Which Skaters/Teams Get the Second Ticket To The Olympics?

As I am procrastinating studying for exams, I started thinking about Canadian Nationals. I think we all know who are National Champions will be and if they do not win they will forsure be named to the Olympic team.

The locks:
Joannie, Patrick, Tessa and Scott, and Jessica and Bryce.

I was wondering who the second place finishers and Olympians will be:

Ladies: I was thinking that Cynthia would be a lock for the second spot but she hasn't been skating very well this season - and had a complete meltdown at SC. I have been impressed with Amelie Lacoste this season and her jumps have been looking fairly solid. So I am predicting that Amelie will get the second spot.

Pairs: I think it's amazing that Annabelle and Cody have come back this year after a year off and serious injury. They seemed to settle in at Skate Canada. Meghan and Craig are very athletic but I find them way too wild and unrefined. However, I think Meghan and Craig will get the second spot. I am also excited to see some of the newcomers this year: Lawrence/Siegers, Hole/Johnson, and Moore-Towers/Moscovitch - who were VERY impressive at Skate Canada.

Men: None of the men have been skating very well this year. Vaughn seems to have regressed and I think he may have taken himself out of the running. I really enjoying Jeremy but his jumps have been off this year and I am not a fan of his programs. I wish he would go back to last year's long People have been talking about Shawn but I really can't seem him finishing second as his jumps are very wonky the majority of the time. I think Jeremy gets it.

Dance: It is going to be a great fight between Kaitlyn and Andrew and Vanessa and Paul. Vanessa and Paul have had very strong GP seasons the past two years, a strong deubt at Worlds. They have fantastic CDs and their OD is my season favourite. Not a fan of their FD yet but I think it might grow on me. Kaitlyn and Andrew have struggled on the GP circuit and just won their first medal at Skate Canada. I like their long program but I can't get as into their programs as much as I want to. Vanessa and Paul have superior technique and they are going to be huge come 2014. I think Vaness and Paul finish second.

Your predictions are good. With all. Shaun could have a chance after his Skate America event.

I really hope it's Shawn Sawyer who will claim the 2nd spot for the men! I also hope Duhamel/Buntin and Crone/Poirier get to go! Between Cynthia and Amelie, I hope the one who delivers the cleanest programs between the two gets to go. At this point, I see them pretty much neck and neck.

I do think it's Sawyer, C/P, and L/H for the next spots. Don't know about ladies.

Men and Ladies has basically come down to whoever skates best (or doesn't melt as badly as the others) at nationals. All the contenders are kinda tied at the moment and unfortunately not in a good way, they've all struggled during the season. Maybe because of the pressure of being in your homecountry olympics. If I have to predict I'll say Reynolds in Men and Lacoste in ladies.

Pairs and Ice Dance is the total opposite. Two big and exciting battles : L/H vs D/B and W/P vs C/P. My heart is hoping for Annabelle and Cody to end their careers on a high note and WeaverPoje since this is likely their one and only chance. Crone Poirier will be a major force for the next quadrennial.

Weaver/Poje are still quite young, and I think with the obvious retirements (B/A, D/S * 2, F/S), Canada should easily earn three spots again for 2011 worlds, and I think Weaver/Poje definitely would be a contender then. I don't see any of the junior teams really making a challenge yet.

will the Canadian federation only go on Nationals results or are they going to factor in last worlds results, GP events etc? I wonder if there is any way that Dube and Davidson could get left off the team...not that I want them too, I really enjoy watching them this year, but just wondering.

Tinymavy15 said:

will the Canadian federation only go on Nationals results or are they going to factor in last worlds results, GP events etc? I wonder if there is any way that Dube and Davidson could get left off the team...not that I want them too, I really enjoy watching them this year, but just wondering.

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Skate Canada factors in past results, Nationals, and this years GP events. D/D will be on the team no matter what. They have had the most consistent international results and were World Bronze Medalists only a year and half ago. They'll be in Vancouver.

Great picks!

