Women's Halfpipe - Elizabeth Swaney

[scott43]

Dude got taken to the woodshed today in the media for suggesting that they should have a Canada-US tourney and another tourney for the other nations in women's hockey. I don't know where it will go in the future..but he has a point at the moment. It's been this way for 30 years. Hopefully the competition level picks up one day.

 

[Karen_skier2.0]

Swaney's Interview

In one of her interviews, she said:

In an interview from Pyeongchang, South Korea, Swaney said she is capable of landing several high-flying tricks on waterski ramps, such as frontflips, backflips and 360s.

"I have all the skills that I need to be a great competitor at the World Cup level," she told "Squawk on the Street." "I just haven't been comfortable enough yet to land those tricks on snow."

However, Swaney told CNBC she doesn't understand the criticism, citing her participation in the World Cup over the last two years. "I just didn't perform my best at the Olympics."

My thoughts: Wait until you can land them on snow before coming to the Olympics.

Hungarian Olympic Committee

"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.

Reevaluation Selection Criteria

One difficulty that the FIS has is setting a minimum score for an athlete in a subjective sport. In fixed distance races--whether it be XC skiing or marathons--a NGB could set a maximum time for an event. But, in this case, they would have to specify a minimum number and type of tricks to not wind up with a DNS.

 

[Karen_skier2.0]

Why is it right to claim a country you never lived in just to go to Olympics?

If you can’t make team in Home country that’s on you. There are too many Americans skiing and participating for other countries. It’s ridiculous. Maybe if you join a foreign team for sport your should be required to move there for a decade.

Believe me, people hand pick the countries that have some of the easiest requirements to gain citizenship--ones without residency requirements.

On the flip side, even in the US, the requirements to become a US citizen become a lot easier if you show a history of top Olympic/International level results.

A really interesting book to read is As Good As Gold: 1 Woman, 9 Sports, 10 Countries, and a 2-Year Quest to Make the Summer Olympics by Kathryn Bertine. Coming from a figure skating, rowing, and triathlete background, what started as a series of articles for ESPN became a true quest to make the Olympics in triathlon, modern pentathlon, team handball, track cycling, road cycling, rowing, open water swimming, racewalking, and luge. She barely missed qualifying for the Olympics, but did become a formidable pro cyclist--two top 10 and six top 20 UCI finishes, and has competed at eight world championships. She did get dual citizenship with St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

[at_nyc]

To be fair I think he was speaking of those living in America claiming other nationalities to make the Olympics when never living there.

He was speaking of more than that:

"In the same way that I think if you come to the USA from Mexico and become US citizen, you should NOT be rooting for the Mexico national team when it plays the US national team (soccer)."

So if an American choose to live in the UK, and becomes a citizen of UK, they should also be expected NOT to be rooting for the US team no more!

People can be so self-centered. They only think of the Mexicans coming to the US while retaining their Mexican root, I bet they never thought of Americans would choose to live abroad!


As for the athletes, I do agree with that point. They should spend some minimum number of months or years in the country they "represent"! It's really a farce to claim to represent a country one NEVER lived in.

Who knows, if Elizabeth Swaney are required to spend 6 month in Romainia, maybe she'll get to learn some of her heritage!

 

[Ohioskier]

@Analisa i read your post in regards to this issue bringing up woman’s inclusion or interest. I disagree that it’s good. She made a mockery of the sport and woman’s inclusion. She set it back years. When you can’t land a simple trick you don’t deserve to compete at highest level regardless of you figuring a loophole. I am a father of 5 with 3 daughters that are skiers. My eldest can rip and I bet you if I knew what that girl was doing I could have her do better this year on her skis or a board. The way to get more woman involved is to have more fathers take their daughters skiing and let them decide path. My girls love to ski and race and presently don’t do terrain park as much. This has set them back as millions have seen this display of non sense. She has made a joke out of the entire thing. I really hope the top riders can overcome. The set backs are not being able to do the massive air and tricks guys can hit. Now millions have seen an Olympic athlete that cannot even function in the pipe. She has disgraced the sport, olympics and herself. She has also set back my daughters and every other girl that would like to be taken seriously in this sport.

