Who were the favorites for OGMs four years ago? | Golden Skate

Who were the favorites for OGMs four years ago?

sweetskates1

Medalist
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
I am wondering if the favorites won at the Vancouver Olympics. I know that Yuna Kim was the overwhelming favorite for the ladies. Evan Lysacek had just won gold at Worlds and at the GPF the year before but there were other contenders including Plushenko. In dance, were there co-favorites or were the Canadians a big surprise? Were B/A expected to place above them? What about the Russians? And in pairs, were the Chinese expected to win? Or were all the fans hoping they would? How many of the figure skaters that won gold in the previous season win OGM in the Olympics? Who were the biggest surprises on the podiums?
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
I am wondering if the favorites won at the Vancouver Olympics. I know that Yuna Kim was the overwhelming favorite for the ladies. Evan Lysacek had just won gold at Worlds and at the GPF the previous season but there were other contenders including Plushenko. In dance, were there co-favorites or were the Canadians a big surprise? Were B/A expected to place above them? What about the Russians? And in pairs, were the Chinese expected to win? Or were all the fans hoping they would? How many of the figure skaters that won gold in the previous season win OGM in the Olympics? Who were the biggest surprises on the podiums?

Lysacek won the GPF gold in the Olympic season.
 

elif

Medalist
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Jan 28, 2010
I think Patrick Chan was one of the favorites for mens. I read somewhere Plushenko watched his practices for make him uncomfortable. :confused:
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
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Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I'm old and memory fades. Alas.

But I recall Patrick being spoken of in the same vein as Jason Brown is this year.

A huge talent and a tremendous prospect for the future... but not quite a real podium contender if everyone skates well.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Chan was being predicted for silver by sports illustrated!! Silver was being predicted for lysacek by USA today. Plushenko was favorite for gold because people thought quad was important in skating.

Everyone had v/m gold dw silver and d/s Russia bronze

Pairs was all s/z

Ladies was all Yuna
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
I'm old and memory fades. Alas.

But I recall Patrick being spoken of in the same vein as Jason Brown is this year.

A huge talent and a tremendous prospect for the future... but not quite a real podium contender if everyone skates well.

All the big sports publications had chan down for a medal
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
I would say:

Women: Yu-Na Kim was the overwhelming favourite
Men: Evan Lysacek, all three Japanese men, Evgeny Plushenko. Patrick Chan was considered a possible medal threat, just not gold. Yet.
Dance: Davis and White, Virtue and Moir
Pairs: S/S, Shen/Zhao.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Feb 27, 2012
Chan was being predicted for silver by sports illustrated!! Silver was being predicted for lysacek by USA today. Plushenko was favorite for gold because people thought quad was important in skating.

Everyone had v/m gold dw silver and d/s Russia bronze ...

I am 99% sure that Davis/White were being touted for gold by Sports Illustrated and/or another influential U.S. voice (possibly USA Today, although I don't remember exactly).
(D/W had just won the GPF.)
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Ladies-Yu Na Kim
Men-Evgeny Plushenko
Dance-Virtue and Moir
Pairs-Shen and Zhao
 

gmyers

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Joined
Mar 6, 2010
I am 99% sure that Davis/White were being touted for gold by Sports Illustrated and/or another influential U.S. voice (possibly USA Today, although I don't remember exactly).
(D/W had just won the GPF.)

You are right! AP and SI were declaring DW gold. I was thinking of predictors being unanimous d/s Russia wouldn't win.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/olympics/2010/writers/brian_cazeneuve/02/12/medal.picks/

http://www.gamesbids.com/forums/topic/16542-associated-press-vancouver-2010-medal-predictions/
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Here was USA Today

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/2010-medals-projections.htm

They were not saying Chan but Oda. They were the ones who said V/M and got the whole podium right.


FIGURE SKATING

Spotlight will be on: Not since Brian Boitano won on Canadian ice in the 1988 Calgary Games has a U.S. man won Olympic figure skating gold. Reigning world champion Evan Lysacek could repeat Boitano's feat. The U.S. women, meanwhile, could be shut out of medals for the first time since 1964.