Personally, I'm thinking/ hoping for Sawyer and Weaver/Poje. While I like C/P, their programmes do absolutely nothing for me this year and their costuming is dreadful.

Are there any updates on Meghan's injury? I hope they bounce back at Nationals! Same for Patrick, Joannie and Cynthia.

Canadians and US Nationals is going to be an absolute dog-fight. Oh boy.

Off-topic: Which CD will be skated at Nationals?

I'm really hoping for Shawn & Cynthia. As for Pairs & Dance I'm not sure

mishieru07 said:

Great picks!

Personally, I'm thinking/ hoping for Sawyer and Weaver/Poje. While I like C/P, their programmes do absolutely nothing for me this year and their costuming is dreadful.

Are there any updates on Meghan's injury? I hope they bounce back at Nationals! Same for Patrick, Joannie and Cynthia.

Canadians and US Nationals is going to be an absolute dog-fight. Oh boy.

Off-topic: Which CD will be skated at Nationals?

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The last I heard about Meghan was that it was a serious sprain, she had a nerve problem, and she was off the ice for a couple weeks. I think I read this at the beginning of December but I could be wrong. Hopefully she is in good shape for Nationals!

Agree with your original "locks" per discipline. Second ticket per Canadian Fed:

Ladies: Cynthia Phaneuf. My preference: Amelie Lacoste
Men: Jeremy Ten. My preference: Shawn Sawyer
Pairs: Duhamel & Buntin. My preference: Langlois/Hay
Dance: Crone & Poirier. My preference: Weaver/Poje

Ladies: Amelie Lacoste & Dianne Szmiett

Lacoste has been skating average all season, but Szmiett did show us a 100+ FS In China that earned her 4th place in that segment. She was impressive there and if she skates well again at nationals, I think she may be selected. With Paneuf yumbling to the ice 4 times at SC, I think her confidence will be ruined and I do not believe Nats is going to work out. Joannie is a lock no matter what happens.

Ladies: Cynthia is most likely got the second spot. I like Amelia too, at times, she skated like Joanie
Men: prob. Shawn
Dance: C/P for sure, please no Weaver/Poje, can't stand her posture and her OD costume was horrific, their FD was everything opposite to V/M
Pairs: not sure , either L/H or D/B, flip the coin

Pairs: I really hope it'll be Langlois and Hay. I'll be heartbroken if they get left off the Olympic team again. At this point, I think it's pretty close since L/H have had a decent season considering how much Annabelle's injury affected their training. At this point, I think Duhamel/Buntin are still a big question mark, since there hasn't been many updates about her injury following their withdrawal from Skate America.

My preferences would be Langlois/Hay, Shawn Sawyer, Cynthia Phaneuf and Weaver-Poje. It will most likely end up being Duhamel/Buntin, Chipeur, Phaneuf and Crone-Poirier.

I want Amelie Lacoste to go instead of Cynthia. Phanuef is very tall which leads to inconsistency, and after she fell 4 times at SC and did not do very well at worlds either I am very afraid she will bomb at the Olympics. Amelie is very sturdy and muscular and has good jumps overall, she is not one to fall or UR a lot and usually lands most of her triples. I don't worry about her bombing like I do Cynthia. I actually think Amelie is quite a good skater, maybe not as graceful and polished as some of the top ladies, but I like her athleticism and musicality.

I'm so torn on whom I'd like to see at the Olympics... other than the obvious favourites (Joannie, Patrick, Jess & Bryce, Tessa & Scott love), there are so many choices for only 2 spots (1 if we remove the above 4 skaters/teams)!

I don't have any opinion on the men yet (no one really has been outstanding, not even Patrick so far! Although I fell in love with Shawn's Amadeus LP at last year's Skate Canada International... and again this year at Skate America!), but for ladies I'd like to see Amélie Lacoste go. She's steadily been improving and I think that although Cynthia is a former national champion, she falls several times per performance and I think Amélie has done better than her this year (technically, Amélie was superior at Skate Canada where they both competed, so I think now it's just reputation PCS that Amélie is missing, and even then not by much!). It comes down to Nationals, but if Cynthia falls 4 times in her LP again and Amélie puts down a solid program, then I think the latter should go (if the judging is fair, which is generally is, final-placement-wise).

