Can Plushenko close the gap on Kovtun? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Can Plushenko close the gap on Kovtun?

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
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Sep 14, 2008
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France
Can you stop commenting with fake authority on something you don't understand?

The SP and LP are weighted equally, but since there are 10 entries in the SP, the chance to ruin your score there is far greater. Russia wants 3rd in the SP for their Singles Male, 2nd if Chan or Hanyu bombs. But, if Russia bombs the SP, then they could be losing to all of the Chinese, American, and French men. In the LP they won't go lower than 5th regardless, and if Italy makes the top 5 then they are guaranteed at least 4th in the LP.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

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Jan 25, 2013
If Kovtun had skated his COR skate SP then he would have beat Plushenko's Nationals SP score. Just as if Plushenko had skated his Volvo Cuo SP he wouldn't have beaten Kovtun's SP at Nationals.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
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That is the only time Kovtun has skated a great SP and, even if he skates like that at Olympics, he's still not beating Chan or Hanyu, so Russian doesn't gain anything from it anyway. Russia needs the person who is most likely to skate perfect with a Quad in the SP. That person is Plushenko.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

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Jan 25, 2013
That is the only time Kovtun has skated a great SP and, even if he skates like that at Olympics, he's still not beating Chan or Hanyu, so Russian doesn't gain anything from it anyway. Russia needs the person who is most likely to skate perfect with a Quad in the SP. That person is Plushenko.

Kovtun with 2 quads in his SP can certainly get good positioning. Kovtun will likely get a top 5 finish in the SP unless he bombs so it doesn't really matter if Plushenko is in there.

With 2 quads a perfect Kovtun will score higher than a clean Plushenko with 1 quad. Let's bear in mind Kovtun has the higher personal best in the SP.
 

spread beagle

Rinkside
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Nov 20, 2013
Say, Blades of Passion and CanadianSkatingGuy, as both you seem to be competent figure skater, is there possibility to have on ice skate off between the two of you? I think it will be terrific success. :biggrin:
 

Near

On the Ice
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Dec 25, 2013
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Canada
Also, the LP is more important as Russia will make the top 5 teams anyways. Not sure how the weighting of the final placement is though. Does the SP score contribute equally to the final placement?

SP is actually more important. Each skater/pair will het between 1 (10th place) and 10 points (1st place) in the short and between 6 points (5th place) and 10 points in the long. The long program is not weighted any higher than the short program.

So ya, in the team event the short program actually matters quite a bit more than the long program.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

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Jan 25, 2013
Say, Blades of Passion and CanadianSkatingGuy, as both you seem to be competent figure skater, is there possibility to have on ice skate off between the two of you? I think it will be terrific success. :biggrin:

Hah, I'm game. ;) I'm actually vaguely interested in the extent to which BoP has been a competitive skater and I'm also curious as to how often he skates now, if at all. He seems to be quite knowledgeable about the sport as a whole and has his own, um, unique points of view when it comes to choreography, difficulty, jump rotations, etc. and has apparently taken ISU seminars (and denounced them). But some things he says actually make me question whether he himself skates frequently, ever competed at a novice/intermediate/junior/senior level, or has ever successfully choreographed for any skaters.

For the record, I've gotten up to a junior competitive level freeskate (in Canada obvs) and have landed triples up to a 3F (not super consistent with my 3L and 3F mind you), when I was a teen. But at 17, I dropped it for about a decade with university and starting my career, and now that I can afford it again I skate twice a week, although I only have my doubles back (trying to regain my 3T/3S but I don't exactly have the youthful core/body I used to!). I'm actually working way more on my basics now (as I used to just like jumping, as a lot of freeskaters do :biggrin: With IJS and inspiring skaters like Chan and Kostner I'm way more motivated to improve my overall skating). Oh, and I'm terrible at Ice Dance and don't remember many nor do I wish to re-learn them. :p

If not a skate off, at least a friendly skate with BoP. We can practice our flying counters! :biggrin:
 

MK's Winter

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Feb 9, 2009
An excerpt form TSL's recap on Russian Nationals:

"If it seems arrogant or ridiculous that an athlete would get to choose whether or not they compete in the Olympic Games, it is. One must also understand that Evgeny Plushenko is not an ordinary athlete or member of Russian society. The Russian Skating Federation paid Plushenko 1 million euro to continue competing this season. They also covered his training and medical expenses. Vladimir Putin has gifted Plushenko numerous cars and apartments over the years. He was also named to Parliament and awarded numerous tax loopholes."

I'm thinking this is why Plush has some pull on some decision making and why he can get away with a test skate instead of going to Euros. I wish Obama gifted US skaters like this;)
 

Buttercup

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Mar 25, 2008
No, because they will never compete against each other again. Otherwise, the gap in question was a few points after Plushenko skated one of his worst programs in memory and had an invalid element, making the question pretty pointless to begin with.

If the question was "how can Plushenko/Kovtun guarantee an Olympic spot", the answer is "by off-ice means", of course.

Can people please stop with the "can X close the gap on Y" threads? It made sense when it was Hanyu/Chan but it's been getting ridiculous, not to mention that I fail to see why another Plushenko/Kovtun thread is needed. Or, carry it to the logical conclusion - "Can Tonichelle close the gap on Mathman?", etc.

MK's Winter - you can just delete the redundant post or edit it ;)
 

MK's Winter

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Feb 9, 2009
No, because they will never compete against each other again. Otherwise, the gap in question was a few points after Plushenko skated one of his worst programs in memory and had an invalid element, making the question pretty pointless to begin with. If the question was "how can Plushenko/Kovtun guarantee an Olympic spot", the answer is "by off-ice means", of course. Can people please stop with the "can X close the gap on Y" threads? It made sense when it was Hanyu/Chan but it's been getting ridiculous, not to mention that I fail to see why another Plushenko/Kovtun thread is needed. Or, carry it to the logical conclusion - "Can Tonichelle close the gap on Mathman?", etc. MK's Winter - you can just delete the redundant post or edit it ;)

True story. They won't face off again.

And it won't let me delete:( I'll keep trying though.
 

MK's Winter

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Feb 9, 2009
Oh what an enormously foolish society Russia is becoming, and their foolish skating federation and the reason their results have gone down the tubes now for all to clearly see. It isnt by accident.

I agree. I understand his drive to compete and put himself through this. That is slot of money and a lot I pressure. Plush has nothing else to prove especially after Vancover. Russia's drive for medals really knows no bounds.
 

drivingmissdaisy

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Feb 17, 2010
I'm thinking this is why Plush has some pull on some decision making and why he can get away with a test skate instead of going to Euros. I wish Obama gifted US skaters like this;)

To be fair, good American athletes earn lucrative sponsorships so government funding isn't necessary for the very best athletes. What he earns is far less than what Kwan earned in her prime. I sympathize with Plushy because although he comes off as arrogant in this whole ordeal, he must face an intense amount of pressure to deliver based on how much Russia has invested in him. I don't envy his position at all.
 

MK's Winter

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Feb 9, 2009
To be fair, good American athletes earn lucrative sponsorships so government funding isn't necessary for the very best athletes. What he earns is far less than what Kwan earned in her prime. I sympathize with Plushy because although he comes off as arrogant in this whole ordeal, he must face an intense amount of pressure to deliver based on how much Russia has invested in him. I don't envy his position at all.

Russia is in no economic state to throw dollars around like that either. I think he wants to be done. Even with his surgery he has to be in a good amount of pain. I wonder if the Russian Fed will give him money and support him when he can't walk.
 
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