put in a hefty late fee and earn some cash.

[SamuraiK]

The only scenario I see where it could be necessary would be in a case where Denis Ten or Elene Gedevanishvili place in the top 10 and qualify a second spot. The minimum score would be necessary to ensure that the federations don't send a really poor quality skater as their #2.

It doesn't seem worth it to me, though, because this has actually happened in the past and their federations elected not to use their second spots, nor did Bulgaria use its second ice dance spot in 2006, and I'm sure there are other examples. I don't think most federations actually want to send an embarrassingly bad skater to the Olympics, even if they had the opportunity (which is very rare).

What's going to happen is the minimum score is going to cause headaches when someone without it skates a blinder at Russian, US, or Canadian nationals.

That's not necessarily true for KAZ.. They already have a decent 2nd skater :Abzal Rakimgaliev, who already went to Vancouver and has made the Worlds minimun score this year. Georgia never uses its 2nd ladies spot though.

As for feds taking advantage of spots and sending poor quality skaters , UKR still used its 2nd pair spot at Vancouver (they were really really bad) and EST sent a junior dance team (which were painful to watch) when the qualified team couldnt go due to citizenship issues.

[kwanfan1818]

Shtork/Rand were juniorish and among the weakest in Vancouver. A few seasons later they've made both TES World minimums with room to spare.

[Skittl1321]

Which third tier Americans representing Azerbaijan or Chinese Taipei have qualified for the Olympics in the first place?

I didn't say qualified for Olympics, I said qualified for World's, and presumably if they could do that, they could meet these minimums too. However, I think I was wrong, I went and looked at the qualifying scores and the three skaters I was thinking of don't appear to be on it, but neither is anyone else from those countries.

[Ziggy]

So the ISU are going to arbitrarily decide a minimum TES score for the Olympics before the final Olympic qualifying competition?

ISU is being very successful in making figure skating a more and more exclusive sport with limited participation.

[4rkidz]

ISU is being very successful in making figure skating a more and more exclusive sport with limited participation.

I agree.. isn't that part of what the olympics movement is about for us to be introduced to athletes from those countries that don't have rinks on every corner and ample amounts of money.. where a double axel and a triple sal is their triple triple..

[BreakfastClub]

Which third tier Americans representing Azerbaijan or Chinese Taipei have qualified for the Olympics in the first place?

Trifun Zivanovic... so way third tier by the time he competed in 2006 for Serbia.