GPF previews and interviews

[golden411]

GPF previews and interviews:

To complement the corresponding JGPF thread started by Doris, I am adding this GPF thread -- with Kurt Browning's preview, for starters:

Grand Prix final is the 'Showdown at the Sochi Corral'

By Kurt Browning
Posted: Saturday, December 1, 2012 | 10:01 AM
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskati...hi-corral.html

[deedee1]

I enjoyed the Kurt's preview a lot. Thank you so much, golden!

I loved how Kurt described each skater/team, especially Kiira and Akiko. That's why I admire and root for veteran skaters.
to their believeing themselves and, of course, their hard work over the years to improve to be a 'better skater' each season!

[chloepoco]

Very interesting to read that Kurt thinks Kozuka is the best skater, even better then Patrick! Wow! What a great compliment coming from such a legendary skater himself!!

[Tonichelle]

Very interesting to read that Kurt thinks Kozuka is the best skater, even better then Patrick! Wow! What a great compliment coming from such a legendary skater himself!!

Kurt is fair and loves skating. Not surprising that he can ignore national bias.

[seniorita]

I love him for naming Kozuka the best skater and I hope judges would hear him but dissapointed he refered to Liza with a two lines paragraph!

[golden411]

Rejuvenated Gao 'honored' to be with sport's elite
Harvard freshman to square off against Wagner, Asada in Sochi

By Lynn Rutherford, special to icenetwork.com
(12/04/2012)
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

[golden411]

DiManno: Sochi going from sleepy to gaudy as Olympics draw near

Published on Sunday December 02, 2012
By Rosie DiManno
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/ar...pics-draw-near

Note: The article above mentions the GPF only in passing. It is mostly a scene-setter/status report re the infrastructure in Sochi as the Olympics approach.

And for history buffs, today's offering from DiManno:
Joseph Stalin still looms large in Sochi, Russia
Published on Tuesday December 04, 2012
By Rosie DiManno
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/ar...n-sochi-russia

[let`s talk]

Here is a video of VolTran practice in Iceberg (click on the red button with "Видео"). In the interview Max said that the arena doesn't have any minuses like other Olympic arenas, for example in Vacouver there were no special changing rooms, in Turin the gym was not so well-equipped. Kudryavtsev mentioned that the ice is "skating" very well, which is definitely a good advantage for skaters.
www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=974874&cid=680

[eyria]

Wow, what an interesting preview from Kurt. Fascinating to read his remarks about the contenders' basic skating skills. Since he is one of the ultimate "skater's skaters" in the sport, I certainly respect his opinion. Very surprising to see him, a Canadian, publicly name Kozuka as the man with the best skating skills and edgework!!

The only thing I can't agree with him on is his opinion of Davis/White. He sees the rest of the field getting closer to them--I feel just the opposite.

[eyria]

My goodness, more complaints from Max. He really is becoming quite the drama queen.

Here is a video of VolTran practice in Iceberg (click on the red button with "Видео"). In the interview Max said that the arena doesn't have any minuses like other Olympic arenas, for example in Vacouver there were no special changing rooms, in Turin the gym was not so well-equipped. Kudryavtsev mentioned that the ice is "skating" very well, which is definitely a good advantage for skaters.
www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=974874&cid=680

[Bluebonnet]

Here is an interview with Patrick Chan on Dec. 1 before he left for Sochi for GPF:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskati...11875611&tab=1

Patrick has defensed his decision on going with Kathy Johnson in this interview.

[deedee1]

A short news clip on Japanese skaters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnWP_eefxFg

[let`s talk]

PChan told how he spent a day walking around Sochi and enjoying ping-pong. As well as he didn't forget badmouthing about one of his main rivals that he will have to face at the same Olympic stadium- that tall blond Russian:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/figure...season-dimanno
"I think I feared him at the beginning," admits Chan, who arrived in Sochi in the wee hours Tuesday after an exhausting trek from Colorado via Frankfurt and Moscow. "In Japan, on the ice with him, that was almost like being in a time capsule. I was actually more impressed with him in practice than in the competition. I thought to myself, 'Wow, he’s doing a lot better than I had expected.' He can still do all his jumps, which is pretty good for someone who’s — what? — 36, 37 years old."

Is it just Patrick's usual badmouth talking about his opponents or Canadian media started its PR work? He and they seriously believe that bashing that tall blond Russian in Russia will give them some love advantage? But hell, there is ISU at the end!

[emdee]

No is just Patrick's way of saying what he believes. Its his honesty.

[let`s talk]

Not is just Patrick's way of saying what he believes. Its his honesty.

Oh, please. DiManno is not PChan but Canadian media, and her attidue to Plu in that article is quite clear. Patrick is just helping her and himself in doing dirty PR work for Sochi. And mind, Plu is not even at GPF, so technically there wasn't any reason to drag him there. I believe it's just he beginning.