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Philpug

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She made it there, within the rules, she didn't cheat, she didn't take someone elses spot. Remember, a snowboarder who started 26th just won GOLD in the SuperG. Please explain exactly where the line is drawn. Hell, she got above the lip in a superpipe...I would venture to say the vast majority of the people here could not...superpipes are damn big...the coping is at 22', kudos to her.
 

jmeb

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I guess I'm in the minority that thinks this sort of just stinks. Its a bit insulting to the other competitors and the spirit of the games to me when someone who can self-fund trips to China to ski in qualifying events with limited talent (and again performing nothing more than straight errors) and then exploits ancestry to compete for a country she's never lived in.

The idea that it's because there is a lack of depth of talent is hogwash. Nor does it seem relevant to me whether people on a board that generally lacks freestylers can ski a superpipe -- this ain't Newschoolers. There are lots of women more capable of skiing a superpipe than this. But they don't have the funding beyond an already expensive hobby to travel the world to exploit loopholes.

For the record -- I'd have no issue at all if we were talking about a person from Hungry who qualified legit and then performed like this. I think it is great when people push their own limits and earn the right to represent their country. Which is why I think the Eddie the Eagle and Jamaican bobsled teams are not comparable. Its that it's a tech-recruiter from the Bay Area who played the loopholes game because she could afford to.

Is she within the rules? Sure.

Does it represent the spirit of the games when you can effectively pay to play? Not to me.
 

Philpug

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For the record -- I'd have no issue at all if we were talking about a person from Hungry who qualified legit and then performed like this. I think it is great when people push their own limits and earn the right to represent their country. Its that it's a tech-recruiter from the Bay Area who played the game because she could afford to.

Is she within the rules? Sure.

Does it represent the spirit of the games when you can effectively pay to play? Not to me.
This is the par that I have an issue with too. Just because you are 1/8th Etheopean...twice removed on your mailman's side does not mean you should be allowed to represent Etheopedia (or whatever country). It should be where you have residence/citizenship. It was this way in the summer games too with basketball.
 

Mike Thomas

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Jmeb just NAILED my opinion.

Anyone saying "well, I couldn't do that in superpipe" is kind of (completely) missing the point. EVERY SINGLE athlete in the Olympics is performing at a level that you will never, ever know. That is the entire point.

She bought her way in, that is wrong. She didn't do something honorable or clever, she spent $$$.
 

Novaloafah

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Eddie the Eagle, Jamaican bobsled all over again. Good for her. Can't say as I skied a 1/2 pipe even.

Cassie did a great job, but her medal is overshadowed by Tessa and Scott. All I hear about this morning is Ice dance. Dammit - we won a gold in 1/2 pipe too!

I know! Tried to explain how cool the super pipe win is but most people don't get it. Good on Virtue and Moir, very classy and an exceptional career but a gold medal should get some coverage!
 

Philpug

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Jmeb just NAILED my opinion.

Anyone saying "well, I couldn't do that in superpipe" is kind of (completely) missing the point. EVERY SINGLE athlete in the Olympics is performing at a level that you will never, ever know. That is the entire point.

She bought her way in, that is wrong. She didn't do something honorable or clever, she spent $$$.
As far as the "spirit of the games", that has been long gone with the doping, the Chinese taking divers to compete in aerials. And buying their way onto a team? Look what families pay to get on/stay on the U.S. Ski team through their own funding and donations drives. The spirit in long gone This is all publicity for her and very well there will be a lot of eye rolls when she tries to cash in on it but she is doing it.
 

hbear

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She made it there, within the rules, she didn't cheat, she didn't take someone elses spot. Remember, a snowboarder who started 26th just won GOLD in the SuperG. Please explain exactly where the line is drawn. Hell, she got above the lip in a superpipe...I would venture to say the vast majority of the people here could not...superpipes are damn big...the coping is at 22', kudos to her.
That snowboarder is a legit competitor on the circuit. And has a top 10 under her belt already prior to this (in DH).

This freestyle skier has always finished (as far as I know) DFL unless other competitors crash and burned. She does arguably nothing that resembles super pipe skiing and “earned” her way to games by exploiting.

As far as taking somebody’s place, technically no but there are many legitimate competitors above her that were unable to participate due to rules limiting the number of competitors from the same country. Those rules in place to allow somebody from say (Hungary) to enter....this women is not from Hungary. She is an American that clearly was unable to qualify as an American (where she I believe holds citizenship and residency) and worked the system to get her there due to her lack of talent......the path she took was setup for a different spirit and frankly what we just saw was exploitive and disgusting.
 

KevinF

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I understand that what she did is not necessarily considered popular and some are upset at how she "found" and "bought" her way in.

Finding loopholes in the rules is as old as sports itself. Buddy Ryan (long ago coach of the Philadelphia Eagles) pulled a few stunts... the rule(s) concerning injuries (i.e., injured player has to sit out a play) is because of him. Fake an injury, get a clock stoppage, Bill Belicheck (sp?) of the New England Patriots has been known to use a few "undocumented features" himself... I recall a play against the Ravens a few years ago involving who was an eligible receiver that got some attention. A legal play involving a loophole in the rules that virtually nobody knew about. Who was the baseball manager who signed a midget to get a walk? Heck, the invention of the forward pass itself was probably somebody finding a loophole in the rules saying it wasn't illegal.

I'm not saying who is "right" or "wrong"... just pointing out that exploiting loopholes is nothing new. The IOC can modify the rules to prevent somebody from taking the same path... and in the next Olympics, somebody else will find another backdoor in.

