Predictions | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Predictions

skatingfan04

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 1, 2007
skatingfan04, D/D for the silver in the pairs, and possibly the win? Ahead of K/S - with the boring/bland programs they have this season? I think that's pretty unlikely. Also, OT, Bryce needs a haircut, and Jessica needs longer skirts. Other than that, I like them.

First of all, you seem to have forgotten that D/D were ranked third after last season, and that they medalled at SC, NHK and 4CC this year. Not to shabby for a season that was not good by anyone's standards. I personally don't think that K/S belong in this top group at all. All of the tricks in the world can never make up for the lack of grace or the overall messiness of their skating. D/D's programs seem to be dull, but they have more artistry in them than K/S will ever have (but that's just my oppinion). Unfortunately, I must admit that they will probably beat the Canadians if they go clean. It seems that overcomplicated, sloppy tricks still beat out quality skating with less technical difficulty. I don't agree, but hey, I'm not a judge. I'm obviously missing something. If anyone has some insight into this, I'd honestly love to hear it. Im not all that familiart with the technical side of the sport, so I'd love some additional info. That being said, I don't see what Bryce's appearane or Jessica's costumes have to do with their skating ability. Just my two cents.:)
 

museksk8r

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
I'm not expecting much from this competition. Like the past Japan Opens, the programs will probably be full of errors because the skaters are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from such a long pre-Olympic season. Some of the skaters in this event have been competing non-stop since July 2008 and I have a feeling that will probably show in some of the performances. Nevertheless, I'm glad the skaters have another opportunity to earn some money and perform their 2009 season competitive programs one last time.
 

cotillion

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
I definately shouldn't be doing predictions , as I had Khokhlova & Novitski winning worlds , and look where they ended up!:rofl: really though, that was nothing but a crap shoot as far as I'm concerned, not even sure if you can call it bad judging or just stupidity! I'm very conflicted, anyway, I hope Virtue & Moir win, even though I really don't think they deserved third at worlds, hopefully they will have peaked with this program(long) I really don't care for it, I'll just do dance 1st V&M, 2nd B&A, 3rd K&N, 4th P&B, 5th R&R, 6th H&Z, As for which team will win overall, I really don't give a flying fig, so there! :biggrin:(why are they having this event right after worlds anyway? this is so anticlimatic, it kinda spoils worlds for me)
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
First of all, you seem to have forgotten that D/D were ranked third after last season, and that they medalled at SC, NHK and 4CC this year. Not to shabby for a season that was not good by anyone's standards. I personally don't think that K/S belong in this top group at all. All of the tricks in the world can never make up for the lack of grace or the overall messiness of their skating. D/D's programs seem to be dull, but they have more artistry in them than K/S will ever have (but that's just my oppinion). Unfortunately, I must admit that they will probably beat the Canadians if they go clean. It seems that overcomplicated, sloppy tricks still beat out quality skating with less technical difficulty. I don't agree, but hey, I'm not a judge. I'm obviously missing something. If anyone has some insight into this, I'd honestly love to hear it. Im not all that familiart with the technical side of the sport, so I'd love some additional info. That being said, I don't see what Bryce's appearane or Jessica's costumes have to do with their skating ability. Just my two cents.:)
I liked D/D last year, and thought their bronze at Worlds was well deserved and their LP beautiful. But their accomplishments last season are irrelevant in this case, because my whole point is that they've fallen from that standard. This season their programs don't work and the effect is dull. They've also been sloppy at times themselves. K/S are by no means favorites of mine, but they've had a better season. They beat D/D at SC - which you seem to have disregarded - and were well ahead of them at Worlds. D/D didn't even get into GPF, which they should have, and they weren't impressive at Worlds, either. Their bronze at NHK was mostly by default, because they were not good.

K/S have bigger tricks going for them, and better constructed programs for the judging system. Yes, they can be sloppy, but not always, and I like their chances better. Under CoP, messy but complicated will often win out over simple and clean. Personally, while I want to see well-skated programs, I think skaters should also work on harder elements, not just on quality edges. Jessica and Bryce clearly understand that they needed to do more, hence the new triple twist this year. But the programs just aren't that strong compared to the top pairs, which is why they were back to 7th at Worlds. K/S can finish ahead even if they are not clean, because the programs are harder.

Re their styling, I said the comment was OT. But how skaters look on the ice is an appropriate subject for discussion.
 

Medusa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
I liked D/D last year, and thought their bronze at Worlds was well deserved and their LP beautiful.
I thought they should have been first. :p Not joking here, I still don't believe that the Zhangs with their horrific mechanical long (their long is always a lot worse than the short, isn't it?) program, nor Aliona & Robin with their blatant mistakes on the side by side jumps should have been in front of them, SP be damned.

That said, I have to agree with Buttercup that this season was a mess. Bad programs, really really bad. One of the most unpassionate interpretations of Carmen ever (that pair spin towards the end, where the music is the most dramatic - and nothing happens but a slow and laboured pair spin?). And somehow they turned sloppy. It's not just the twist or the sbs jumps, but if you look during the lifts, he has to correct his position etc. Plus, where did the magic go? The connection between them, the chemistry? They always seemed a tiny bit bland, but at least cute bland, romantic bland. Now there seems to be nothing.

Nope, I definitely prefer cute Japanese girl without extension and without a great line combined with her Russian studmuffin, who has a great line, but not much experience (three years ago he was still in Juniors and only had two international Junior events under his belt till he started skating with her). I admire how they keep improving, how they seem to grow as a team (quite a consensus among commentators) - plus, well, I find them utterly charming.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
What has happened to D/D is that their personal relationship has turned sour, and it has affected their skating. That's why the "chemistry" is gone.

