2013 Worlds predictions

[chuckm]

My predictions:

1. Yuna Kim 2.Carolina Kostner 3-4. Akiko Suzuki/Ashley Wagner 5. Mao Asada 6-7. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva/Adelina Sotnikova 8. Kaetlyn Osmond 9. Gracie Gold 10. Zijun Li.

Yuna is a total package out of question. This World title's gonna be hers. The defending champ Carolina has an amazing LP to Bolero, which I think will be her signature program. Akiko has been undervalued but she sure deserves a fair judgment. Ashley can claim the third place if she skates clean both SP&LP and lands 3-3. Mao has been unbeaten so far this season but I doubt if she can make it at Worlds with her unmastered jumps. Two russian compatriots, Liza and Adelina, will be likely to secure 3 spots for Sochi 2014. Kaetlyn will be strong on her home ice. Who knows? She may be able to skate in the LP final group by some magic. Gracie will have to handle herself under pressure and skate with improved maturity. Lastly, I put the young chinese skater in my list. Zijun has the quality to stand on the World podium in a few years after some of the top skaters above retire.

Hmmm. Li was 5th at 2012 JW and beat Gold and Osmond at 4CC. Once she is able to fully rotate all her jumps and skates with a little more expression, she will be a podium threat.

As for Kaetlyn Osmond, her SP score is #14 on the SB Short Program list which doesn't include YuNa's NRW score. So there are 14 skaters who have scored better in the SP than Kaetlyn, and 9 of those will be at Worlds. With her technical SP content, she would have to get very high PCS scores; that will be hard to do since she won't be in the final two groups to skate the SP.

[KatEll]

IF Li learns to fully rotate her jumps, and skates with expression.

IF everyone skates their best.



Anyone own a crystal ball?

[silverlake22]

Does Li really have such an issue with URs? I thought it was only occasionally, and just on her 3f-3t. I don't think of her as a chronic under-rotator of the Mirai or Kanako variety. She sure was fabulous at 4CC though, even the Eurosport commentators couldn't spot gushing about her!

[phaeljones]

Men:
1. Yuzuru Hanyu;
2. Patrick Chan;
3. Javier Fernandez;
4. Kevin Reynolds;
5. Daisuke Takahashi;
6. Max Aaron
7. Han Yan
8. Ross Miner
9. Florent Amodio
10. Michael Brezina
11. Brian Joubert

Han Yan and Max Aaron are tough (for me) to fit in. The judges seem to like them (more than I do). Ross Miner, I seem to like more than the judges. But this is where I think it will come down if everyone brings their best game and the judges judge as they have been doing this year.

[hybfc]

men,
1, daisuke i hope, and he is capable of it.
2, yuzuru
3, javier
4, patrick
5, amodio
6, ross miner
7, brezina
8, max aaron
9, song nan
10, kevin reynolds
11, joubert

ladies,
1/2, yuna/asada. personally I would like to see asada to win.
3, caro
4, sotnikova
5, wagner
6, suzuki
7, liza
8, zijun
9, gold
10, kanako
11, osmond

Men's and ladies' competition will be exciting. More than 10 skaters have a shot for podium.

pairs are so boring this year. I am so tired of some pairs winning with multiple mistakes. It just does not make sense. I think the scoring system for pairs has to be changed. It is stupid to apply the same system used in men's competition to pairs. 10 point pcs could be compensated by a well executed quad in men's. But it needs two more throws in pairs. Current system makes the pairs with high pcs almost unbeatable. There is no fun watching such a competition at all.
dance podium is like predetermined as long as v/m d/w and p/b do not mess up.

[hippomoomin]

I do agree that while the singles are super exciting, the pairs competition this year is really boring: not just so many pairs were either injured, or split; none of the remaining teams has been in their top shape; plus, who are going to win is more predictable than the singles. I would rather see more teams have the potential to be on the podium.

[sky_fly20]

Men

1 Hanyu
2 Fernandez
3 Chan/Takahashi

Ladies

1 Yuna
2 Mao
3 Osmond

Ice Dance

1 Virtue/Moir - Worlds lock
2 Davis/White
3 Pechalat/Bourzat

Pairs

1 Volosozhar/Trankov
2 Savchenko/Szolkowy
3 Dhamel/Radford - Worlds lock

[Ilvskating]

Ladies:

1/2 Yuna or Mao, Most likely Yuna first but I would be really happy if Mao win. She worked so hard and is on a ascending trajectory. She deserves to get a boost Then Yuna would be really motivated to add some transitions to her programs.

3. Caro or one of the Russian babies/ladies, hopefully Liz---anyone think she's a bit like Jennifer Lawrence, the new Oscar girl?

