Polina Edmunds Taking the Loss, Probably Out of Nationals

Edmunds posts photo of herself in wheelchair on Instagram, all indications are she won’t make it to Nationals, but she still has not yet withdrawn.

The U.S. National Figure Skating Championships start the week after next, and we still don’t have official word on whether last year’s bronze medalist with compete. Polina Edmunds pulled out of the World Championships last year with a bone bruise, and hasn’t been the same since. She didn’t make her Grand Prix events either. Last month, she described it as “50-50” as to whether or not she would compete at Nationals.

Then, on Thursday, she posted took a day off to visit Disneyland, and posted a photo to Instagram:

The line from The Little Mermaid takes on a much sadder meaning in this context. One sees also the boot on her affected leg. Even if she’s not in the wheelchair all the time, the presence of the boot on her right leg says more. Combined with the hashtags, with #takingLs being short for “taking the loss,” and it sounds like she’s conceding she’s not going to be able to compete at Nationals. The gossip going around apparently also says she’s all but officially out.

And yet, a day later, there’s still no withdrawal announcement. It may be her paperwork’s still processing, of course. She’ll probably want to make a more dignified statement with the withdrawal, which takes some preparation.

But it may also be that she’s only 98% or so ready to give up. To not be able to compete at all the season before the Olympic one is a huge blow for her. Her position as American #3 was never very secure, and now, to get back to the Olympics, she’ll have to fight to reclaim it next year. She’ll have to do it without two Grand Prix events; she’s not high ranking enough to get international assignments without having competed this season. She may have to battle others in the summer club competitions just to get to Skate America as the third home invitee.

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That also assumes there will be three American Olympic berths for the taking. The situation with the U.S. ladies right now is such that this is very far from certain. Losing her doesn’t exactly help with that either.