Campbells Challenge 15 October

Joesitz (RIP) · Sep 5, 2006

Coming soon to a TV set at 1-3 pm on 15 October
Hopes Only - No Predictions:

The Ladies Podium

The Mens Podium

The Pairs

The Dance

Which Team will go home Victorious: Canada; Japan; US???

R.D. · Sep 5, 2006

Will there even BE a podium?? I thought it was a head-to-head team competition...in other words, we only have to choose between the US and Japan (and Canada in the pairs event, I think??)

ETA: just saw the note on the bottom. I think that's really the only question we can answer. I'd like the US to win but I'd maybe give the edge to team Japan (I'm not sure about the other Asada but I think Mao will be more ready than ever).

Mathman · Sep 6, 2006

If they match up head to head, it will probably be Miki against Sasha and Mao versus Kimmie, with Mai Asada paired up with Emily Hughes. I would assume that the judges will try to keep it close in terms of point totals so as not to embarrass anyone.

I think Miki will have the edge over Sasha in IJS judging for the reason that Miki has been training hard already for the new season while Sasha has opted out of early season competition and has probably not even started working on a new competitive program yet.

Kimmie versus Mao, wow, I don't know. If we see Kimmie like she was at Worlds and Mao like she was at the GP Final it will be a show to remember!

Joesitz (RIP) · Sep 6, 2006

Good rationale, MM.

Which country wins the 'soup' pot will almost be imiterial while watching Kimmie v. Mao. I tell ya, it's the Biggest Event of the New Century
Joe

Mathman · Sep 8, 2006

And don't forget the gentlemen!

I have no idea how this will turn out. If they match Weir against Takahashi and Lysacek against Oda (or the other way around), both contests could go either way. After Lambiel, Joubert and maybe Buttle, these four should be among the top contenders for the world podium this year.

It may all come down to who can bring a quad.

The last match will be interesting, too. I don't know much about the third Japanese man, Kensuke Nakaniwa. Actually, I kind of expected that Japan would send world junior champion Takahiko Kozuka instead, but I like this match much better.

In fact, just from his bio, Nakaniwa seems like the exact image of Scott Smith. Both are 25, both have worked their way slowly but surely up the ladder in their National Championships, and both finished third at their 2006 Nationals.

The highest finish in major international competition seems to be in last years Four Continents. Scott Smith got fifth and Nakaniwa got sixth!

All of the matches could be nail-biters and in terms of point totals ($120,000 is at stake for the winning team, ladies and men combined), it could come down to Mai Asada and Emily Hughes.

Going strictly by the numbers, Emily should have the edge. Emily scored 160.75 points in Turin and a whopping 184.75 at worlds last year.

Mai Asada's best, according to the ISU statistics, is 141.65 at Four Continents.

But Mai is a very pretty and graceful skater and she might prevail on the strength of the second mark if Emily misses some of her jumps.

R.D. · Sep 8, 2006

I think it's very telling it's the skating offseason if there's this much buzz generation about a little so-called "cheesefest"

Mathman · Sep 8, 2006

Well, I don't know whether me going on and on counts as "buzz" :laugh:

, but I do think that this competition is a breath of fresh air.

The most interesting thing to be said about Campbell's last year was that Michelle didn't skate, as the other usual suspects (Sasha, Shizuka, etc.) went though the motions with obviously bigger things on their minds.

The most noteworthy thing about the December Marshalls was that Michelle couldn't skate, but everyone voted for her anyway for old time's sake. And the third cheesefest was an exhibition where the only remotely interesting thing that happened was they couldn't show Michelle's perfromance because of a wardrobe malfunction.

A new broom sweeps clean! I bet the competitors in the 2006 Campbell's (especially the ladies) will really be out there strutting their stuff and trying to get a jump on each other for the new season.

In fact, the ladies' matchups are a dry run for Skate America. Just substitute Katy Taylor :rock:

for Sasha and we have the exact same group of ladies battling it out for the three spots on the Skate America podium.

R.D. · Sep 8, 2006

yeah. In fact I think Taylor or someone else should have gone instead of Cohen because we really need some new blood in here. Besides Cohen is only going to do some recycled program while everyone else has something fresh and new (anyone know whether the skaters are doing shorts, frees or gala pieces?)

