2014 Worlds: Who is the Dark Horse for the Men's podium? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2014 Worlds: Who is the Dark Horse for the Men's podium?

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
I think Machida; I hope Kozuka. However, both Machida and Kozuka seem to be a bit low-balled on PCS :(

Maybe they should consider skating for another federation :p
Never mind. Ignore me!

A dark horse, a real dark horse? Uhm... Mayorov?
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Why are people mentioning Machida as a dark horse? Hanyu can't be the favorite for all 3 spots on the podium, and Fernandez and Machida were the next highest finishers at the Olypmics, and look more like the heavy podium favorites to me.
Kozuka could be considered a dark horse, since he's been out of the big events since last season but still has the talent to medal here. Han Yan and Kovtun could also change things up.

IF the USFSA had send Jason, I'd agree he'd have a shot at bronze. Aaron could end up on the podium too if he really delivers, but this season (not being at the Olys especially) will probably have cost him momentum, and that could show in his PCS...
 

NMURA

Medalist
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
Machida is clearly the favorite for the podium along with Hanyu and Fernandez. The next in line is obviously Han Yan. Chinese skaters tend to do well at competitions in Asia. He won the bronze at last year's 4CC. Kevin Reynolds was the winner that time. He could be the real dark horse. I don't think Kovtun has a good chance. He will face some backlash from Sochi Olymputin. I expect one of the Chinese pairs to place ahead of the (all) Russians.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Max needs about 6 years of ballet and dance movement, divest himself of the herky jerky movements more associated with hockey than figure skating, better music than Carmen for his style of skating and a good choreographer. Jumps alone should not win a medal. I prefer a more well-rounded skater!!

But having met him I will say that he is a very, very nice young man. I hope he does better than I think he will because he's also a hard worker.
 

pohatta

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
I heard Verner is going after all. With two clean skates he could be podium worthy.
 

KJGL

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Max needs about 6 years of ballet and dance movement, divest himself of the herky jerky movements more associated with hockey than figure skating, better music than Carmen for his style of skating and a good choreographer. Jumps alone should not win a medal. I prefer a more well-rounded skater!!

But having met him I will say that he is a very, very nice young man. I hope he does better than I think he will because he's also a hard worker.

He probably doesn't have six years but agree he needs someone like a Sandra Bezic to add the artist to his athlete the way she did with Boitano, at the point in Boitano's career when he was referred to as a jumping machine.

Also agree he's a class act (could tell just from the way he reacted after not making the Olympic team) and glad to hear he's a hard worker.
 

aschiutza

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
The odds are against him, but it would be a great way to avenge the way his Federation treated him.

He didn't say no to go to the world when he was 5th at the russian championship, isn't it? So bad was he not treated, he still gets to world dispite being 17 last year and only 5 at the euro behind Voronov. Without the backing he got all the season he will hardly got those PCS.Loads of male skaters were dumped from the rusiian federation for much less.

But I also think that he is the dark horse. He is now poised to show what he can do and frankly i don't see any other new comer being able to do that at the moment.
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
He didn't say no to go to the world when he was 5th at the russian championship, isn't it? So bad was he not treated, he still gets to world dispite being 17 last year and only 5 at the euro behind Voronov. Without the backing he got all the season he will hardly got those PCS.Loads of male skaters were dumped from the rusiian federation for much less.

But I also think that he is the dark horse. He is now poised to show what he can do and frankly i don't see any other new comer being able to do that at the moment.

Also behind Menshov.

But yes, I agree he is a dark horse. Hopefully he won't feel as much pressure, and will be able to keep it together.
 

volk

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Personal best scores

Hanyu: 293.25
Fernandez: 267.11
Machida: 265.38
Yan: 246.20
Kovtun: 240.34
Liebers: 238.87
Aaron: 238.36
Abbott: 237.41
Brezina: 236.98
Majorov: 224.86
Reynolds: 222.23
Hendrickx: 214.24
Amodio: 213.39



I predict

1. Hanyu
2. Machida
3. Yan
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Max needs about 6 years of ballet and dance movement, divest himself of the herky jerky movements more associated with hockey than figure skating, better music than Carmen for his style of skating and a good choreographer. Jumps alone should not win a medal. I prefer a more well-rounded skater!!

But having met him I will say that he is a very, very nice young man. I hope he does better than I think he will because he's also a hard worker.

He probably doesn't have six years but agree he needs someone like a Sandra Bezic to add the artist to his athlete the way she did with Boitano, at the point in Boitano's career when he was referred to as a jumping machine.

Also agree he's a class act (could tell just from the way he reacted after not making the Olympic team) and glad to hear he's a hard worker.

Or you could just get over it and accept the fact that Max is not, and will never be, Boitano, Abbott or Brown; he's got a distinctive funky style that's all his own and very unique and the last thing figure skating needs is a bunch of "cookie-cutter" "artists".

