Olys: Will USA medal at all?

[Mathman]

Men: Will the USA place anyone in the top six? Or could it be...

Pluhenko
Joubert
Lambiel
Buttle
Sandhu
Li

Ladies: Between Sasha and Michelle, we should be able to squeak out a silver or a bronze. But Irina is the favorite, Carolina will be looking to improve on her third-place result in front of a home crowd audience and home town judges, and you can't count out Rochette or Poykio.

Could a resurgent Japan could knock the Americans off the podium altogether.?

Irina
Carolina
Shizuka
Fumie
Joannie
Miki

Pairs: We'll be lucky with a top 10. (But even so, go Katie and Garrett! )

Dance: If Belbin and Agosto can't go, no medal prospect there, either.

How is our speed skating team looking this year?

Mathman

[attyfan]

It is certainly possible that the US won't medal at all -- and I agree that the pairs don't have a chance (and that ice dance depends on whether or not Belbin & Agosto go). However, in the singles events, it is equally possible that Lysacek, Weir, Sasha, and Michelle will all medal. After all, health of critcial competitors can change overnight. Kostner may hold it together as did Sarah; she may fall apart before the home town crowd as at Europeans. Shizuka can come back; she may also be a Butyrskaya with one magical night at Worlds that is not equalled again. Can Joubert come back? Can E-man skate clean? IMO, this is the widest-open men's and ladies events in years.

[nymkfan51]

Agree ... pairs, absolutely not!
Dance ... maybe, if B&A compete.

Men ... Plushy is the only guaranteed spot on the podium, IMO. Evan has a great chance of making it, maybe Johnny. I love Timmy, but I doubt he can do it.

Ladies ... if Irina is healthy, she is a lock. The other 2 spots are wide open, IMO.
The best prospects would be Sasha, MK, Shizuka, Carolina, Fumie and Miki.
Rochette has an outside chance.
I don't understand the Poykio choice. She's a delightful young lady, but I see nothing in her skating thus far to indicate she can challenge these other ladies.

I seriously doubt the USA would leave without at least one medal.

[waxel]

It is entirely feasible that Sasha and/or Michelle could medal.

For the men, I have high hopes for Evan and Johnny... and for perhaps a great dark horse who emerges at Nats.

[ks777]

I am certain that either Michellle or Sasha will medal. Sasha should medal if she doesn't have a disastrous night. As for men, as much as I like Evan, I don't see him medaling again. Weir has a better chance.

[chuckm]

The men's results at Worlds 2005 aren't a great indicator of who will medal at Torino. Plushenko withdrew due to injury, and not one of the medalwinners had a clean skate. Lambiel won gold with two quads but landed no 3A, 3Z or 3F. Buttle had no quad and fell on both 3A attempts. Lysacek had no quad, no solo 3A and no 3L. Weir was injured and didn't make the podium, edged out by Lysacek.

I think a healthy Weir can easily beat Lysacek, and has a good shot of beating Buttle, and a healthy Weir with a quad can challenge Lambiel.

[R.D.]

Ladies ... if Irina is healthy, she is a lock. The other 2 spots are wide open, IMO.
The best prospects would be Sasha, MK, Shizuka, Carolina, Fumie and Miki.

ITA.



however- Cohen was able to keep 2nd place even with all the mistakes she made- somehow (assuming she makes about 3-4 mistakes) it's likely that she'd be at least 3rd.

[soogar]

I don't see a medal for Weir. I think Evan has more of a shot than Weir for a medal because it seems that he has the USFS support plus Evan seems mentally tough. I do hope for Timmy to break through and win the OGM and I like his chances more than the other guys because he's brought it before to big competition.

I don't see 2 American ladies on the podium (thank goodness) this time. Sasha will definitely make the podium and if there is a second American, it will be Emily Hughes on the Olympic podium. It would be something if Emily pulled an upset like her sister and won the whole thing and I think she can.

1. Emily Hughes
2. Sasha Cohen
3. Irina Slutskaya

[Dee4707]

Soogar, I hope your predictions don't come true. If Weir is healthy and in good shape, both mentally and physically, I think he has a very good chance.

As for the ladies, what experience does Emily have to go on? At Michelle or Sasha's worse skate, I don't see Emily beating either.

Dee

[Mathman]

Soogar, what made you change your mind about Miki Ando as a promising Olympic hopeful?

[Kwanford Wife]

It terms of dance (w/o an act of congress for B&A) & pairs its a foregone conclusion that the US won't have a chance in hades of medals.

However, I disagree about the men. I think Johnny has as a decent chance of standing on the podium. Evan ~ not so sure mainly because Worlds reminded me too much of that strange '03(is this correct??) Nationals where all the men skated so poorly...

In terms of Ladies ~ I think the podium spots & OGM are wide open with the top five more jockeying for position... Irina is the favorite but that's not a good prediciton on olympic gold (kwan fans understand this better than anyone...) Also, there's always the health issues, injuries & head cases amongst the ladies in this crop. Having said that, I would be MORE surprised if the Americans didn't have their usual two spots....

The top contenders as I see it ~ including their "issues" in no particular order...

Irina - health
MK - olympics seem to break her focus & fire. (this is more a factor than CoP IMHO)
Diva - possibly a one hit wonder
Sasha - her nerves & concentration are always an issue
Fumie - she goes up & down worse than the stock market
Carolina - was worlds a fluke? can she handle the pressure?
Miki - technical seems to be there, but not. Artisty always an issue
Joanine (sorry for the sp.) - proof that GP success doesn't always translate into big, international competitions
Jenny K. - she'll be on tv talking about the honor to represent the US, not about the podium.
Emily - ???
BeBe - ???

Lots of questions, not a lot of answers... how long till the season starts?

[attyfan]

I don't see a medal for Weir. I think Evan has more of a shot than Weir for a medal because it seems that he has the USFS support plus Evan seems mentally tough. I do hope for Timmy to break through and win the OGM and I like his chances more than the other guys because he's brought it before to big competition.

I don't see 2 American ladies on the podium (thank goodness) this time. Sasha will definitely make the podium and if there is a second American, it will be Emily Hughes on the Olympic podium. It would be something if Emily pulled an upset like her sister and won the whole thing and I think she can ...

So far, it seems that the youngster in the ladies event with the USFSA support is Kimmie Meissner over Emily Hughes. Why do you think that USFSA support will be more important for the men (helping Evan over Johnny) than in the ladies?

[Joesitz]

We are all grasping for some clear signs. I don't think there are any yet, but come the GPs we will see who is competitive for the podium. Although the GPs are by no means a clear indicator but they will show who is motivated.

To make a bronze medal one has to go for gold.

If B&A get an ok to skate, and the rumor about them and the Ukrainians to be on the podium is true, then the Americans will definitely have a medal. I believe the rumor involves keeping the Bulgarians and French off the podium. I don't know how true the rumor can be since my interest in Skate Dance weakened after the Duschesnays left. That rumor was what was going around at the Moscow Worlds.

Given there is no hanky panky in the other disciplines, I still want to see the GPs. There are some really hot contests this Olys - not just who among two.

Joe

[elingrace4eva]

I would say, as far as men go, Johnny has a much better chance than Evan of being on the top 6 or on the podium. He's proven time and time again that with his artistry he has far surpassed Evan, and I can't see him placing below him without an injury or something equally unexpected.

[Ptichka]

Joe, while I certainly believe that Del&Sch have virtually no chance to medal, I wouldn't be so certain about Den&Sta. Especially now since they've changed coaches.