 

[François Pugh]

It just seems to me that given that she had competing in the Olympics as a goal, and that she spent several years competing in this event, she either started with no talent, or didn't have very good training. I would think someone, nay, almost anyone, would be able to train themselves up to a higher level in the amount of time she has been doing it.

 

[ScotsSkier]

I might be wrong but I believe he gets to live in the architectural and cultural jewel of all of Europe that is Luton. That is a reward mere money or fame cannot buy.

Ah well, living in Luton is sufficient punishment!!!

Believe me, people hand pick the countries that have some of the easiest requirements to gain citizenship--ones without residency requirements.

On the flip side, even in the US, the requirements to become a US citizen become a lot easier if you show a history of top Olympic/International level results.

I could be wrong Karen but I dont think having international/olympic results makes citizenship any easier (or any different process). It does make getting a green card easier, as does advanced scientific and similar achievements.

But now that you are all calling out Swaney for what you feel is country shopping I must also admit "Mea culpa" (that's latin for those of you without a classical education ). I did the same with my FIS license, it has always shown me as USA rather than GBR. I thought it would be easier to make the team that way.....

Of course it is now legit!

 

[Analisa]

@Ohioskier - I can respect that viewpoint and agree that "good" might be a bit too generous. I think I'd be more aligned with your viewpoint if anyone had called into question the credibility of all women, especially medalists, based on her run. The bench may be thin (she's still ranked 34th, with or without competing under Hungary), but I haven't seen anyone arguing that it lacks talent.

I would say that I'm hopeful that the publicity has piqued some girls' & parents interest enough to dabble and see if they like it. If I were to roll back the clock 8 years and be a 16 year old again who's nearing my "expiration" as a gymnast, I think I would've been curious about it as a way to keep training and competing. I ended up in college cheer, which was fine, but I think doing something on skis could've led to more unique experiences - even though I likely wouldn't have been top-ten elite. At the very least it would've been a cooler crowd of girls to hang out with and a lot less spray tanning

 

[fatbob]

My girls love to ski and race and presently don’t do terrain park as much. This has set them back as millions have seen this display of non sense. She has made a joke out of the entire thing. I really hope the top riders can overcome. The set backs are not being able to do the massive air and tricks guys can hit. Now millions have seen an Olympic athlete that cannot even function in the pipe. She has disgraced the sport, olympics and herself. She has also set back my daughters and every other girl that would like to be taken seriously in this sport.

Really. You could just as essily make the case that she has shown them that a place in top 20 or 30 in the world is within their grasp. Again I'd say she isn't the one who made the mockery but the FIS. If they don't run a comp schedule that is compatible with having a deeper field maybe they need to reconsider.

Also I like the sexism that says it's fathers who have to take their daughters to ski - what about mothers? I'd also be careful what you wish for - remember Sarah Burke one of the driving forces behind halfpipe inclusion in the Olympics died as a result of head injuries sustained in training. This ain't curling or XC in terms of risk profile.

 

[Moses]

The nuttiest thing (I thought) was that the commentator seemed to be taking her seriously. Which is a nice, respectful way to treat a fellow human, but I couldn't believe he didn't even mention how she qualified etc. I mean she was clearly an outlier, performance-wise.

There’s a broadcasting rule about this - only for the Olympics though. World Championships, anything goes.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I don't really see this as something that needs fixing. If a bunch more girls decide that they can back door their way into the Olympics, then it will get more competitive. You'll have to land one trick to beat the girls with no tricks. Two to beat her, etc.

 

[Jacob]

You need to give up your US citizenship!

How dare you live NOT in the country you were born with? Even if you don't have anything against your birth country, what are they offering you in UK for you to emigrate?

Do you root for the US team when it plays England?

To start with my company offered me a full-time job with full benefits if I moved here, rather than the contractor position with no benefits that I had in the US. Other than that, I've got quick and easy travel to Europe, affordable health care, and a much lower murder rate than in the US.

But, I still have family in various parts of America, so keeping my US citizenship makes it easier to visit them.

And yes, I have actually rooted for the US against England, in a match played in Wembley stadium no less.

 

[Ohioskier]

@fatbob sure fathers and mothers should. I’m just simply saying more involvement is fine but when you prop someone up as top 30 in world that can’t compete or complete a single trick is ridiculous. She isn’t top 30. If I go to any ski area I can grab girls better than her. I’m done with it she should be embarrassed for what she did making a mockery of process and sport.

