Women's Halfpipe - Elizabeth Swaney

[Moses]

But the Olympic committee is in the business of sport, not immigration.

If a country has such a lax citizenship, what power does the Olympic committee to say no?

Sure, the Olympic committee CAN set a rule that’s more strict than citizenship, but that’s a very drastic move. It’s the equivalent of the Olympic committee saying I don’t trust your government!

It’s not the IOC, it’s the individual country, the NSA/NGB and the FIS.

 

[jack97]

Here's a clip of Hannah Hardaway. She had great turns but Traa had the best speed and air, so the latter dominated this sport during her era. Hannah had a good career by most standards (won one or two World Cup) but not stellar. Never podium in the Olympics but got to compete in one. IMO she "earned" her titled as an Olympian.


Because of the high skill level involved, its been know for a long time that it takes money to train and to trained with the better coaches. Now comes Swaney who earned her title by knowing how to play the system. Her skill level not even close to where the field should be. She and Hungary just demean what is meant to be an "Olympian".

 

[crgildart]

Because of the high skill level involved, its been know for a long time that it takes money to train and to trained with the better coaches. Now comes Swaney who earned her title by knowing how to play the system. Her skill level not even close to where the field should be. She and Hungary just demean what is meant to be an "Olympian".

Eddie the Eagle?? Nigerian and Jamaican Boblsed Teams? Those also fail the "trained their entire lives for this moment" test. Their skill levels were/are also not even close to being competitive.
Watch the Eddie the Eagle movie to see how he also milked the qualifying requirements to achieve the bare minimum points to sneak in. And the fans loved it. The other competitors and even his team mates thought, probably with justification, that he was nothing but a big joke.

Again, we've got good people swapping countries as well. We've got pretty unqualified competitors coming in due to the bare minimum not being a high enough bar. Perhaps Swaney illustrates the worst of both of these issues, but she's not the only one unqualified or the only one swapping nations just to compete..

 

[at_nyc]

Eddie the Eagle?? Nigerian and Jamaican Boblsed Teams? Those also fail the "trained their entire lives for this moment" test. Their skill levels were/are also not even close to be competitive.

There're a few other others whose skill level are far below other competitors.

But most of those other under-skilled athletes didn't go country-shopping AND event shopping to find the lowest bar to sneak in. (Elizabeth Swaney could probably train a little harder to throw a trick or two. Then she probably wouldn't have stood out like a sore thumb)

If she found an event that's under-participated in the US so that she can be in the US Olympic team, she would have been hailed as a pioneer, not as a carpetbagger. .

 

[Fishbowl]

Another example of flag shopping was the British born TaeKwonDo practitioner Aaron Cook. After an argument over coaching style, he was dropped from the GB Olympic team and replaced by the 59th ranked practitioner. At the time Aaron was ranked #1 in the world in his weight class. He originally switched his allegiance to the Isle of Man, but that still technically had him on team GB. He later obtained Moldavian citizenship and has represented them since. Although he hasn’t had Olympic success, he has won many other championships for his new country.

In this case the split with the GB Olympic team came because he was not allowed to train in the manner that got him ranked #1 in the world. He felt that the Olympic coaches were inferior, and would ruin his chances of medaling. It’s a shame when bureaucracy interferes with sports, especially when a nationality requirement prevents an individual from competing. So, in this case, I don’t blame him for flag shopping.

 

[crgildart]

There're a few other others whose skill level are far below other competitors.

But most of those other under-skilled athletes didn't go country-shopping AND event shopping to find the lowest bar to sneak in. (Elizabeth Swaney could probably train a little harder to throw a trick or two. Then she probably wouldn't have stood out like a sore thumb)

If she found an event that's under-participated in the US so that she can be in the US Olympic team, she would have been hailed as a pioneer, not as a carpetbagger. .

Agreed, but until somebody besides you actually cares it won't change. Hungary isn't regretting the arrangement, the IOC didn't regret the arrangement, mostly because the media ate it up as the next Eddie the Eagle phenomenon.

 

[at_nyc]

but until somebody besides you actually cares

This thread went for 8 pages and you say people don't care???

Hungary isn't regretting the arrangement

I guess you have a different definition of Hungary's Olympic committee's reaction.

 

[jack97]

from WIKI, the Eddie Eagle rule

"The widespread attention that Edwards received in Calgary was embarrassing to some in the ski jumping establishment. In 1990, shortly after the Olympics finished, the entry requirements were strengthened in order to make it nearly impossible for anyone to follow his example: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) instituted what became known as the Eddie the Eagle Rule, which requires Olympic hopefuls to compete in international events and be placed in the top 30% or the top 50 competitors, whichever is fewer.[12]"


Apparently, Swaney found the loophole and shopped for place percentages in specific events where top competitors would not compete due to conflicts. IMO, the more this happens, the title of being an Olympian diminishes. The IOC knows this and that's the reason they placed this rule.

 

[Fishbowl]

Apparently, Swaney found the loophole and shopped for place percentages in specific events where top competitors would not compete due to conflicts. IMO, the more this happens, the title of being an Olympian diminishes.

The title of being an Olympian only diminishes if you view the Olympics as all about winning, and not just about participating in the tradition of the games.

 

[Snowfan]

 

[François Pugh]

Eddie the Eagle?? Nigerian and Jamaican Boblsed Teams? Those also fail the "trained their entire lives for this moment" test. Their skill levels were/are also not even close to being competitive.
Watch the Eddie the Eagle movie to see how he also milked the qualifying requirements to achieve the bare minimum points to sneak in. And the fans loved it. The other competitors and even his team mates thought, probably with justification, that he was nothing but a big joke.

Again, we've got good people swapping countries as well. We've got pretty unqualified competitors coming in due to the bare minimum not being a high enough bar. Perhaps Swaney illustrates the worst of both of these issues, but she's not the only one unqualified or the only one swapping nations just to compete..

I remember Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team.
I think what separates them and what is making people upset is that they appeared to try and give it their best shot, while Swaney does not appear to have done the same. Surely if one wanted to compete in half pipe, they could have trained a bit more and been able to do more than a 180 and ski switch.

 

[Fishbowl]

I remember Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team.
I think what separates them and what is making people upset is that they appeared to try and give it their best shot, while Swaney does not appear to have done the same. Surely if one wanted to compete in half pipe, they could have trained a bit more and been able to do more than a 180 and ski switch.

Once these guys miss a trick, they usually scratch the run and ride the walls down. The slope style competitors even ski around the remaining jumps, or just butter them for fun. She could have just looked like her first hit was an attempt at a trick, put a hand down, then just cruised down the pipe. No one would have know better, just another unlucky competitor with two scratched runs. That’s IF she was trying to scam us all, but I think her runs really were her best effort at making It down the pipe cleanly. She may be misguided, but I think she had no ill intent and was sincere in her efforts.

 

[François Pugh]

I agree, that was the best she could do on that day, but she should have done more or or harder or better training leading up to that day. She had years to learn a 360. I'm not sure if anybody can be an expert skier, but given a few years, I think anybody can learn a 360.

 

[ScotsSkier]

crgildart said: ↑
from a porn nation.

I want to compete for this country

just be careful you don't overtrain before the event....

 

[Karen_skier2.0]

As an FYI, the US Freestyle Ski Team does not let anyone compete in Aerials without being able to perform a full-twisting back (one flip with one twist) and a double-back (two flips no twists.)

This kind of minimum requirement in the half pipe would set a minimum standard for competition.