Post by Admin on Jan 7, 2016 2:11:23 GMT
The ISU allocates the slots to the different countries depending on the placement of their skaters at the previous year's world championships. In past years, the formula was based on the placement of the highest skater from each country in each discipline. Now the formula is based on adding the placements of the two best competitors from the country. Competitors who didn't qualify for the free skate get 18 points, and anyone who finishes lower than 16th overall gets 16 points. There is now an exception made for skaters who have to withdraw in the middle of the competition because of injury or equipment damage.
For a 2- or 3-competitor team in the previous year, 1-13 points qualifies 3 entries, 14-28 points qualifies 2 entries, and more than 28 qualifies only 1 entry. For a 1-competitor team in the previous year, 1-2 points qualifies 3 entries, 3-10 points qualifies 2 entries and more than 10 points qualifies 1 entry. Because the number of skaters participating in the singles competitions has become very large in recent years, the fields are cut to 24 after the short program. The ISU voted in 2006 to eliminate the initial qualifying rounds that had been part of the World championships for several years.
At the Olympic games, the ISU has strictly limited the number of entries in each event, again giving priority to countries whose skaters placed higher at the previous year's worlds. The ISU designates a qualifying competition in the fall prior to the Olympic games to fill up the last few slots in each discipline, so that countries who did not previously qualify at worlds have a second chance.
In the US, the teams for the Olympic games and world championships normally consist of the top finishers from the US national championships. In theory, the selection committee is permitted to deviate from the consecutive order of finish, but in practice about the only time they do so is when a top skater from the previous year is unable to compete at nationals due to injury. (There is actually a legal reason for the loophole in the selection procedure: if the national championships were considered "Olympic trials", the TV rights and revenues would belong to the US Olympic Committee rather than the USFSA.)
