Seguin/Bilodeau, Firus out of Worlds

[Tinami Amori]

It probably is, but it was a $hitty way of doing it. Anyone with half a brain could have seen that the second world spot should not have been decided after Nationals. I know SC has always had a soft spot for Liam, but what they have done was not helpful or fair. Sending him to the Olympics when spots aren't on the line is one thing, sending him to worlds the year before Olympic spots are decided is crazy. The upside is that it probably lit a fire under Nam to train hard for the the new team event so he will probably be more than ready for Worlds.

Got it. I watched few Liam's latest videos, and i can see why Nam or Kevin have better chances placing higher.

 

[Hanna]

S/B. So sad they won't be at Worlds, they've been my big favorites this year. I'll miss those programs (unless they maybe decide to keep one)! Thumbs up for a speedy recovery!

 

[barbarafan]

I love Seguin and Bilodeau and was looking forward to seeing them in Boston. Hope she heals up quickly and they don't miss too much training time before next season.

also to Liam Firus. Very mature decision on his part

I feel really terrible about S/B..I have been following them for a few years and although my favorite team is Dylan and Lubov I loved S/B's short program and that kind of program is my favourite..not drama or romance..I was sure that we would get our 3 spots.So pressure is on now for I/M and the team I do not like. I hope someone's up to the task.

Very confused about the Liam thing...He was happy and gung ho when named to the team why now withdraw. I thought something was going on when Kevin Reynolds tried to get his short prog. tes min last weekend but thought there maybe was a slight injury problem with Liam which might take away from his perfomance?....SC has been treating Nam like crap so it must have stuck in their craw to send him. He skated well at Skate Canada International but he was not invited to the gala...go figure..He was the reigning national champion. That must have been a real boost to his confidence..I hope Brian is able to help him to get in the right mental state for Worlds. When he is on he is on but it is a lot of pressure . Fingers crossed.

 

[dramagrrl]

There have been instances where Worlds/Olympics spots weren't used

1992 Olympics (Mann/Noria)
1997 Worlds (Wing/Lowe)
1998 Worlds (Hebert)

Also Emanuel Sandhu at the 1998 Olympics, if I remember correctly? There was a big uproar because he had the scores/results needed under SC (and I think ISU) rules, but not under COC rules, so Canada only sent Stojko and Jeff Langdon.

 

[barbarafan]

@ Liam_Firus on Twitter:
"I truly believe it's the right decision for myself to succeed in this sport.Not discouraged or sad, only excited to improve for next year!"

Very interesting... so, someone assured him there will be no succeed for him in the sport if he had not withdrawn?? Or am I reading too much?

Hadn't thought of that but I certainly do not think that SC would be above that. Everyday I lose more respect for them...Time to put some decent people in those positions.

 

[barbarafan]

Disappointed in Liam if it was his decision to pull out, he earned his spot on the team fair and square and should have fought till the end. Just look at Chartrand, she skated poorly internationally all season long but she is not giving up. If it was the decision of Skate Canada though, it doesn't reflect well at all on Slipchuk et comp.

Wishing Julianne speedy recovery.

Is Slipshit the one I should be hating??? not sure which moron is looking after these kinds of decisions.

 

[victorskid]

Bear in mind that, based on his own tweets, Liam skated badly at 4CC and almost immediately afterward he got new boots. Those are factors that could have contributed to his decision.

 

[VarBar]

Liam tweeted this on March 9:

"If you guys want to see me represent team North america at Challenge cup, vote here!!! http://www.teamchallengecup.com/captainspick #poll via @pollcaster."

https://twitter.com/Liam_Firus/status/707550106199965697

A couple of days later, he was withdrawn from the poll and withdrawn from the Canadian team for Worlds. Funny, eh? lolol

 

[chewy]

Bear in mind that, based on his own tweets, Liam skated badly at 4CC and almost immediately afterward he got new boots. Those are factors that could have contributed to his decision.

Disastrous skates at 4CC is more like it. His reactions though, in the kiss and cry, were not those of someone who was worried that his spot to worlds was on the line. The federation sure dropped a bomb on him. He could have referred to boot issues when withdrawing. We'd accept that, it happens. The announcement of Firus' withdrawal is so awkward.

Krall's stone face in the KnC at 4CC is fantastic.

 

[marbri]

Liam tweeted this on March 9:

"If you guys want to see me represent team North america at Challenge cup, vote here!!! http://www.teamchallengecup.com/captainspick #poll via @pollcaster."

https://twitter.com/Liam_Firus/status/707550106199965697

A couple of days later, he was withdrawn from the poll and withdrawn from the Canadian team for Worlds. Funny, eh? lolol

And the same day Skate Canada tweeted:
"
Skate Canada ‏@SkateCanada Mar 9
#VOTE for @AlaineChartrand and @Liam_Firus to represent Team North America at the #TeamChallengeCup #FanVote http://www.teamchallengecup.com/captainspick

....which Liam retweeted.