Zijun Li top ten----She IS marvelous! Should have higher PCS than quite a few girls ranked higher IMO

Men

1 Javier Fernandez
2 Patrick Chan
3 Hanyu

Pair:

V/T----I would really hate it if they get ridiculous high marks with terrible falls and errors
S/S----their programs and costumes are really not to my taste, not that is of any importance, just saying I love their Out of Africa program and hopefully they can have two very nice programs.
P/T or D/R or MT/M of Canada, given P/T's physical condition, I don't think they can get better than 3rd. But you never know, P/T are big event skaters, and they carry the weight of earning three spots for China, hopefully Sui/Han can deliver too.

I'm hoping the Italian and French pairs do well. Also Yuko Yamaguchi and her partner, they really got low-balled this year.

Dance

1 D/W
2 V/M
3 P/B

[Ilvskating]

Does Li really have such an issue with URs? I thought it was only occasionally, and on her 3f-3t. I don't think of her as a chronic under-rotator of the Mirai or Kanako variety. She sure was fabulous at 4CC though, even the Eurosport commentators couldn't spot gushing about her!

I doubt that too. I don't have the impression that Li has UR issue. I checked her results of this season, and it turned out that she has absolutely NO UR in any of her SPs! In the LP, at NHK, she had only one < for the 2Lo at the end of a 3-jump combo, for a program with 6 clean triples and two 2As; She tried a 7 triples LP at her senior debut at COC, but had 3< unfortunately; at 4CC, she had a clean 3F+3t and 2A+3T, but got called < for her single jump later for 3F, 2A, again, for a 7 triple and 2As program. This one I actually remember very well and many people feel the ur call was hash. Here is link for her 4CC LP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hf1kkYMRCs,

the Japanese commentator definite said "beautiful "after the 3F, and very excitedly called out the 2A. And the audience gave her a partial standing ovation.

and here is the Eurosport version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSt1SgO0MIM


and I totally agree with the: commentators' gush and the commentator seemed to believe she got wronged during one of the previous competition.

If that's no beautiful skating, I don't know what is. Her expression was lovely and precious, her skating is delight and light like a feather and those jumps were just beautiful!
I really hope that the judges do their job in the World, as the commentators said here

[Reginald]

Ladies
1. Kim
2. Kostner
3. Asada

[lyton]

Ladies:
1 Asada
2 Kim
3 Kostner

Men:
1 Chan
2 Takahashi
3 Hanyu

9 Song

Pairs:
1 V/T
2 S/S
3 P/T

Dance:
1 V/M
2 D/W

[pangtongfan]

Pairs:

Gold- Volosozhar & Trankov- I still think next years Olympics could be close between them and S/S but for this years Worlds I would be stunned if they dont win. They have too much momentum right now.

Silver- Savchenko & Szolkowy

Bronze- Duhamel & Radford or Barazova & Larionov


Men:

Gold- Daisuke Takahashi
Silver- Javier Fernandez
Bronze- Patrick Chan

Just have a feeling Hanyu will bomb a bit here.


Dance:

Gold- Davis & White
Silver- Virtue & Moir
Bronze- Bobrova & Soloviev


Ladies:

Gold- Kim
Silver- Kostner
Bronze- Asada

[figuristka]

Men:
Gold: Hanyu
Silver: Chan
Bronze: Takahashi
4th Fernandez
5th Amodio
6th Reynolds
7th Brezina
8th Joubert
9th Aaron
10th Miner

Ladies:
Gold: Mao Asada
Silver: Yuna Kim
Bronze: Kostner
4th Suzuki
5th Wagner
6th sotnikova
7th Osmond
8th Liza
9th Gold
10th kanako

Dance:
Gold:V/M
Silver:D/W
Bronze:Bobrova & Soloviev
4th Pechalat/Bourzat (not enough time after injury)
5th Weaver/Poje
6th ILINYKH / KATSALAPOV

Pairs:
V/T
S/S
D/R or MT/M

[deedee1]

My dream podium:
1. Daisuke 2. Javier 3. Brian
1. Akiko 2. Mao 3. Yuna
1. Qing/Jian 2. Aliona/Robin 3. Yuko/Sasha
1. Meryl/Charlie 2. Nathalie/Fabian 3. Anna/Luca

But to be realistic:
1-2. Hanyu+Fernandez; whichever skates cleaner takes the gold 3: Chan, or Takahashi (only if he hits 3 'rotated' quads, regardless with a fall or no falls)
1. Asada 2. Kim 3. Sotnikova
1. Volosozhar/Trankov 2. Savchenko/Szolkowy 3. Bazarova/Larionov
1. Davis/White 2. Virtue/Moir 3. Bobrova/Soloviev

[hippomoomin]

Ladies:
1. Mao
2. Kostner
3. Kim
4. Suzuki
5. Sotnikova
6. Liza
7. Gold
8. Murakami
9. Wagner
10. Osmond