Cup of Russia - Preview | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Cup of Russia - Preview

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Red Dog, please tell me why it ends up that way! Why not just spread the best ladies around evenly, so that the field is not stacked in some Grand Prix events and pretty empty in others.

If I were assigning GP spots, I'd have Mao Asada at the cup of China and Kimmie Meissner at the Cup of Russia. That would make those two a bit more competitive. And the other GP events wouldn't suffer. Skate America without Mao would have still been pretty competitive because of Ando + Meissner. Tropee Eric Bombard would also do just as well without Kimmie because Ando + Kim would be competing there.

Btw, due to my arrangement, Kimmie would have no problems securing a GPFinal spot because she'd get a very high placement at the Cup of Russia Same for Mao, who would be very highly placed at Cup of China.

It's similar to team sports when you have a weak conference and a strong conference, but this is different. Different in that every year these "conferences" change (the same skaters aren't assigned to the same event year after year) so you get these "stacks" where one competition is much tougher than the other. I suppose the bright side of it all is that it gives lesser skater a shot at the Final as well as the big ones. However, good skaters can be shut out because they placed lower in a really tough group. I think back to qualifying at worlds where one group might be significantly tougher than another. It was even worse because with the 6.0/placement system, if you screwed up in qualifying you were basically out of the medals. But those days are (hopefully) over.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I don't think it is possible for all three of Mao, Fumie and Nakano to beat Rochette. Whoever finishes third at NHK will be behind Joannie on the first tie-breaker, regardless of points.

But they could conceivably all make the final if neither Meier nor Czisny wins Cup of Russia and Sebestyen finishes fifth.

We'll know in a couple of days!
Julia is already 1st in the SP. She won't drop below 3rd. Forget about Meier and Czisny. It's up to the Japanese Ladies to skate their best in their home country,
 

waxel

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Sorry, but that skunk 'do of Julia's is reason enough to keep her out of the finals! Don't EVER need to see that again!!
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Julia is already 1st in the SP. She won't drop below 3rd. Forget about Meier and Czisny. It's up to the Japanese Ladies to skate their best in their home country,

Why forget about these two? Both Meier and Czisny are beautiful skaters with high level elements, who are both capable of being brilliantly "on" when they get the jumps. Either one (or both) are still capable of being spoilers for the GP final, based on Cup of Russia results.
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Why forget about these two? Both Meier and Czisny are beautiful skaters with high level elements, who are both capable of being brilliantly "on" when they get the jumps. Either one (or both) are still capable of being spoilers for the GP final, based on Cup of Russia results.

Sebestyen, Kim, and Ando have over 24 points and are guaranteed spots.

There are only three women who can score >=24, and they are all skating at NHK. Unfortunately for them, all three need to place first or second to gain this total, and the one who doesn't could only earn 24 without a first-place finish or less than 24. Which means Meier is guaranteed the final spot spot in GPF: she has one win (ties her with Rochette) and her total score for both events is higher than Rochette's, the second tie-breaker. Both have earned 24 points.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
All quite true, but we're not supposed to say things like that in the Edge. The clever reader might figure out who won what before seeing it on TV next week.

Anyone who wants to follow the vicissitudes of who's ahead of whom for selection to the Grand Prix final, come on down to the GP event folders. :)
 
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