2022 Olympic Team Event discussion and predictions | Page 5 | Golden Skate

2022 Olympic Team Event discussion and predictions

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I always wondered about that with the Shibutanis doing both segments of dance in 2018 because it undeniably helped them. Still, it seemed like Hubbell/Donohue should've had one of those spots (of course then that would've led to a debate likely about who to cut from the team between Bradie and Mirai).

I think decisions like this are when politics come into play. Either Bradie or the Shibs could have handled double duty, so it probably came down to who made the most convincing argument for their athlete to be selected.
 

theharleyquinn

Medalist
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
I think decisions like this are when politics come into play. Either Bradie or the Shibs could have handled double duty, so it probably came down to who made the most convincing argument for their athlete to be selected.

Agreed. The Shibutanis had serious free dance problems going into the Olympics based on what happened at GPF and Nationals. I think the case to have Hubbell/Donohue (or I suppose even Chock/Bates who had good FD results) skate the FD was quite strong. But the Shibutanis had Marina Zueva in their corner and a longer good reputation.

On the flip side, there was zero chance that Mirai would've been left off the team event, and everyone seemed in agreement that Bradie was far more reliable.
 

aka_gerbil

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Granted, we’re only an n=2 when it comes to the team event in the Olympics. That said, of the 6 teams across the two games, H/D are the only reigning national champions in their event at the time of the games who did not get to skate in the team competition.

Once H/D won that national title, they should have been included in the team event. There were some ways to structure that team to make sure all the national champions got to compete in a segment. I think it very much came down to politics though. My understanding is within USFS, h/d are a team that does not often/ever get the favor that some other teams or skaters do.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Nationals was essentially a 3-way tie, I don't think H/D deserved to be selected just because of that. They were 2nd in both segments at both Nationals and the GPF, which really makes their case worse for being chosen to do a single segment in the Team event. It's unfortunate that all 3 teams couldn't be given a chance to compete, that's a perfect example of how overly limited the Team event is right now.

The USA selections were very smart from a marketing perspective. They "needed" Rippon in there because it was obvious he would be big on social media, and Mirai for the 3Axel and comeback hype (but not with her boring SP and risk of tanking in that segment). That left the Shibutanis as the best sole choice for the Dance event, because they had by far the highest scoring Short Dance, and the potential to improve upon mistakes in the FD that had been previously keeping their score lower.
 

Colonel Green

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2018
Country
Canada
On the flip side, there was zero chance that Mirai would've been left off the team event
Dubious. Including Mirai in the team event was a risk compared to Bradie, who was far more reliable. The USFS decided to take that risk and it paid off, but I would hardly say there was no chance of her being left out.
 

theharleyquinn

Medalist
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Dubious. Including Mirai in the team event was a risk compared to Bradie, who was far more reliable. The USFS decided to take that risk and it paid off, but I would hardly say there was no chance of her being left out.

I think you're underestimating the optics of not having Mirai in the team event. Mirai at least had been to an Olympics before and there was a lot of interest in her getting the superlative of being the first American woman to land a 3A at the Olympics (particularly specific superlative but one that mattered to Americans nonetheless). The team event was a better stage for that and gave her an extra try. Bradie was consistent, but she was also untested. None of the U.S. ladies were in danger of medaling in the ladies event, so you might as well give Mirai the opportunity to become a medalist, especially since so much of her 2018 narrative was being left off the Sochi team. The U.S. also didn't need a swap in dance so badly that there was a reason for Bradie to skate both segments.
 

NaVi

Medalist
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
France is no longer a contender.

It'll be interesting to see if Georgia qualifies as they could potentially contend for top 5.
 

happycamper2554

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 15, 2018
France is no longer a contender.

It'll be interesting to see if Georgia qualifies as they could potentially contend for top 5.

Will be dependent on either the lady or pair qualifying. I think they will have enough points from the men and dance to qualify a team.
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
Hahaha. I am going to make you all laugh. I want the Dutch in the Team event. They've got a pair, a lady, a man and even two dance teams. I know, they're low in scoring but still. Sorry, more wish than reality to be honest, but it's just so funny when everyone is discussing the composition of a team while there are so many countries without even having one.
 

NaVi

Medalist
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Will be dependent on either the lady or pair qualifying. I think they will have enough points from the men and dance to qualify a team.

Sure, but I really meant medal contender. And without being a medal contender it's likely their best ice dance team will skip the team event.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
... And without being a medal contender it's likely their best ice dance team will skip the team event.

