2026 US Nationals Gala/Olympic Team Announcement

I am enjoying the format, surprisingly. I have been playing a little game speculating the order of announcement and WHO will announce them. Figured Boitano was the last superstar remaining to introduce Ilia!

Very happy with the entire team selection. Maybe the only controversy is the LACK of any late drama. Well done, USFS selection committee!
That's figure skating to a T. The only drama was the lack of drama!
 
OK, I didn't hate that, but now give us the alternates and the Four Continents and Junior Worlds team.

I do kind of hate that we didn't see any performances from novice/junior skaters and that all the medalists didn't get a moment of celebration. Nationals isn't ONLY about the Olympics.
 
Tenley Albright is a doctor. She's 90. She knows the odds as well as anyone for someone to be living as long as she has in good health and to be able to introduce a member of the Olympic team 70 years after they competed in their second Olympics. Simply astonishing.
 
I have no problem with announcing team members and letting them skate, but not letting the other podium athletes or the junior & novice champions skate was utterly unfair. Both to the athletes and the audience. Meanwhile the audience was stuck waiting for the commercial breaks in between every skater, plus the arena didn't get to sell stuff during intermission because there was no intermission. Maybe good for TV, but not for anyone else.

(Amber's exhibition was the best that I hadn't already seen before).
 
I understood what they were going for and it was very touching to see the athletes receive their team jacket from their loved ones, but a persistent thought I had during was we (and NBC) never would've had that viral baby Nathan moment if they used that format in 2010. That year's exhibition was also a lot of people's first exposure to Jason Brown and the Shibutanis because they were the invited juniors.
 
They could have made it the usual Exhibition show with all medalists and invited skaters, some junior winners, etc. Then make it 30 minutes longer and have that be the "Making The Team" announcement special at the end. They announce their name and skater comes from behind the curtain, the parent could have given them their jackets and then they just go out in a line on the ice as everyone gets announced/gets their jacket.
 
A question. After looking at the assignments for the rest of the year are all the skaters who were assigned Olympics AND Worlds also given the choice of whether they wanted to do 4CC or did Z/K request it specifically?
 
A question. After looking at the assignments for the rest of the year are all the skaters who were assigned Olympics AND Worlds also given the choice of whether they wanted to do 4CC or did Z/K request it specifically?
Apparently there is a chance of them improving their world standing points at 4ccs. It may have an impact on their starting order in Milan.
 
Apparently there is a chance of them improving their world standing points at 4ccs. It may have an impact on their starting order in Milan.
Okay. But my question was more about whether everyone was offered that or if they requested it themselves? Because I don't see how improving their own world standing points would or should be a focus for the USFS versus letting a team who isn't already assigned to the two biggest ISU competitions this year have a go at 4CC :confused:
 
I'm not positive, but unless we see them deciding to withdraw this week, I'd think they requested to do 4CCs. But, heck, last year, Torgy was assigned to 4CCs and then wound up withdrawing after he got back home to California from Nats, so anything is possible.
 
I'm not positive, but unless we see them deciding to withdraw this week, I'd think they requested to do 4CCs. But, heck, last year, Torgy was assigned to 4CCs and then wound up withdrawing after he got back home to California from Nats, so anything is possible.

But this year is an Olympic year. I am genuinely curious because it seems like such a dick move to take an opportunity away from another team to compete at an ISU championship when you already got assigned to the two main events 🤷‍♀️

But if the rest of the Olympic team was made the same offer then I would have to say fair enough and not judge anyone :lol:
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information