Doesn't seem to fit the theory of some that Skate Canada mercilessly dumped him. It would seem something happened to change minds between March 9 and March 11.

 

[Alilou]

Disastrous skates at 4CC is more like it. His reactions though, in the kiss and cry, were not those of someone who was worried that his spot to worlds was on the line. The federation sure dropped a bomb on him. He could have referred to boot issues when withdrawing. We'd accept that, it happens. The announcement of Firus' withdrawal is so awkward.

Krall's stone face in the KnC at 4CC is fantastic.

I particularly noticed the extreme frostiness from Krall in the K&C after both the SP and the LP. At one point she told him to "sit up strait!" but never said another word to him. It was epic.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Disastrous skates at 4CC is more like it. His reactions though, in the kiss and cry, were not those of someone who was worried that his spot to worlds was on the line. The federation sure dropped a bomb on him. He could have referred to boot issues when withdrawing. We'd accept that, it happens. The announcement of Firus' withdrawal is so awkward.

Krall's stone face in the KnC at 4CC is fantastic.

I particularly noticed the extreme frostiness from Krall in the K&C after both the SP and the LP. At one point she told him to "sit up strait!" but never said another word to him. It was epic.

I noticed that too - and I wondered if there is something else going on. Is Christy Krall usually negative towards her skaters when they don't skate well? I don't remember her being negative towards Josh Farris when he had his rough skates at last year's Worlds.

 

[mag]

Maybe Krall is just at the end of her rope with Firus? Maybe there are training issues or personality issues that we don't know about? Maybe he has hired his girlfriend's mother to help coach him?

 

[Seerek]

Also Emanuel Sandhu at the 1998 Olympics, if I remember correctly? There was a big uproar because he had the scores/results needed under SC (and I think ISU) rules, but not under COC rules, so Canada only sent Stojko and Jeff Langdon.

Yes, I left that example out because I believe it was the COC who enforced Olympic eligibility based on World Championship or Grand Prix results (leaving first-year senior Sandhu out of luck as he was injured in the fall and unable to attempt fulfilling the Grand Prix standard).

I'm not sure the Gilmore Junio situation is all that comprable since Junio had already competed in his specialty event in Sochi (500m, 10th place) and competing in the 1000m was really just a bonus. Unlike Junio, Firus doesn't have a second event to fall back on when he gives up his spot.

 

[WildRose]

Is Slipshit the one I should be hating??? not sure which moron is looking after these kinds of decisions.

His name is Michael Slipchuk, and there is no reason for anyone to be hating on him or calling him juvenile names. The only morons I'm seeing are the ones who refuse to credit Liam Firus with the integrity, intelligence and common sense to know when he isn't ready to compete.

 

[Spareoom]

^^ I can't speak for the KnC but after his short, Liam hung out in the shadows by himself in the athlete's seating section and looked incredibly sad. Maybe he didn't know SC might yank his World's spot but he certainly wasn't writing 4CC's off as a bad time.

 

[overedge]

The only morons I'm seeing are the ones who refuse to credit Liam Firus with the integrity, intelligence and common sense to know when he isn't ready to compete.

And there is also no reason to call people "morons" because they don't all have the same views of the situation. No one is saying that Firus is stupid or that he doesn't know what's best for himself. But there are a lot of unanswered questions around the situation that have nothing to do with the type of person Firus is.

 

[WanderlustTO]

I think you are reading too much into it. On a grammar police note, I wish people would use "me" instead of "myself." "Me is the correct word 99% of the time and "myself" just sounds over the top.

For some reason, people think that using the word "myself" sounds more "educated" than using "me" - without realizing that there are these things we call "grammar rules" that dictate usage.

@ Liam_Firus on Twitter:
"I truly believe it's the right decision for myself to succeed in this sport.Not discouraged or sad, only excited to improve for next year!"

Very interesting... so, someone assured him there will be no succeed for him in the sport if he had not withdrawn?? Or am I reading too much?

I think you're reading too much into it.

But that tweet just makes it sound more like SC pushed him into it.

 

[WildRose]

Sorry but I don't think it's fair to call Michael Slipchuk a juvenile derogatory name or accuse him or Skate Canada of being morons, and that is the post I was responding to. If anyone else took offence, my apologies. Regardless, I thought Liam was very clear in his statement and subsequent tweets that it was his decision. What are all these "unanswered questions" other than the fact that a few people have decided that Skate Canada is somehow making him lie about it.

 

[midori]

I think you're reading too much into it.

Hope I am... but then if it was purely his own idea and he gave up while he still has more than two weeks till the competition, I don't know how it would help him succeed in the sport in future, and I am not sure if I like it better than the case it was someone else's idea. Or maybe he has some other good reason he had to withdraw but he just doesn't want to share it with public, then again I feel really sad that he's in such a situation. So, I really don't like this anyway. Well I know I'm just grumbling over something none of my business but I just cannot help.

