Europe : Korpi, the top European lady this season is injured. All the Russian ladies who will be at Worlds have already been beaten by Osmond this season. Kostner is on the road of recovery but her technical content is thin, even if she repeats her content from last year, there are some questions whether that's enough to handle the onslaught of 3/3 and the more difficult Triples, like the Lutz, which she doesn't do anymore, especially if she is unable to even maintain last year's rather water-downed content.
All said and done, this leaves only Yu Na Kim. In her only outing this season, she struggled through her LP, with a fall and multiple errors. Definitely not the former Yu Na that we were used to quite yet. Still, she will be a favorite going in but that's only one person.
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All said and done, this leaves only Yu Na Kim. In her only outing this season, she struggled through her LP, with a fall and multiple errors. Definitely not the former Yu Na that we were used to quite yet. Still, she will be a favorite going in but that's only one person.
Looking at this overall picture, is it as unrealistic as you think that Osmond could medal at the World Championship?
Can't wait to see what SC is going to with regards to naming the 4CC team her either.
I guess Osmond, Daleman and Chartrand should be sent but maybe they'll try to squeeze Lacoste in somehow? Although doubt it given as lovely as Amelie's skating is, she's never been consistent sadly.
That's what they said about Suzuki vs. Osmond. But if one accepts, that Suzuki, a current World Medalist, is in the same league as the 3 ladies you mentioned, then they need to be worried. Because Osmond matched Suzuki on PCS under an international panel and took advantage of technical mistakes made by Suzuki to defeat her overall. Caro and Mao have historicaly demonstrated that they are extremely capable of total self-destruction at World Championships under pressure. I'd say they don't need to self-destruct for Osmond to beat them. They will have some cushion for sure but not much, maybe room for one major and one minor but not more.
What makes you so certain that will be the case? Is it because she is young? Lack of reputation? Or was that an actual assessment based on what you saw in her skating?
Historically, ladies are capable of winning World Championship at very young age. Lipinski at 14 on her 2nd World Championship. Oksana Baiul at 16 at her 1st World Championship.
If I were you, I wouldn't be so certain to have a crystal ball lined up to make such Napoleonic prediction.
Not quite!
Kostner plans 7 triples this season (including 3 Lutz and 3F-3T) and has already delivered a clean 6-triple performance (3F-2T instead of -3T) at her Nationals.
A month after NRW, Yuna performned a clean LP at Korean Nationals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O59GUx8iJMI
Her condition has considerably improved.
Suzuki is not in the same league as the three reigning/former world champions Kostner, Kim, and Asada. She's a one-time world bronze medalist who's never won a GPF, 4CCs, or her own Nationals, and only two GP wins over a lengthy career. So Osmond defeating Suzuki at Skate Canada is not a good reason for why the other ladies should be worried. (There's a huge difference between one-time world bronze medalist Artur Gachinski and, say, Patrick Chan, who won his first title at those same Worlds.)
Krislite didn't say anything about Osmond not being capable of winning Worlds at a young age, just the statement that Osmond wouldn't be getting 8-9.5 range at Worlds. I would agree with this--in doing a check of the last 4 World championships, zero 9.5s were given out to the ladies. Osmond is uber-talented and an exciting young skater, but it is not a put-down to say that she's not getting up to 9.5s at Worlds when neither Kostner, Asada, Kim, Ando, etc have ever gotten 9.5s there.
Osmond hasn't even skated a clean FS internationally yet this season, and wasn't able to do it at Nationals. That is not to say she can't skate a clean FS at Worlds, but it's not set in stone. She showed she's not immune to pressure/expectations and skating perfectly in both segments in an important competition is hard to do.
I couldn't believe the epic meltdown of Seguin.. images of Laetitia Hubert popped to mind.. I actually expected her to be behind DeSanctis with that skate, even though DeSanctis fell more than once too.
What makes you so certain that will be the case? Is it because she is young? Lack of reputation? Or was that an actual assessment based on what you saw in her skating?
Historically, ladies are capable of winning World Championship at very young age. Lipinski at 14 on her 2nd World Championship. Oksana Baiul at 16 at her 1st World Championship.
If I were you, I wouldn't be so certain to have a crystal ball lined up to make such Napoleonic prediction.
Happy for Osmond - solid FS, but she skated it better at the Challenge in December (all jump elements clean better). Such a reliable competitor.
I think Daleman is a big talent - at only 15, I hope she's survived the worst of puberty.
I was disappointed by the marks that Chatrand received (and her bronze medal) - when I see her skate, I see awkward awkward awkward. Awkward posture, awkward/stiff jumps - how she received positive GOE on any of them is a shock.
Lacoste was still worthy of the bronze medal - even with that performance. Her ease of movement, speed and general flow far surpassed Chatrand and Daleman. Jump wise, she was on par with Chatrand if the judges hadn't rewarded those crappy stiff jumps.