Medal contenders for Sochi? | Golden Skate

Medal contenders for Sochi?

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
At this point who would you say are the gold medal contenders and medal contenders for Sochi. Not predicting the medalists, but who at this point would you project to have a chance. Here are mine:


Pairs:

Gold contenders- Volosozhar & Trankov, Savchenko & Szolkowy
Medal contenders (bronze only probably)- #2 and #3 Russian pairs, #1 and #2 Chinese pairs, Takahashi & Tran, Duhamel & Radford


Mens:

Gold contenders- Chan
Medal contenders- Takahashi, Hanyu, Kozuka, Fernandez, Brezina, Plushenko (if he competes), Gaschinski (probably only if Plushy isnt there and he has backing as Russian #1), Abbott if he ever gets his act together, Lysacek if by some miracle he returns with quads


Dance:

Gold contenders- Davis & White, Virtue & Moir
Medal contenders- Weaver & Poje, Pechalat & Bourzat, Russian #1


Ladies:

Gold contenders- #1 and #2 Russians, Kostner, Kim if she is there
Medal contenders- #3 Russian, #1 and #2 Japanese, Wagner, Gold
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I would add Leonova to the gold list. She could go clean and if everyone crumbles under the pressure she could pull a Sarah Hughes. I think it's interesting that we all assume (myself included) Miki and/or Yuna could come back tomorrow and compete for gold medals when we would think the same if Mao was sitting out, and look how her last few years have gone. I just think through the years we haven't seen many successful comebacks in singles aside from Plushenko: Ito, Boitano, Petrenko, Cohen, and Witt came back but never achieved anything close to their previous results.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I dont think Ando has any chance if she comes back (which she probably wont) but Kim could. Kim is a supreme enough talent, and at her best she is about 2 levels higher than anything we saw the last 2 seasons, so for the moment she could come back even after time off and have a chance. Frankly I dont think she will come back either though.

If Leonova is Russian #1 or #2 by Sochi she could have a chance at winning. If she is Russian #3 in Sochi highly unlikely. Notice I did not specify names in some cases.
 

johnny 80

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
I don't think we'll see Kostner in Sochi.

In interview, Didn't she say she even doesn't wanna think about Olympics' memory?
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
As of now, I'm predicting Lipnitskaya (not "Russian #1 or 2") for the OGM. Fingers crossed.

Since we're talking two years into the future, please add a remoralized Mirai to the list!
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
hmmm.

men- chan for gold. der. as for the rest, i don't know.

pairs- S/S, V/T

dance- V/M, D/W, condenders maybe W/P, P/B, the shibs

ladies- depends on a lot...hm. not gonna throw any gold medals out there but contenders would be kostner and suzuki if they continue, asada and nagasu if they come back strong, wagner, gold, leonova, the little russians.
 

Macassar88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
My really early Sochi predictions

Men
Plushenko (with Camerlengo Choreography), Takahashi, Chan
Other contenders: Plush without Camerlengo choreo, Hanyu, Fernandez

Ladies
Tuktamisheva, Kostner, Lipnitskaya
Other contenders: Sotnikova, Leonova, Asada, Wagner, Suzuki, Gold

Pairs:
Volosozhar and Trankov, Savchenko and Szolkowy, Davankova and Deputat
Other contenders: Pang and Tong, Sui and Han, Takahashi and Tran, Bazarova and Larionov

Dance:
Virtue and Moir, Davis and White, Sinitsina and Zhiganshin (if they leave Kustarova) or else Weaver and Poje
Other contenders: Ilinykh and Katsalapov, Pechalat and Bourzat, Capellini and Lanotte
 

DianaSelene

Medalist
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
My really early Sochi predictions

Men
Plushenko (with Camerlengo Choreography), Takahashi, Chan
Other contenders: Plush without Camerlengo choreo, Hanyu, Fernandez

Ladies
Tuktamisheva, Kostner, Lipnitskaya
Other contenders: Sotnikova, Leonova, Asada, Wagner, Suzuki, Gold

Pairs:
Volosozhar and Trankov, Savchenko and Szolkowy, Davankova and Deputat
Other contenders: Pang and Tong, Sui and Han, Takahashi and Tran, Bazarova and Larionov

Dance:
Virtue and Moir, Davis and White, Sinitsina and Zhiganshin (if they leave Kustarova) or else Weaver and Poje
Other contenders: Ilinykh and Katsalapov, Pechalat and Bourzat, Capellini and Lanotte

I might be wrong but I thought D/D can't go to senior comps until the season after the olympics. Would they be allowed to senior gps and euros and olys the 2013-2014 season?
 

Narumi1997

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 24, 2009
Yes, Davankova and deputat are eligible for Sochi. She turns 15 before July 1, 2013 (May 2, 1998 is her DOB)
 

DianaSelene

Medalist
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
D/D is a pretty awesome pair. If they continue looking great next year with clean throws and jumps, I might have some faith in them for Sochi... if of course Russia lets them go to the olympics.
 

guanchi

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Gold Men: Chan, Any of the Japanese 3 (Tak, Koz, Han), Gachinski somehow
Gold Ladies: Sot and Tukt (gold and silver tossup), bronze is up in the air between Kostner, Leonova.
I think Asada would rather bomb than get bronze.
Kim will not return
Not sure if Wagner will get any Olympic love from the judges- G. Gold, if her artistry improves, is a better bet to medal.
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
MEN

Gold contenders - Chan, Takahashi, Plushenko
Medal contenders - Hanyu, Brezina, Joubert, Kozuka, Amodio, Fernandez, Gachinski if he gets his act together. Some are saying Abbott but I disagree because he crumbles too often. Gachinski crumbled this year at Worlds but he also has a world bronze under his belt already.

This is assuming Lycacek's not going to return, since I really don't think he is lol.

LADIES

Gold contenders - Kostner, Asada, Suzuki, Murakami, Wagner, Leonova, Kim if there, Ando
Medal contenders - Tuktamysheva, Sotnikova, Gedevanishvili, Gold if she's there, Kexin Zhang, Korpi

This one's really hard to call, since there hasn't been a dominant lady since Yu-Na Kim.. I wouldn't really call Carolina dominant.. and it's hard to even say which ladies will go from which countries at this point. I know it sounds like a long shot to say that Wagner, Leonova, or Murakami could win Olympic gold, but the ladies event HAS been unpredictable. Predicting Asada or Ando for gold also assumes that they will be in good form, ie. NOT the same Mao that showed up at the 2012 Worlds!

PAIRS

Gold contenders - Volosozhar/Trankov and Savchenko Szolkowy, that one's easy.
Medal contenders - Bazarova/Larionov, Kavaguti/Smirnov, Takahashi/Tran, Duhamel/Radford, Sui/Han, Pang/Tong, maybe Zhangs, Denney/Coughlin or Moore-Towers/Moscovitch.

DANCE

Gold contenders - Virtue/Moir and Davis/White, also an easy one
Medal contenders - Pechalat/Bourzat, Weaver/Poje, Shibutanis, Ilinykh/Katsalapov, Bobrova/Soloviev, Cappellini/Lanotte
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
too early to tell, 2 more years
a lot can happen at that time !

I might be wrong but I thought D/D can't go to senior comps until the season after the olympics. Would they be allowed to senior gps and euros and olys the 2013-2014 season?

as much as I love Davankova/Deputat
I'd doubt they'll send a very young pair fresh coming out from juniors with less than 2 or 1 season of senior experience left go to the Olympics
I'd be surprised if they replace B/L with D/D
 
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