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in light of michelle kwan, currently injured but also past her prime, petitioning for a waiver to be on the figure skating team, i'm wondering how much support she would have on this board. how many other countries do this in t&f? i know dan o'brien didn't get special treatment when he no-heighted at the trials in '92. carl lewis was barely able to make atlanta as a long jumper only, but he might have qualifed as a sprinter since he was ill during the trials. there are pluses and minuses to both sides, but i think the trials system in usa t&f best suits competitors to the olympics -- do it on a specified day or watch it all crash and burn. or is it ultimately counterproductive, depriving the usa of some of the best athletes in some cases?
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Here's a columnist who thinks Kwan should pound sand
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 01&sc=1000 -
Re: waivers
There's basically no other country in the world which decides the team the same way as the US. Even if the national championships are called WCh/ Olympic Trials, there's virtually always some space left for discretion.Originally posted by fieldguyByło smaszno, a jaszmije smukwijne...Comment
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If I recall correctly, the US skating federation is not nearly as inflexible as the USTAF. While there are no exceptions in T&F trials, there have been a few precedents in figure skating similar to MK's request. Am I full of it?"A beautiful theory killed by an ugly fact."
by Thomas Henry HuxleyComment
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Well Nancy Kerrigan got on the Olympic team after not competing at the qualifying. I can't quite recall why she missed the qualifying, though.Comment
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Re: waivers
But with aging stars its hard to justify canning the younger athletes. Ask Coe about 88 despite the flexability in the British selection process. I doubt she'll get the nod even if there is a precident.Originally posted by PowellComment
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:roll: Tonya Harding ring a bell?Originally posted by mcgatoComment
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I believe mcgato was kidding . . .Originally posted by yalper27Comment
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