2005 Worlds: Scenarios and key matchups | Golden Skate

2005 Worlds: Scenarios and key matchups

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
What do you think will be the likely scenarios and key matchups in Moscow? Here is my take:

Men: Plushenko is the big favorite for gold. Bucking for position behind him are Weir, Joubert, Buttle, Goebel and possibly Lambiel. To challenge Plush, Weir and Buttle will have to up the technical ante; Joubert and Goebel must work on presentation.

Ladies: The battle at the top should be a showdown between the two grande dames -- Slutskaya and Kwan. Irina and Michelle have dueled many times, both getting the better of the other on various occasions. There will also be an intense fight for the third spot on the podium with Cohen, Arakawa, Rochette, Ando and maybe Suguri all as possible takers.
 

chania36

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 2, 2003
I believe that Rochette has a chance of Gold medal here, she had over the week-end for her long program at nationals, the higher score of the season internationaly, she is very very very good, unbelievable.... She can do the triple-triple combination, her artistry is magnificient, she could cause a surprise just like Sarah Hughes did. Also Joanie can skate clean under pressure, this is great
 

Callystarr

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 26, 2003


Some of yall on this website are making me all over laughing, Because I think a lot of you are really reading a little too far into this.

Joannie Rochette, nice performer, but her presentation still falls quite short of Cohen/Kwan. Have yall looked at the marks that she received during the Grand Prix series for component scores? On average about 1.00 pts below her national marks? C'mon now people everyone knows that nationals always inflates presentation marks. I sincerely doubt that she will be getting those same marks at worlds. Yes she landed 7 triples but in an international panel, she won't get the GOE that she was getting at nationals again...International judges are much more strict.

With virtually a clean performance at trophy lalique she still scored 20pts behind that total of Irina Slutskayas.

Sorry I see Rochette in the final group, but not quite on the podium. Her jumps have come to her, but she does not have the refinement that the other ladies do, she has a nice choreographed program but it still, footwork is weak, spins are not the greatest (I about fell out when Tracy Wilson said she had one of the best spins). Yes Rochette has improved and believe it or not her LP was my favorite from last year and I love watching her, but If i know these international judges, you won't be seeing no 7.75+ componenet marks @ worlds, nor will you see her on the podium unless the top 4 have a flop fest...
 

SailorGalaxia518

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Rochette can skate clean but I am going to have to say she probably won't challenge Kwan and Slutskaya and even Cohen artistically. She should place towards the top but I think it is going to be tough for her to medal unless Cohen has a splatfest in which some cases she does. You never know with her :laugh:
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Ogre Mage said:
What do you think will be the likely scenarios and key matchups in Moscow? Here is my take:

Men: Plushenko is the big favorite for gold. Bucking for position behind him are Weir, Joubert, Buttle, Goebel and possibly Lambiel. To challenge Plush, Weir and Buttle will have to up the technical ante; Joubert and Goebel must work on presentation.

Ladies: The battle at the top should be a showdown between the two grande dames -- Slutskaya and Kwan. Irina and Michelle have dueled many times, both getting the better of the other on various occasions. There will also be an intense fight for the third spot on the podium with Cohen, Arakawa, Rochette, Ando and maybe Suguri all as possible takers.

Plushenko is a big favorite and he is skating before his home crowd. However, all the other skaters you mentioned are capable of beating him if he skates less than perfect. Weir is definitely capable of winning the gold.

The Irina-Michelle battle is nice, but don't count Arakawa out. She is the defending champion. She has COP friendly programs, and she will rise to the occasion. You cannot count Sasha out either, particularly under COP. We will see 3 of these 4 ladies on the podium. However, if one of them falters, there are some young ones waiting in the wing- Miki and Joannie, and may be even Carolina if she skates clean. I no longer have confidence in Fumie's skating. I hope she can find her jumps soon. If she does, she could challenge for a spot on the podium but she will make it only if others make mistakes.

Vash
 

RealtorGal

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I thought it wasn't even definite that Fumie was going to Worlds. Wasn't she supposed to compete at 4CC with several other competitors from Japan, and only after that would the final member of the Japanese ladies' team be named?
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
How does Carolina Kostner keep getting mentioned in the top three? You guys must have seen something that I didn't.
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
I believe that Plushenko is going to win the gold medal and the rest of top skaters will be competing about silver and bronze. Those skaters are (in no particular order) Joubert, Weir, Sandhu, Lambiel and Buttle. Maybe Lindemann should be included too.

In ladies event I don´t see one really strong gold medal competitor, it could be anyone of several skaters. These skaters are competing about medals: Ando, Arakawa, Cohen, Kwan, Rochette, Slutskaya.
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Jonnie Rochette is strong, lovely, and reliable skater. She can do triple toe and triple toe, but her flip and lutz are very weak. At competitions mostly she doubled them. I don't think that she can challenge Sasha and Arakawa. How judges place her and Carolina K. depends how CK skates that night.
 

curious

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
weir and buttle chances are not going to improve against evgeny unless they have consistent quads in comps. I'll believe it when I see it :laugh:
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Rochette isn't gonna win gold. For that to happen, Irina, Michelle, Shizuka and Sasha would ALL have to melt down. Not going to happen. Joannie has a great program and is a pretty consistent jumper, but she does not have the control and refinement of Kwan or Cohen, nor the big jumps and great basics of Slutskaya and Arakawa. She might make it on the podium, though.
 

Tony Wheeler

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
jesslily said:
Jonnie Rochette is strong, lovely, and reliable skater. She can do triple toe and triple toe, but her flip and lutz are very weak. At competitions mostly she doubled them.


This is a definite :rofl: moment for me, her flip is one of her BEST jumps. Thinking back on the year, I can't remember a single time she's screwed it up except for a hand down on it at the Grand Prix Final? No doubles, either! Also, her lutz since Cup of China has been a really reliable jump, only doubling one of the two in the GPF LP, as well.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Ogre Mage said:
What do you think will be the likely scenarios and key matchups in Moscow? Here is my take:

Men: Plushenko is the big favorite for gold. Bucking for position behind him are Weir, Joubert, Buttle, Goebel and possibly Lambiel. To challenge Plush, Weir and Buttle will have to up the technical ante; Joubert and Goebel must work on presentation.
If one really gets into CoP and actually believe the judges are going to take each facet seriously, Plush does not have good spins, although they have gotten better. He does have that Bielman horror and that will boost his weak spins up a few notches. His jumps are unquestionably the best this year. Goebel will be working on his for the Olys. His footwork is good but so is the footwork of his competitors. His stopping and posing is part of his style and it will go over big in the hometown. I don't see any reason for his not taking first place, but I will want to review the details of his CoP scores, and compare them with Weir whose style is totally introverted compared to Plush, and with Stephane who has that kind of 'charming' style and a quad. I don't know how his recent injuries will affect this competition. The Canadian men just may pull off a surprise, if they are on, as will everyone else if Plush falters.

I don't think Plush will falter but I'll be damned if I can figure out the silver and bronze if all the top skaters skate their best. It will be pure subjectivity and not decisive.

Joe
 
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