The field is so unclear at Nationals right now that the people who end up on the World team this year (aside from Malinin, most likely) may not even be in the conversation next year. If you think Jason is potentially taking away a spot from someone, who exactly would it be that is guaranteed to be building up to 2026?
Exactly. Like I said, I’m a fan of all these guys, but I wouldn’t put down money on anyone in particular to be in the mix for 2026. A lot of them have the potential, but aside from Malinin, there’s no reasonable way to place a bet now on who else “needs” the experience among this year’s senior men.
Other skaters can “commit” to competing through 2026 all they want, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all follow through or be particularly competitive. Jason may not skate perfectly all the time, but he has a track record of showing up well-prepared and taking his competitions seriously. There’s nothing in his history to suggest he’d take a Worlds spot for vanity reasons. Whatever happens at nationals, the best team for Worlds will be the three skaters who are most prepared to skate well at that moment, not whoever wins the 2026 Olympic gold medal in the fanfics people are writing.