I'm going a bit off topic, but if dance once again is third in the order of OWG competition for individual disciplines, I do not see why it would be likely for the best dancers from a non-contender team to skip the team event.
To me, it would make sense for the best dancers from a non-contender team to embrace the team event as an extra chance to compete on Olympic ice -- both to enjoy the thrill of it and to gain the experience of it before the individual competition in dance.

In 2018, the individual SD was not held until eight days after the team event SD.
To me, eight days would seem like sufficient time for dancers to recharge after the team event.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I'm going a bit off topic, but if dance once again is third in the order of OWG competition for individual disciplines, I do not see why it would be likely for the best dancers from a non-contender team to skip the team event.
To me, it would make sense for the best dancers from a non-contender team to embrace the team event as an extra chance to compete on Olympic ice -- both to enjoy the thrill of it and to gain the experience of it before the individual competition in dance.

In 2018, the individual SD was not held until eight days after the team event SD.
To me, eight days would seem like sufficient time for dancers to recharge after the team event.

I agree. Didn't all the top contenders skate in the team competition in Sochi? In Korea, Virtue and Moir did... and I think that experience helped them in the individual event.... or at least it didn't hurt. Might things have turned out differently if the French team had decided to participate in the Team Event... get the nerves under control and the kinks worked out? We'll never know.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
France is no longer a contender.

It'll be interesting to see if Georgia qualifies as they could potentially contend for top 5.

I've adopted Georgia as my "home team" from a non-traditionally-powerful skating federation.

I have no ancestral (or any other) ties to Georgia that I know of... I just like the dream of smaller federations having a chance, and they deserve someone rooting for them. I encourage everyone to root for a smaller fed. Pick one!
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
I agree. Didn't all the top contenders skate in the team competition in Sochi? In Korea, Virtue and Moir did... and I think that experience helped them in the individual event.... or at least it didn't hurt. Might things have turned out differently if the French team had decided to participate in the Team Event... get the nerves under control and the kinks worked out? We'll never know.
The German pair in the Sochi team event was Wende/Wende, so Savchenko/Szolkowy must have skipped. There may have been others.

ETA: My small fed is Australia. They have an inflatable kangaroo and more recently a koala puppet. And they speak English, so I can understand them (sot of).
 

NaVi

Medalist
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
I trust American men more than Russian men and that's the event with the largest potential of point swings so I personally have Russia and the USA to be essentially even.

If Kneirim and Frazier turn out to be consistent, then I might have the USA as the smidge favorites.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
France is no longer a contender.
They can still get top 5, it will come down to beating Canada in the singles disciplines, which is not unlikely at all.

Russia, USA, and China are looking even more settled for the medals though.
 

kirauza343

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
They can still get top 5, it will come down to beating Canada in the singles disciplines, which is not unlikely at all.

Russia, USA, and China are looking even more settled for the medals though.
I don’t know if we can completely count out Canada for a medal. Their ladies are not looking good sure, but that’s not exactly China’s strongest area either (and at Four Continents this past year a Canadian lady beat the top Chinese lady). Their pairs are weaker than China’s but are still relatively strong and they have the edge in dance. Their men are very inconsistent but if they can hit they can place fairly well (Nam Nguyen even had a higher seasons best than Boyang Jin this past season!).

I think China will have the edge especially with it taking place in Beijing but Canada’s not a complete list cause
 

Colonel Green

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2018
Country
Canada
They can still get top 5, it will come down to beating Canada in the singles disciplines, which is not unlikely at all.

Russia, USA, and China are looking even more settled for the medals though.
I wouldn't call China "settled" to any degree. The bronze I think is open to several countries depending on how people skate on the day, since there's no third federation that's strong across the board and, in particular, lots of ways things could work out in terms of order in the singles disciplines (the oddest factor to me is that the battle for the bronze could turn on what happens in the ladies' short program even though most of the bronze medal contenders don't have a strong lady).

Lately I've been thinking Japan could make a strong bid by maxing out points in both singles disciplines and if their pairs team, in particular, can place respectably in the middle.
 

flanker

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
Country
Czech-Republic
Well, the country needs truly strong contender in at least two categories to have a chance, while they need top be at least "so-so" in others. the countries who have somehow talents spread among all four disciplines are naturally Russia, USA and IMO Italy.

France was held by pair discipline, but with the end of James/Cipres they don't have a strong contender in two categories. They have Papadakis/Cizeron, but in other categories Aymoz is not enough when teir current ladies and pairs lack on the top too much.

China has strong pairs and has Boyang, but the other two categories are too weak.

Japan has men and ladies, but too weak ice dance and currently no competitive pair.

Canada can achieve good results in three categories, but their ladies are currently not competitive with the top.
 
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