Figuring It Out: Proposed Reforms to the U.S. Figure Skating Athlete Selection Proposals For the Olymic Games

Abstract

(12 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 1, 2014, at 28). This article examine the current U.S. Figure Skating (USFS) selection process for the Winter Olympics. It describes the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which sparked a new debate about USFS team selection procedures. It then describes the selection process and its historical application, and places that process in the context of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which governs selection of national teams for international sports competitions. Next, the article considers the pros and cons of the current USFS selection policies, especially its consideration of an athlete’s “body of work.” Finally, the article looks to the team selection criteria employed by U.S. Freestyle Skiing as a model for a more transparent, objective method of selecting athletes for international competition.