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

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

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Hanyu is the heavy favorite...but he has been prone to injury and illness at the end of the season for the last 2 years. Anything can happen.
So who is your pick to upset the applecart and get a surprise win or podium finish?

-My pick for a surprise Bronze is Machida --could even get gold if he skates perfectly.
 

Scovies

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Hanyu is the heavy favorite...but he has been prone to injury and illness at the end of the season for the last 2 years. Anything can happen.
So who is your pick to upset the applecart and get a surprise win or podium finish?

-My pick for a surprise Bronze is Jason Brown

As much as I'd love that, Jason isn't going to Worlds. Jeremy Abbott and Max Aaron are the two competitors for the U.S. I wouldn't mind seeing Machida sneak onto the podium, though.
 

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
As much as I'd love that, Jason isn't going to Worlds. Jeremy Abbott and Max Aaron are the two competitors for the U.S. I wouldn't mind seeing Machida sneak onto the podium, though.

AAARRRG! I totally forgot! I keep thinking he's going. Grrr. Ok, Machida then.
 

anyanka

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
The odds are against him, but it would be a great way to avenge the way his Federation treated him.

... which is why I chose him. ;)
He'll likely be angry and think "you passed me over? Oh yeah!? Suck on THIS!" and he wins a worlds medal, then the Federation will suddenly at at his mercy.
For how long depends: he could be Plushenko, or he could be Gachinskii (who I'd forgotten about until just now!).
No guts, no glory! :p
 

Silvia451

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Country
Romania
I'll also go with Machida for the bronze medal (even silver medal if Javi has mistakes and Machida has two clean programs)
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Machida, Kozuka, or Kovtun. I'm not counting Javier as a sure bet for the podium, either. If it was last year I might have said Kevin Reynolds, but this season, it's unlikely. Umm.. I'll also throw Peter Liebers in, even though that's quite a long shot.
 

SquishyDumpling

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 25, 2013
With all the withdrawals of the big names, does Abbott even need to go for a quad in either program to have a top 5?
My pick for the dark horse for podium would be Kozuka, Han Yan, or Kovtun.
Doesn't Machida actually have a good chance of the podium though (woops forget that the OP also asked surprise win)? Javi and him have the highest total after Hanyu by 20 pts compared to the rest of the field.
 

chloepoco

Medalist
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
I think Machida; I hope Kozuka. However, both Machida and Kozuka seem to be a bit low-balled on PCS :(
 

Becki

Medalist
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Well, seeing that Worlds are in Japan, one has to bet on Kozuka. Tbh, I wouldn't be surprised if the Japanese men sweep the podium!

1) Hanyu
2) Machida
3) Kozuka
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I think Max will end up around 6th or 7th - mostly because of his pcs. I would LOVE to see Jeremy put 2 skates together like he did at Nationals. Other than that - who knows! Anything could happen. Wouldn't it be ironic if Kovtun won gold though! Bwahahahah......poetic justice is alive and well.:yes:
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
The odds are against him, but it would be a great way to avenge the way his Federation treated him.

Oh yes, his federation treated him sooooooooooo badly, when they gift-wrapped him a Worlds spot after finishing fifth at Nationals and not even bothering to show up to the test skate...they treated him soooooooo horribly, when they coddled him and pampered him after his lowly 17th finish there, guaranteeing Russia just one spot, though they had thrown another skater with the same finish to the wolves the year before...
 

elee63

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 22, 2013
I'm assuming Ten isn't going?

Kozuka had showed so much potential at the 2010 olys. But I feel like he's hit a wall, and hasn't been able to surmount it. Especially artistically.
 
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