Mixed Messages for Inoue and Baldwin

The Men's skating is on in 20 minutes!

But, while we're waiting for that, here's some more controversy from last night's pairs selections.  According to the OC Register, Rena Inoue and John Baldwin, who placed in third last night and were denied an Olympic slot, WERE offered a slot at the 2010 world championships over Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig.  Here is what the article says:

The controversy took a further turn when Inoue and Baldwin turned down a spot to compete at the 2010 World Championships. The U.S. Worlds team is critical in part because the combined finish of each country's entrants determine the number of spots a country receives for the next Worlds and in the pre-Olympic year before the Olympic Games.

"You want to use us (at Worlds) to help you save a spot because you don't think the other team (Evora and Ladwig) are good enough to keep that other spot," Baldwin said he told a U.S. Figure Skating official in turning down the Worlds position.

I find it odd that if the selection committee are so behind Evora and Ladwig for the Olympics that they would not also be behind them for the worlds.  Very weird.  I personally think that US Figure Skating made its choice when the judges posted their scores last night.  I mean, as the article explains, Inoue and Baldwin received negative grades of execution on their throw triple axel.  It wasn't the greatest throw triple axel they've ever done, but come on...I would think they deserved the base score for landing it cleanly...it's not like she put a hand down or anything.  I don't mean to take away from Evora and Ladwig's awesome skate, but I can see why Inoue and Baldwin would be frustrated.