2014 Winter Olympics: U.S. Figure Skating Championships Brings New Talent and Controversy

 

It’s an exciting time of year with the 2014 Winter Olympics less than three weeks away, and Her Campus OSU could not be more excited! With everyone wanting to know which athletes will be the one’s representing the United States in Sochi, there has been non-stop coverage of the Olympics lately–and there is definitely good reason for it. With the recent announcement of ski racer and Olympic favorite Lindsey Vonn being forced to withdraw due to injury after attempting to make a comeback and the controversy surrounding the anti-gay laws in Russia affecting multiple Olympians, there has been no shortage of drama leading up to the Olympics. This was certainly the case last weekend at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

 

Held in Boston, MA, the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships was the last event that the top figure skaters in the country would compete in before the Olympics. Typically, this competition serves as a main contributing factor when determining who will be a member of the USA Team during the Olympics. With Olympic favorites Charlie White and Meryl Davis winning gold in the ice dancing discipline as expected, other events during the competition did not play out as expected. Men’s Singles saw the rise of 19-year-old newcomer Jason Brown, who took home the silver with a spectacular performance that earned him a standing ovation and recognition nationwide. His performance went viral on YouTube, which, for a figure skater, is pretty awesome.  

 

The event that got the most attention at the competition was the Ladies Singles when it was announced that, instead of sending third-place finisher Mirai Nagasu to Sochi, Olympic favorite Ashley Wagner would be on the USA Team after finishing in fourth place due to multiple falls in her performance. This decision has caused much debate, some questioning the motives behind the decision. This is mainly because of the multiple sponsorships that Wagner has and the fact that she has recently become the “face” of the sport and, therefore, was expected to be on the team. However, U.S. Figure Skating not only takes the U.S. Figure Skating Championships into account, but they also consider previous accomplishments, even though usually those who place at the top of the National Championships are the ones chosen for the Olympic Team. Commenting on the decision to send Wagner instead of Nagasu was U.S. Figure Skating president Patricia St. Peter: “If you look at Ashley Wagner’s record and performance, she’s got the top credentials of any of our female athletes.” Eighteen-year-old Gracie Gold and 15-year-old Polina Edmunds, who both gave amazing performances and placed first and second at the National Championships, will also be on the USA Team in Sochi.

 

Despite the controversy surrounding the sport, I cannot wait to watch the U.S. Figure Skating Team compete at the Olympics, especially since it’s the best sport ever (I’m a little biased–I was a figure skater for ten years, oops), but I also can’t wait to see the rest of the amazing athletes that will be competing this year! TEAM USA!

 

Don’t forget to check out this AMAZING video of Jason Brown’s performance!