 

[SBrown]

As pointed out, the Olympics always has competitors who are not very good at their sport. Remember that one swimmer who looked like he was about to drown in the 100m free? And he actually won his heat, because the other two swimmers DQ'd! So I don't buy the "disgracing the sport" aspect of this.

The qualification loopholes should be looked at, though. That's on the countries, not the athletes. And most of the er strategizing doesn't really bother me. But really you should have some link to a particular country that's closer than your grandparents, imo.

Pretty good article.

“The Olympics has a spirit,” said David Wise, the men’s halfpipe gold medalist in 2014. [and 2018!] “There’s something about going to the Olympic Games. Am I going to criticize her for wanting to be here and represent her country in the Olympics? No. No way. I’m inspired by her in that way. And the reality is, nobody’s out there telling her she’s awesome or amazing or the best thing ever the way they’re telling the people on top of the podium. To get through that and be here anyway?”

(Ok, so she wasn't really representing "her country." But that's fairly amorphous this day and age, anyhow.)

“If it were a Jamaican girl, everybody would be like, ‘Oh, she made it!’ ” said Marie Martinod, the women’s halfpipe skiing silver medalist. “It’s the Olympics. Who cares where she comes from? You fight to be here. She’s not a great skier. But she made it.”

 

[jonc]

I wonder if the time has come to allow athletes to compete in the Olympics free of nationality? There is already a “refugee” and an “athletes from Russia” team, why not an Olympic “Independents” team based solely on performance qualification. This would allow quota athletes to compete, as well as those who fall under international bans and boycotts, or even those just don’t fit in with their country’s governing body.

Isn’t that basically the world cup?

 

[Fishbowl]

Isn’t that basically the world cup?

I think the Olympics are at their most relevant when, not just winning a medal, but merely competing in your sport, for your country, is the pinnacle of your career. This scenario obviously favors the minority sports with an amateur feel to them. Which makes you have to wonder why sports already blessed with media coverage, rich endorsements and fat purses are at the Olympics?

So yes, when athletes swap nationalities, just to compete, there are taking away part of what makes the Olympics different to other events.

 

[scott43]

I though the Olympic spirit was to make as much money as you can and party for 2 weeks..

 

[SBrown]

I think the Olympics are at their most relevant when, not just winning a medal, but merely competing in your sport, for your country, is the pinnacle of your career. This scenario obviously favors the minority sports with an amateur feel to them. Which makes you have to wonder why sports already blessed with media coverage, rich endorsements and fat purses are at the Olympics?

So yes, when athletes swap nationalities, just to compete, there are taking away part of what makes the Olympics different to other events.

Part, but not all.

 

[fatbob]

@fatbob sure fathers and mothers should. I’m just simply saying more involvement is fine but when you prop someone up as top 30 in world that can’t compete or complete a single trick is ridiculous. She isn’t top 30. If I go to any ski area I can grab girls better than her. I’m done with it she should be embarrassed for what she did making a mockery of process and sport.

One person's mockery is another's diversity. Presumably you don't like Jamaican bobsleighers, Tongan XCers or Mexican lugeists either.

The answer it seems to me is not to criticise her for having the drive and savvy to make the world top 30 but criticise the FIS for not having a programme which makes it easier for the girls you grab on your hill( I'm assuming not in a Trump/ Weinstein way ) to get a world ranking.

 

[Ohioskier]

One person's mockery is another's diversity. Presumably you don't like Jamaican bobsleighers, Tongan XCers or Mexican lugeists either.

The answer it seems to me is not to criticise her for having the drive and savvy to make the world top 30 but criticise the FIS for not having a programme which makes it easier for the girls you grab on your hill( I'm assuming not in a Trump/ Weinstein way ) to get a world ranking.

I’m assuming the Jamaican bobsled team consists of Jamaican born citizens?

Tongan and Mexican athletes were actually from Tonga and Mexico?

If it was a native Hungarian that qualified for Olympic event with that run I’m not upset at it. This girl used her grandpas heritage and made a mockery of entire thing. Same with the other Americans that are waiving a foreign flag.