As for pairs, I'm so ridiculously torn. All 3 top pairs should have a spot, and a case could even be made for Mylène Brodeur and John Mattatall, since they were in the top 10 at their first Worlds last year. Barring a disaster, Jess and Bryce are a lock, but beyond that it's almost anyone's game -- whoever brings it on that day (though, if another pair or even Brodeur and Mattatall are second, Skate Canada may pass them over for another of the usual top 3). Meagan and Craig have worked so hard these past few years and I think a main reason why Craig continued after Valérie's retirement is that he wanted to skate in the Olympics in his home province, so it would be a shame for them to miss out on this opportunity due to Meagan's unfortunate injury at Skate America. On the other hand, Anabelle and Cody missed last season due to her injury and so far this year they've been strong, so it would be a shame for them to miss the Olympic team again while being so close (they were 4th in 2006 in their first year together). In both cases, one partner (Craig and Anabelle) is old enough that I suspect they'll retire after this season, so it's such a shame to see one of them miss competing in the home Olympics. For two years in a row, Canada has had all 3 of its pairs teams in the top 10 (top 8 (!) in 2008) at the World Championships, which makes it even more unfortunate that there are only 2 spots for the Olympics.

In dance, again, there are 2 teams battling it out for one spot. I'll admit I love Kaitlyn and Andrew's free dance (the music cut is gorgeous and emphasizes more of a softness in the Phamtom as opposed to the power in Meryl and Charlie's -- both good interpretations, but so different!), but at the same time is would be nice to send Vanessa and Paul because they're seen as the future in Canadian ice dance. However, I think Kaitlyn and Andrew may stay until Sochi as well so I'm not sure of the logic of sending Vanessa and Paul as the next team to shine -- 4 years is a long time, and, though Vanessa and Paul have the length of their partnership going for them, I think Kaitlyn and Andrew are starting to make a case for themselves after their bronze medal at Skate Canada International. Also, on a more personal side, I prefer Kaitlyn and Andrew's programs this year so far, so I'm a little partial. I loved Vanessa and Paul last year, but this year their programs just don't come get me as much.

Overall, I think I'll be happy if the team sent is the one that does best at Nationals, because, no matter what, there will be disappointments. As long as no one is out due to injury, that is.

My personal favourites:
Ladies: Joannie and Amélie
Dance: Tessa & Scott, Kaitlyn and Andrew (though if Vanessa and Paul earn their spot, fine by me)
Men: Patrick and Shawn (though I admit I haven't been following anyone else closely)
Pairs: Jessica and Bryce, and whoever does best at Nationals, I honestly can't decide!!

bigsisjiejie said:

Agree with your original "locks" per discipline. Second ticket per Canadian Fed:

Ladies: Cynthia Phaneuf. My preference: Amelie Lacoste
Men: Jeremy Ten. My preference: Shawn Sawyer
Pairs: Duhamel & Buntin. My preference: Langlois/Hay
Dance: Crone & Poirier. My preference: Weaver/Poje

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I have the same preferences, and the same fears that all my favorites will be left home.

I don't see the point of 'have a great future' when it comes to the Olympics. If the USA had that point of view, Matt Savoie and Paul Wylie would never have gone to the Olympics. Olympics don't determine spots for the following year. And the people with potential have a full season without Olympics to gain points and ISU placements. Just send the ones who skate the best at nationals.

I was very impressed with Moscovitch/Moore-Towers at Skate Canada, and hope they do well at Canadian Nationals!

Men: Shawn Sawyer Really hoping, he's a great guy.
ladies: love Cynthia's skating but if she cannot land her jumps i hope for -amelie as she would need consistancy if she were to skate at olympics.
Don't really mind which pair between D/B and L/H both good and about same level.
Hoping for Crone and Poirier, something more unique about them.