Says the person who has nitpicked this year's entire competition on a daily basis.
I don't consider completely dismissing a viable candidate beforehand to be a "triviality," which is a point neither of you actually bothered to address. Not only was I surprised the staff did that, but publicly admitting it shows a level of dismissal or cognitive dissonance that is... well, shocking.
If the whole contest is a waste and you've already chosen your favorite(s) (which is a conclusion I would have dismissed before your statement on Breine), then at least have the integrity to admit it rather than wasting a lot of people's time "jumping through hoops" and "stringing them along," which is something you said the staff should avoid.
