Well -- very very interesting. Yesterday when I looked at the entrants lists for Euros, the Belgians weren't on it. Now, less than 24 hours later, they are! This is a good sign....
Boy, am I glad I posted that link. I looked and you are right. Kevin and teammate are now on the entry list. Guess the federation posted the entry papers via barge. At least it seems to be straightened out now.
top ten random order:
Plushy, Klimkin, Griazev, Dambier, Joubert, Lambiel, Davydov, Vlaschenko, Dinev, Lindeman....with van der Perren and Chiper close....
Plushenko
Joubert
Van Der Perren
Klimkin
Lambiel
Dambier
Griazev
WOMEN:
Soldatova (if she's going, she might win this thing; she's hungry)
If she's not there, Liashenko might be first, then Sebestyen. I have a feeling that Sokolova will be third or lower (hopefully I'm wrong). Kostner fourth, Maniachenko fifth.
I would expect Plushenko to win and Joubert to get silver medal. The bronze, it could be won by any of these (in no particular order): Lambiel, Klimkin or Griazev. I think van der Perren might be fourth or fifth. He does not have a triple axel, or does he?
Of course a lot depends on it whether this will be a splatfest. In that case there might be kind of surprise medallists (but not for gold, IMO).
Kevin had the 3x in 2002 and did two 3x/3t combos at SLC, one in SP and one in LP. No quad attempt.
By 2003 he was trying the quad, but the 3x had somehow disapeared from his program. Same for 2004.
In 2003, alexander Schubin won Junior worlds and was one of only a very small handful of junior men to have a 3x. At 2004 Lalique, he did a nice 4t/3t/2r, but no 3x attempt.
I wonder if somehow the quad toe ruins the 3x? I don't see why it should, but there you have it. Maybe they just aren't training the 3x as much as they need to because they are spending too much time on the 4t?
Lambiel's 4t and 3x seem just as efemeral as vdP's, so I'd put them on equal footing for the 3rd to 6th spots.
In 2003, alexander Schubin won Junior worlds and was one of only a very small handful of junior men to have a 3x. At 2004 Lalique, he did a nice 4t/3t/2r, but no 3x attempt.
Sasha Shubin didn't go for the 3-Axel at TL because of problems with his knee. At least I red about that at "Figurnoe Katanyie" when wondering where his 3-Axel had gone. (So it seems that the 3-Axel compared to the quad was the harder one for him to land.)
About the quad ruining the 3-axel: maybe it's just easier for some skaters to do a quad than a 3-axel. Take for example Petr Barna, who had a quad in the early 90-ies but I never ever remember him nailing a triple axel (actually I don't remember him even trying one).