Women's singles

Gold: Kim Yu-na, South Korea


Silver: Miki Ando, Japan

Bronze: Mao Asada, Japan

Men's singles

Gold: Evgeni Plushenko, Russia

Silver: Evan Lysacek, USA

Bronze: Nobunari Oda, Japan

Pairs

Gold: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, China

Silver: Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, Germany

Bronze: Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, Russia

Ice dancing

Gold: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Canada

Silver: Meryl Davis and Charlie White, USA

Bronze: Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, Russia
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
In mens, I think Plushenko was the overwhelming favourite but Chan was also a co-favourite. IIRC, many people didn't expect Lysacek to win. I could be wrong, but I think there were even some who thought Weir would finish higher than him. I remember a lot of people being surprised at Chan "only" being in 5th place, but I think that's around what he deserved since he didn't skate his best.

Ladies - Yu-Na was the overwhelming favourite, and then Mao. Rochette was considered one of the bronze contenders, IIRC, but people were also strongly pegging Flatt, Nagasu, and maybe even Lepisto for bronze. I could be forgetting someone else here.. I think there were murmurings of Suzuki as a possible bronze medalist too.

Pairs - S/Z were the favourites along with S/S, but I don't think many people expected P/T to beat S/S or win the free skate. Some expected K/S or Mukhortova/Trankov in the bronze medal position.

Dance - I think people knew that D/W or V/M would win, but weren't sure which one. I know I thought B/A would be on the podium, and I think others felt the same, since Domnina/Shabalin weren't in their best form. I think some people spoke of D/S as favourites for a medal, too, since they had been the '08 World Champions, but unfortunately did not skate like in '08.
 

blue_idealist

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Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Oh yeah, reading the other posts, I forgot about Oda. It's too bad about his equipment problems in the free, and didn't he also "pull an Oda," doing too many combos?
 

gmyers

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Joined
Mar 6, 2010
In mens, I think Plushenko was the overwhelming favourite but Chan was also a co-favourite. IIRC, many people didn't expect Lysacek to win. I could be wrong, but I think there were even some who thought Weir would finish higher than him. I remember a lot of people being surprised at Chan "only" being in 5th place, but I think that's around what he deserved since he didn't skate his best.

Ladies - Yu-Na was the overwhelming favourite, and then Mao. Rochette was considered one of the bronze contenders, IIRC, but people were also strongly pegging Flatt, Nagasu, and maybe even Lepisto for bronze. I could be forgetting someone else here.. I think there were murmurings of Suzuki as a possible bronze medalist too.

Pairs - S/Z were the favourites along with S/S, but I don't think many people expected P/T to beat S/S or win the free skate. Some expected K/S or Mukhortova/Trankov in the bronze medal position.

Dance - I think people knew that D/W or V/M would win, but weren't sure which one. I know I thought B/A would be on the podium, and I think others felt the same, since Domnina/Shabalin weren't in their best form. I think some people spoke of D/S as favourites for a medal, too, since they had been the '08 World Champions, but unfortunately did not skate like in '08.

There wasn't anyone who was doing predictions for press not predicting lysacek for a medal!
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Oh yeah, reading the other posts, I forgot about Oda. It's too bad about his equipment problems in the free, and didn't he also "pull an Oda," doing too many combos?

He did not Oda in the FS.

Going back its crazy how many thought quads were important to winning.
 

Poodlepal

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
I actually remember the Sports Illustrated predictions .

Ladies--exactly how it ultimately went down. Mao, YuNa, Joannie
Men--quite different, actually. Evgeni, Patrick, Evan, in that order.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
As I recall

Ladies:
Kim & Asada

Men:
Plushenko - everyone just felt he'd win because of judges giving him a break on small mistakes
Lysachek and Takahashi were also talked about as being on the podium, but I don't remember either being a favorite for gold.

Dance:
V/M & D/W with V/M having more of a chance to win

Pairs:
I don't recall who was favored to actually win, though I think most fans wanted Shen and Zhao?
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
As I recall

Ladies:
Kim & Asada

Men:
Plushenko - everyone just felt he'd win because of judges giving him a break on small mistakes
Lysachek and Takahashi were also talked about as being on the podium, but I don't remember either being a favorite for gold.

Dance:
V/M & D/W with V/M having more of a chance to win

Pairs:
I don't recall who was favored to actually win, though I think most fans wanted Shen and Zhao?

Shen/Zhao were the favourites. S/S started the season as co-favourites, but they were having a poor season.

ETA: It also depends on when you were asking. At the beginning of the season, for example, Joubert and Chan were certainly thought of as contenders. But injuries to both certainly threw that idea out. Plushenko entered the Olympics as the only undefeated male skater competing (!). Asada started poorly, then became worse, but had a strong Nationals and 4CC to put her name if not in contention for the title, certainly for a podium finish. Rochette had a disappointing GP season, only to explode at Nationals
 
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