Locks and thieves are in an eternal struggle and neither side is ever going to win.
 

jmeb

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The excuse that others have disrespected the "spirit of the games" whatever that means is an excuse for another person doing the same is a non-starter for me.

I don't have any idyllic picture of some perfect games. There is obviously corruption, doping and people not living up to the ideal. To me that doesn't mean we excuse another degradation.

To me, however imperfect the games are, they still have something worth trying to respect.
 

Mike Thomas

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I don't believe the "spirit of the games" is long gone, I don't believe that at all.

I do not mind doping. The person doping is training HARDER to be a great athlete. Sure, it's cheating, but it is an attempt to be better than the competition. I mind a wealthy person spending $$$ instead sweat equity to access the Olympics.


(and Kevin, the ineligible receiver play is run all the time in college football. It wasn't some obscure rule loophole. The refs actually told the Ravens that the Patriot player was inelligable and not to cover him before the play was run.)
 

Lauren

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I guess I'm in the minority that thinks this sort of just stinks. Its a bit insulting to the other competitors and the spirit of the games to me when someone who can self-fund trips to China to ski in qualifying events with limited talent (and again performing nothing more than straight errors) and then exploits ancestry to compete for a country she's never lived in.

Curious if anyone has seen any interviews or opinions from other competitors and what they think about this...?
 

Alexzn

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I suggest that everyone chill on the hate. She did train pretty for this (read the article in Denver Post that includes comments from her coach). Olympic qualifying rules are not perfect, and if people find a loophole to participate, so be it. The only competitor quoted in the article (who won the gold) said that she qualified, so she had the same right to be there as she did. if Cassie does not mind, why should you. Its amusing, but you should not hate here.
Doping is a different story, I totally disagree with Mike, a doper is not training harder, a doper is looking for a shortcut to greatness, undermining the legitimate competitor in the process. Say what you want about Elizabeth, but she didn't take away anyone's medal.

Now, the question for the Tahoe crew- where does she train? I bet at Northstar :roflmao:.
 

scott43

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Curious if anyone has seen any interviews or opinions from other competitors and what they think about this...?
One of the Canadian girls said basically good for her. So I don't know there is much animosity towards her..but that's coming from someone who made it to the games..dunno what others who are obviously much better but couldn't make it because the rules feel about it..
 

Mike Thomas

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How to become an Olympian (or "professional athlete") in two relatively easy steps-

Step 1) pick a sport with expensive equipment/ cost of participation that bars entry by most people. If the sport doesn't pay well for pros, even better.

Step 2) be female

The end.
 

WheatKing

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Curious if anyone has seen any interviews or opinions from other competitors and what they think about this...?

You can be guaranteed that they've already been prompted to make a statement that doesn't criticize the games, the rules or the "spirit of competition"

You can't display logos of something that hasn't paid their dues to the IOC.. do you think they'll let someone criticize the IOC's decision to let someone compete who clearly isn't athletic enough to be there in the first place?? gotta keep this illusion going..

I don't blame her.. not completely.. everyone starts somewhere.. experience is the best teacher.. been there done that in my brief skating career.. My opinion is the IOC is to blame..

good on her for going out there.. do the training runs.. but really.. leave the competition for the kids that came to try and win.

I know from figure skating.. you couldn't compete at certain levels unless you could provide competency.. not just placement.. actual skills testing.

If you can't land a double axle or double flip.. forget it.. you can't even sign up to compete..

I realize park/pipe are still "new" but some standardized testing/certification would go a long way to ensuring this doesn't happen again..
 

Fishbowl

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Considering that the vast majority of participants in the Olympics have very little chance of medaling, but are there for personal reasons, she has more in common with the average Olympian than highly paid and successful professional athletes like White and Shiffrin. In fact, perhaps she imbodies the Olympic spirit more than pros who are taking over the games?
 

jmeb

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In fact, perhaps she imbodies the Olympic spirit more than pros who are taking over the games?

Surely you jest.

Mikaela has trained as hard or harder than any other single person at the games. Since she could walk. In one sport, that is her life and that she is the best in the world at.

The woman under discussion has only been freestyle skiing a couple years, figured out that she could use this loophole to get to the games.

The fact that others have little chance of medalling isn't the same. As long as those people represent the best athletes their country has, go for it.

The biggest issue here is the ways athletes compete for countries which are not in anyway their home countries just to compete. This just happens to be a particularly egregious case where the level of talent of said non-home country athlete was so far below the competitors that it appears a insulting to the process.

To be clear, I dislike her scheming, but I don't hate her. I hate the process that allowed such a silly thing to occur.
 

fatbob

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Surely you jest.

Mikaela has trained as hard or harder than any other single person at the games. Since she could walk. In one sport, that is her life and that she is the best in the world at.

The woman under discussion has only been freestyle skiing a couple years, figured out that she could use this loophole to get to the games.

Bur ironically despite a gold and possibly another medal to come MS will apparently go home feeling like an overstressed failure while the "cheat" will likely have achieved her ambitions and go on to something else probably where she can use her obvious wits and drive succesfully.
 

jmeb

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When even the team you're representing realizes it was a mistake to allow you to compete on their behalf....

""We, the Hungarian Olympic Committee, have to learn the lessons from this case, and we must consider rethinking our nomination procedures,” a Hungarian team spokesman told Reuters via email.


“We shall be doing this, with the assistance of the appropriate experts, in the near future,” the spokesman added."

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...k-after-swaney-halfpipe-display-idUSKCN1G41QS
 

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