My wife is an elementary P.E. teacher. She teaches her students fairness. A kid once tripped and fell, then got up and finished his time trial. This kid was one of the fastest in the school, but during that race he wasn’t. The teacher’s rules are carried out … the fastest times will represent the school at the big relay event. She feels bad for the kid that tripped – his time is normally faster. But she would feel even worse replacing the person that earned the spot.
Organization’s president, Patricia St. Peter, said these words which I read in our Monday’s local newspaper, the Statesman Journal.
“If you look at Ashley Wagner’s record and performance, she’s got the top credentials of any of our female athletes,” said Patricia St. Peter.
Really? Why even have the Olympic Trials on figure skating if we’re going by credentials. Mirai Nagasu was third and Ashley Wagner was fourth. On that day Mirai was better. That’s why we have judges. What is that doing to their credibility?
I don’t know Mirai personally, but I can guarantee that she put in just as much work (for years) as Ashley. Not trying to bash Ashley, my heart goes out to her. She is not the one that made that decision, and I’m sure she was torn when she didn’t perform up to par. But that’s how it is.
If I was Ashley, I would take myself out of the team and hand it over to Mirai – the person that earned the trip and deserves to go to Sochi. That would be the right thing to do. I don’t know how I could compete when I wasn’t the one that earned the spot. Again that’s just me speaking.
Another thing, what are we teaching this young girl? What kind of an example are we setting for the younger kids that are watching? Wow, I can see this being an issue for a very long time.
“Why can’t I go? Ashley did in figure skating and she didn’t win – that’s the Olympic Trials,” a kid would say some day.
In my earlier post I was defining the meaning of “sport”. How can we see figure skating as a sport now? The organization can determine who represents the USA on their past record – not on the day of competition.
I guess the worst part of this is that our country “The USA” is not allowing a young lady that earned this spot to go to Sochi.
Mirai Nagasu, you rock! As far as I’m concerned you are an Olympian. I hope many people in the USA feel the same way I do. God Bless you.