 

[overedge]

What are all these "unanswered questions" other than the fact that a few people have decided that Skate Canada is somehow making him lie about it.

And again, I don't think everyone is saying that Skate Canada is forcing him to lie. But it's not common for someone to get onto a World team and then to drop out relatively close to Worlds without being injured or ill - especially someone who has never been to Worlds before, who has strong competition within their own country, and whose skating career might benefit from the exposure/experience of going to Worlds. The circumstances are unusual and that's why questions are being asked.

 

[WildRose]

Hope I am... but then if it was purely his own idea and he gave up while he still has more than two weeks till the competition, I don't know how it would help him succeed in the sport in future, and I am not sure if I like it better than the case it was someone else's idea. Or maybe he has some other good reason he had to withdraw but he just doesn't want to share it with public, then again I feel really sad that he's in such a situation. So, I really don't like this anyway. Well I know I'm just grumbling over something none of my business but I just cannot help.

This is the type of decision that a coach would have to be involved in - he wouldn't be making it purely on his own.

 

[thvu]

Sorry but I don't think it's fair to call Michael Slipchuk a juvenile derogatory name or accuse him or Skate Canada of being morons, and that is the post I was responding to.

But it's perfectly fair for you to throw around that label? To your fellow posters no less?

If anyone else took offence, my apologies.

Sounds like a classic un-apology to me.

 

[midori]

This is the type of decision that a coach would have to be involved in - he wouldn't be making it purely on his own.

Well if his coach started it, that's a case of "someone else's idea" right? He must have talked with people who are close to him before the decision, probably including coach, but my focus is rather on who put him the idea.
ETA: I noticed some people here are focusing on how Skate Canada got involved on this but I'm not familiar with the federation and I'm just talking about it was his own or someone else, and someone else includes not only the federation but coach, family, friends or anyone else.

 

[WildRose]

Well if his coach started it, that's a case of "someone else's idea" right? He must have talked with people who are close to him before the decision, probably including coach, but my focus is rather on who put him the idea.
ETA: I noticed some people here are focusing on how Skate Canada got involved on this but I'm not familiar with the federation and I'm just talking about it was his own or someone else, and someone else includes not only the federation but coach, family, friends or anyone else.

That's a very good point. It's certainly possible that it could have been his coach that first suggested it and that he decided to follow her advice.

 

[barbarafan]

His name is Michael Slipchuk, and there is no reason for anyone to be hating on him or calling him juvenile names. The only morons I'm seeing are the ones who refuse to credit Liam Firus with the integrity, intelligence and common sense to know when he isn't ready to compete.

Leave Liam out of this one. No is calling him anything. everyone went to nationals...The results were unusual but the team did not have to be named immediately and SC were not obliged to send the top 2. That being said since they jumped in and did that they just should have supported who they chose. Instead they tried to get Kevin his mins so he could go to worlds. That did not work so now Nam is going. On March 9 Liam was gung ho to go to the team competition..on the 11th he withdraws from everything. Did a lightbulb suddenly go off or was he in some way pressured or guilted into withdrawing.If you really think that Liam suddenly was hit with all this integrity, intelligence and common sense on March 11th but he was not like that on March 9th.

 

[4rkidz]

I can totally see a Canadian skater taking one for the team - good for him. Liam knows better than anyone how his training is going, if he doesn't feel confident that he'll do well at Worlds then he's made a very intelligent decision. I'll be looking forward to cheering him on next season.

From what I understand this was Liam's decision he has been struggling with his jumps an doesn't have the confidence so like Gilmore he's thinking of the "team", quite Canadian of him

 

[paskatefan]

on both accounts. I hope they'll all be back stronger for next season!

 

[Erin]

I can believe that it was Liam's decision, but I would be surprised if there wasn't some kind of suggestion from Skate Canada that sparked it. At a minimum, I'm assuming he would have had to have discussions with Skate Canada to find out how Kevin and Nam were training to be able to make that decision properly and I could potentially see the answers from Skate Canada helping to guide his decision this way. All of this is purely speculation and reading between the lines, obviously.

That said, I think that whoever made the decision, his public statements have been incredibly classy and the reference to Gilmore Junio is an apt comparison. I still hope he gets something in return from Skate Canada for taking one for the team this year, this must have been very hard for him no matter who made the decision.

 

[Rafter]

If it was Liam's decision, good for him. Maybe even Krall suggested it? Why go to worlds with no 3a and no quad and risk embarrassing yourself badly (which is surely what would happen). His confidence would definitely become even lower than it already is going into next season.

I'm sure Skate Canada accepted his decision and are very pleased with this turn of events.

If it was Skate Canada's decision, can't say I blame them.