US Nationals Predictions

**SerpentineSteps** · 01-19-2011, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Joesitz

There's nothing wrong with either style. The styles of Dai and Jeremy are the opposite ends of the pole. Dai goes after the audience; Jeremy expects the audience to come to him. Apparently you prefer the Bravura style, and others prefer the Lyrical style. No problem. If both skate clean, and the judges know the acceptance of both styles, a winner could emerge soley on the Technical.

I completely disagree with the above statement. Yes they have different styles that are both praiseworthy, but the way the current scoring system is set up, obvious demonstrations of "performance" and "interpretation" are favored heavily, to the point where gimicky but heavily choreographed programs get awarded higher in the above categories than do understated yet sophisticated programs.

**Joesitz** · 01-20-2011, 08:36 AM

^^^^
Bravura style wins out! but not everyone agrees.

**silverlake22** · 01-20-2011, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by SerpentineSteps

I completely disagree with the above statement. Yes they have different styles that are both praiseworthy, but the way the current scoring system is set up, obvious demonstrations of "performance" and "interpretation" are favored heavily, to the point where gimicky but heavily choreographed programs get awarded higher in the above categories than do understated yet sophisticated programs.

Dai and Jeremy have different styles, but it is clearly obvious the international judges prefer Dai's to Jeremy's. If they both skate clean at Worlds, Dai will certainly beat Jeremy, and likely by a large margin. Of course, Dai is rarely clean, but his PCS are always through the roof even when he bombs.

**Mystic** · 01-20-2011, 02:11 PM

Ladies
Czisny
Flatt
Nagasu
Gao

Men
Abbott
Mroz
Rippon
Bradely

Dance
Davis/White
Shibutanis
Chock/Zhurlein
Hubbells

Pairs
Evora/Ladwig
Yankowskas/Coughlin
Denney/Barrett
Castelli/Schnapir

**Nadine** · 01-20-2011, 07:44 PM

Lol, this is the first time I read this thread and one poster in particular had me ROTFLMAO!!!!

Okay, time to get serious, first off I don't make predictions, never have, too superstitious.

That said, I was *overjoyed* to finally see someone mention Gretchen Donlan & Andrew Speroff!

I looooove this team and hope beyond hope that they can somehow magically make top 5! (:^)

**dorispulaski** · 01-20-2011, 11:43 PM

That would be an excellent place for them to finish. There are a lot of US pairs at similar levels, so pairs is going to be quite unpredictable. Denney & Barrett have been slipping. Yankauskas & Coughlin have been rising, Castelli & Shnapir and Donlan & Speroff have been improving, and then there are Evora & Ladwig, who did so well at Olympics, and Marley & Brubaker who are just beginnning but qualified.

**Nadine** · 01-20-2011, 11:56 PM

Yeah, I can't wait, thanks for the positive words, dorispulaski!!!!

**Joesitz** · 01-21-2011, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by silverlake22

Dai and Jeremy have different styles, but it is clearly obvious the international judges prefer Dai's to Jeremy's. If they both skate clean at Worlds, Dai will certainly beat Jeremy, and likely by a large margin. Of course, Dai is rarely clean, but his PCS are always through the roof even when he bombs.

I think that would depend on the Panel of Judges and his excellency the Technical Specialist since the International Judges should have their own preferences. That's why there are 9 of them. I wouldn't lump them all into thinking the same way.

We'll see what happens in Worlds when Brezina wins the gold.

**Jammers** · 01-22-2011, 11:55 AM

Is it too much to ask for a decent american Pairs team that can compete internationally again? At least in the 80's we won a couple medals at the Olympics. It's been since 1998 that we even have come close to a medal. If we can be one of the dominate countries in Ice dancing which we were horrid at a decade ago we surely can be competitive in pairs again.

**dorispulaski** · 01-22-2011, 01:21 PM

Not quite right. Ina & Zimmerman won a world bronze in 2002, and were close to an Olympic medal same year. And in 2006, Inoue and Baldwin were 6th at Olympics and 4th at Worlds, which is close to a medal. Since that, alas not much.

**Tonichelle** · 01-22-2011, 08:29 PM

I predict that I will have very little knowledge as to what goes on, as I am travelling during nationals. Got a destination wedding to shoot and then spending a week in disneyland. should be fun... but I'm going to miss watching the battles.

**R.D.** · 01-22-2011, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Tonichelle

I predict that I will have very little knowledge as to what goes on, as I am travelling during nationals. Got a destination wedding to shoot and then spending a week in disneyland. should be fun... but I'm going to miss watching the battles.

Hey, that's not a bad thing to do. Have fun!

**Tonichelle** · 01-22-2011, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by R.D.

Hey, that's not a bad thing to do. Have fun!

Yeah but I'm going to miss Ryan Bradley's skates. That kinda bums me out. As well as a few other skaters. Somehow I don't see my manly man sport loving uncle letting me take over his big screen tv and man cave to watch figure skating lol but maybe I can play the favorite neice from Alaska card, eh?

**R.D.** · 01-22-2011, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Tonichelle

Yeah but I'm going to miss Ryan Bradley's skates. That kinda bums me out. As well as a few other skaters. Somehow I don't see my manly man sport loving uncle letting me take over his big screen tv and man cave to watch figure skating lol but maybe I can play the favorite neice from Alaska card, eh?

The DVR is my best friend.