And Sandra Bezic? If you thought my protests were loud enough when he said he was working with Lori Nichol, you'll want earplugs for any announcement of working with Sandra Bezic.

Max is a wonderful fun skater, and I wish people would stop being such snobs about his alleged "lack of artistry" and enjoy what's actually there.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Or you could just get over it and accept the fact that Max is not, and will never be, Boitano, Abbott or Brown; he's got a distinctive funky style that's all his own and very unique and the last thing figure skating needs is a bunch of "cookie-cutter" "artists".

... Max is a wonderful fun skater, and I wish people would stop being such snobs about his alleged "lack of artistry" and enjoy what's actually there.

:agree: I am reminded of a recent tweet from Jason Brown, who stated his own goal of being the best Jason he can be. :)

Max too always will have my support because he has dedicated himself to being the best Max he can be. :cool: :yes:
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Or you could just get over it and accept the fact that Max is not, and will never be, Boitano, Abbott or Brown; he's got a distinctive funky style that's all his own and very unique and the last thing figure skating needs is a bunch of "cookie-cutter" "artists".

And Sandra Bezic? If you thought my protests were loud enough when he said he was working with Lori Nichol, you'll want earplugs for any announcement of working with Sandra Bezic.

Max is a wonderful fun skater, and I wish people would stop being such snobs about his alleged "lack of artistry" and enjoy what's actually there.

Agreed. I wouldn't say I'm a fan, but I enjoy watching Max skate - he has power, speed, energy and fun out there. He's weaknesses should (and do) reflect rightuflly in his PCS, but if he really delivers, he deserves high TES. If he skates clean, he could be on the podium at this WC, and I'd rather see that than the 'artists' and 'more well-rounded skaters' medaling with mediocre skates. I liked his programs last season more, but that's what you get when everyone has to be pressed into the same expectations... him and Jason will make a really exciting team in the next years :)

NMURA said:
I don't think Kovtun has a good chance. He will face some backlash from Sochi Olymputin.

I don't think so. It wouldn't be fair and he wasn't even in Sochi. I'd lie if I said I liked his skating, but he might feel like he wants to proof his worth, he had time to prepare for this because he wasn't at the Olys, and the rest of the men's field is pretty deflated. Kovtun making it on the podium wouldn't suprise me all that much, even if it's not likely.
I'm still rooting for Han Yan though. It would set him up great for the next quad (and I'd love for the next quad to be the Hanyu-Han-Brown era! :love: )
 

KJGL

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Or you could just get over it and accept the fact that Max is not, and will never be, Boitano, Abbott or Brown; he's got a distinctive funky style that's all his own and very unique and the last thing figure skating needs is a bunch of "cookie-cutter" "artists".

And Sandra Bezic? If you thought my protests were loud enough when he said he was working with Lori Nichol, you'll want earplugs for any announcement of working with Sandra Bezic.

Max is a wonderful fun skater, and I wish people would stop being such snobs about his alleged "lack of artistry" and enjoy what's actually there.

That's very high minded and nothing wrong with that. But it's not just "people being snobs" about his "alleged 'lack of artistry'". It's judges.

Clearly the component scores they give him are at odds with your opinion. They're not seeing his "distinctive funky style."

I'd be very happy to enjoy his style, too...in his show skating. But we're not talking about show skating. We're talking about competitive skating and what a skater needs to do to succeed in competitive skating.

I had no idea that Max had been working with Lori Nichol but it seems pretty obvious that this is something he's trying to address. If that p*sses you off, don't tell me I'll need earplugs, yell at him. Seems pretty misdirected to take out your frustrations on posters on a message board who weren't even attacking him, but rather talking about a part of his skating that he himself thinks its important to improve.
 

KJGL

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
:agree: I am reminded of a recent tweet from Jason Brown, who stated his own goal of being the best Jason he can be. :)

Max too always will have my support because he has dedicated himself to being the best Max he can be. :cool: :yes:

And if Jason never gets the quad I have no doubt you'll continue to support him, but your interest in competitive skating will move along to a skater who has the goods to compete.

I'm honestly mystified as to why a posting exchange about what a skater can do to improve his competitive chances would be so offensive? You and I both like Max and are pulling for him at Worlds, maybe you can explain it to me?
 

volk

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
I don't think so. It wouldn't be fair and he wasn't even in Sochi. I'd lie if I said I liked his skating, but he might feel like he wants to proof his worth, he had time to prepare for this because he wasn't at the Olys, and the rest of the men's field is pretty deflated. Kovtun making it on the podium wouldn't suprise me all that much, even if it's not likely.
I'm still rooting for Han Yan though. It would set him up great for the next quad (and I'd love for the next quad to be the Hanyu-Han-Brown era! :love: )

I wouldn't like it at all. Hanyu needs a worthy challenger and I don't see Han or Brown being that skater. Hopefully Ten will stay and be a worthy competitor. Kovtun has potential too.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Working on a data analysis of scores....which I hope to use to answer the OP.

HAHA IM SUCH A NERD.
 
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