It doesn't help that both SP and FS are dull and boring. The SP music is slow and soporific, and the "Carmen" FS has bypassed all the exciting music and focused on the dullest passages imaginable. Their facial expressions---Jessica's bored, Bryce's grim---don't help sell the programs, and their sloppy skating at Worlds 2009 was far from medal-worthy.

I've always felt it wasn't a good thing for a Pair to have a 'relationship', especially when they are quite young. When the relationship goes awry, it tends to have an effect on the quality of the skating. That happened to Marcoux and Buntin: they were 5th at '06 Worlds with a score of 181.09, then dropped to 6th in '07 with 167.25.

Dube/Davison had a bigger drop: 3rd and 192.78 in '08, 7th and 172.82 in '09. If they can't get past their personal issues, that does not bode well for Vancouver.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I'm not expecting much from this competition. Like the past Japan Opens, the programs will probably be full of errors because the skaters are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from such a long pre-Olympic season. Some of the skaters in this event have been competing non-stop since July 2008 and I have a feeling that will probably show in some of the performances...

I think so, too. That's way I think relatively fresh skaters like Caroline Zhang who did not do Worlds might have an edge.
 

NatachaHatawa

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
See, I think the opposite. I think we are going to have an angry (at himself) Joubert, who will be out to prove something. I'm willing to bet that he'll go for 2 quads in the long program. I think Joubert will use World Team Trophy to send a message. It's just a feeling.

That would be very much in Brian's character to do so. However, I wonder how the last two weeks he has spent on tour and the jet-lag are going to weigh on him.

Here's my prediction:

1) Canada
2) USA
3) Japana
4) Russia
5) France
6) China
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
All this chatter.

Mao - Joubert if he shows up, Zhang/Zhang, Khok//Nov. Tell me I am wrong! :biggrin:

That's one for Japan, one for France, one for China and one for Russia. No matter it's good practice for the US and Canada. And this competition will soon be put to rest when it is over.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
All this chatter.

Well, for us skating junkies, right now it's the only game in town! :clap:

As for me, I am always drawn to the road less traveled by. Let eveyone else cruise the Olympic/Worlds turnpike, I like these little oddball events. :yes:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I could believe that it's worth viewing for entertainment yet for B comps no one seems to get all that excited.

Mao wins but YuNa is not there
Joubert wins but Johnny is not there
Zhang/Zhang win but Pang/Tong not there
Khok/Nov wins but Del/Schu not there.

If FS were like Golf, there could be a number of small comps throughout the year, and not necessarily in one area. But FS is not regulated as Golf is, so those who only care about some of the very best appearing in Cheesefests, will be entertained.

I do admit this is much better than Campbells or Marshalls.
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Mao wins but YuNa is not there
Joubert wins but Johnny is not there
Zhang/Zhang win but Pang/Tong not there
Khok/Nov wins but Del/Schu not there.

The United States wins and takes home the big paychecks. :biggrin:

Interesting; a country can win the competition without winning any of the 4 segments. :scratch:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I hope China can muster a few points in men's and ladies and not finish too far out of it. Both of their ladies are not bad -- it's just that they are not as good as the top skaters in this event. I don't know much about the two Chinese men.

France did not send their second-best man or their best dance team so maybe China can catch them.
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
France did not send their second-best man or their best dance team so maybe China can catch them.
France's second-best dance team was fifth at Worlds, so I find this a bit of a tall order for the Chinese. Even the third-best French team (Carron/Jost) is probably out of reach. Technically they did send their second-best man from Nats, and the only one other than Joubert to win a major title this year, which is why the ISU can't complain about Florent Amodio.

The French skaters have been doing SSG shows since getting back from Worlds, and some of them are reportedly exhausted. Can't imagine a flight to Japan would help with that. But I hope they all do well.

PolymerBob, the beauty of WTT is that money-wise, everyone's a winner! I really hope that will also be the case in terms of the skaters' health.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I really can't remember but isn't Amodio in the mix? If he is and he is 'on', he will rock the arena and get all sorts of offers for Japanese shows.

He's a very lively and likeable skater.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
France's second-best dance team was fifth at Worlds, so I find this a bit of a tall order for the Chinese. Even the third-best French team (Carron/Jost) is probably out of reach. Technically they did send their second-best man from Nats, and the only one other than Joubert to win a major title this year, which is why the ISU can't complain about Florent Amodio.

I didn't mean that China's dance team can beat France's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th best team (even Reed and Reed should beat the Chinese couple handily.) But Pechalat and Bourzat will probably finish fourth (8 points) whereas Delobel and Schoenfelder might have been first (12 points). Similarly, Amodio will probably not get as many points for France as Ponsero or Preubert (or Contesti ;) ) would have.

This adds up to less that the maximum number of points for France, and this may give China a target to shoot for instead of resigning themselves to dead last. Yan Liu and Binshu Xu are not awful and may finish higher than the bottom, giving China an outside chance for fifth place overall.
 
Last edited:

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
I didn't mean that China's dance team can beat France's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th best team (even Reed and Reed should beat the Chinese couple handily.) But Pechalat and Bourzat will probably finish fourth (8 points) whereas Delobel and Schoenfelder might have been first (12 points). Similarly, Amodio will probably not get as many points for France as Ponsero or Preubert (or Contesti ;) ) would have.
After I'd posted I thought maybe that was what you meant, but decided to leave my post as it is. You're right that P/B might not finish higher than fourth. Over on FSUniverse, someone reported she fell on her back during the candle lift in one of the SSG shows, so I don't know what kind of shape she'll be in. Personally I think P/B are fantastic but I realize the judges don't always share my opinion... ;)

I do think Amodio, if he is on, might do as well if not better than Ponsero (who is inconsistent) and Preaubert (who seems to be out of favor with the judges).
 
Top