I wonder if this is the last year of these kinds of events because I don't know if they would be popular on ESPN.

Mathman · Sep 8, 2006

According to the announcement from USFS, each skater will perform "either a competitive long program or a competitive short program."

Since the winning team is determined by point totals, I assume that the teams will get together and decide who will do what, to make it even.

About ESPN, it is conceivable that the cheesefests will still be shown on ABC as "entertainment" rather than "sports." I assume that ABC will show most anything if the sponsors put up enough money.

R.D. · Sep 8, 2006

ok, so I suppose each skater has their personal choice of which one they want to do, or does it have to be one short and one long per team?

I bet anyone anything they like that if Cohen shows up she's doing her Short. It's her strength anyway.

I think what is shown on what TV network has to do with contract stuff. Has the new US skating network been finalized yet?

Theatregirl1122 · Sep 8, 2006

Have Cohen and Weir do shorts, that would be my vote anyways. Kimmie and Evan should definitly do longs. Emily should probably do a short. I don't really know enough about Scott Smith (just last year 4CC, so I don't know which is his strength)

This is really just my opinion on which of the two programs they seem to excel in, not what will actually happen. Cohen, Weir, and Hughes usually place better in the short programs. Lysacek and Meissner usually pull it out in the long.

I would think that, in order to be fair. Each team would have to have the same amount of men doing LPs and the same amount of men doing SPs as well as the same amount of ladies doing LPs and the same amount of ladies doing SPs.

Joesitz (RIP) · Sep 9, 2006

It'll be Cohen v. Meissner with Asada breaking up the rivalry.

R.D. · Sep 9, 2006

Actually in context of the season about to begin it's Meissner vs. Asada.

Mathman · Sep 9, 2006

Theatregirl1122 said:
Have Cohen and Weir do shorts, that would be my vote anyways. Kimmie and Evan should definitly do longs....

ITA, especially Sasha. If she does a short program she will only have to do three jumps and she can still score well on her spins, spirals and moves in the field.

As Peggy Fleming says, "Sasha doesn't just portray Dark Eyes, she becomes DarkEyes."

Joesitz (RIP) · Sep 9, 2006

I do think Dark Eyes will win the competition. It's an excellent choreographed program and not difficult for Sasha to WOW everyone.

I don't normally predict cheesefests, but this seems obvious.

Joe

Mathman · Sep 11, 2006

I am not 100% sure about Sasha's level of preparation. She can wow us with beautiful positions, etc., but she still has to deliver the tech because the event will be scored by CoP standards.

Sasha is not scheduled to compete seriously until U.S. nationals this year -- if at all. All the other ladies have been working furiously getting their new programs ready for the competitive season. Kimmie, Emily, Miki, Mao and Mai -- all five of them will be using Campbell's as a tune-up for Skate America two weeks later.

R.D. · Sep 11, 2006

US Nats? There was an article that claimed she "signed up" but that means nothing...didn't S. Hughes do the same thing a couple of years ago but ultimately ended up in college? I don't take any of this seriously.

Mathman · Sep 11, 2006

Mathman said:
"if at all"

I think it's likely that Sasha herself has not decided yet. But for sure she has withdrawn from fall competition, so that's why I think she might not be fully prepared for Campbell's.

R.D. · Sep 11, 2006

How much preparation do you NEED, really?

I saw pictures of her in her SP dress doing the COI Japan Tour just now. I don't know if she actually did her SP or not but I think she'll be good for one SP at Campbell's. That's all she needs to do.

Mathman · Sep 16, 2006

How much preparation do you need?

That's the question. The COI Japan tour finished yesterday. According to reports Sasha did the Dark Eyes SP in every performance, but only did one jump, a double Axel (and in a couple of performances, not completely successfully).

So now she has three weeks to come home and "get her triples back." We'll see what happens.

Campbells Challenge 15 October

Joesitz (RIP)

R.D.

Mathman

Joesitz (RIP)

Mathman

R.D.

Mathman

R.D.

Mathman

R.D.

Theatregirl1122

Joesitz (RIP)

R.D.

Mathman

Joesitz (RIP)

Mathman

R.D.

Mathman

R.D.

Mathman

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