2018-19 Ladies' power ranking

[[email protected]]

I agree. Kaori literally just won Nationals. And where is she jumping ”heavier“? I would like an explanation on that because frankly speaking, I fear that I‘m becoming blind. I didn‘t see any heavy jumps from Kaori, only a few mistakes in the FS and otherwise beautiful skating skills and soft jumps with a gorgeous knee bend. She wasn‘t perfect but who‘s always perfect? I hope she will do well at Worlds.

What can I say? It's either one of the three: my eyes fail me, my screen distorts the picture or she does jump heavier than before. To my defense this was not only my view: there was an opnion in the competition thread from an American who hardly has any "vested interest" in bashing Kaori:

Has Kaori always jumped like this ? She sort of takes off with two feet on most jumps.. Looks sort of labored and overall a little low? Was that just her struggling today or is that normal for her?

I don’t remember having that impression before but I have t seen her perform in a while too.

Also I remember how people kept praising Gracie's jumps up until the end although they got lower and lower with every season.

And as for the thread topic, I still see her as #3 right now so that there is no need to pick on my opinions - they are just my opinions. You see beautiful skating skills - I don't pick on that despite "skating skills" is such a travesty. And I wouldn't pick on "gorgeous knee bend" although for me those soft knee landings are not aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Fluture]

What can I say? It's either one of the three: my eyes fail me, my screen distorts the picture or she does jump heavier than before. To my defense this was not only my view: there was an opnion in the competition thread from an American who hardly has any "vested interest" in bashing Kaori:

Has Kaori always jumped like this ? She sort of takes off with two feet on most jumps.. Looks sort of labored and overall a little low? Was that just her struggling today or is that normal for her?

I don’t remember having that impression before but I have t seen her perform in a while too.

Also I remember how people kept praising Gracie's jumps up until the end although they got lower and lower with every season.

And as for the thread topic, I still see her as #3 right now so that there is no need to pick on my opinions - they are just my opinions. You see beautiful skating skills - I don't pick on that despite "skating skills" is such a travesty. And I wouldn't pick on "gorgeous knee bend" although for me those soft knee landings are not aesthetically pleasing.

Well, I can certainly agree that this wasn‘t her best day. After the miss on the 2A, it was clear that things went downhill. I can understand that, she‘d seen how Rika performed and knew that the only chance to beat her and defend her title would be to be perfectly clean. Also her jumps looked worse than usually. But they were great at Nationals and even here in the SP, that‘s why I don‘t get the comparison to Gracie. ??

I have no “vested interest“ in defending Kaori either, she is far from my favorite skater, I prefer Satoko and Rika over her. I was just judging by what I saw. And it honestly baffles me when I read comparisons to Gracie even if there‘s no indicator for her having similar issues other than a competition with a difficult FS? “Lower jumps“? That’s all? No interviews, no other things that made you worry? I mean, it‘s your opinion, I guess but still seems a bit out of context to compare these situations like that.

I don‘t want to do any ”what about“ so I won’t name anyone but if a skater dealing with jump problems a few times immediately means having an eating disorder or other mental problems, I would worry about others more who have shown problems with URs and weaker jumps in more than one recent competition. I‘m aware of the fact that this sentence just horribly sounded like a certain other poster in this thread but this was actually the thing that surprised me most. That with one of these skaters, it will be defended and no such assumption would ever be made while with the other it‘s allowed to (excuse my wording) jump to conclusions.

I‘m not trying to pick on any opinion even though I guess my comment sounded like that, so I‘ll apologize if that was the case. But I‘m really just trying to understand and failing. This reasoning is still beyond me.

About the knee bend: Yes, probably a subjective thing. I think it’s beautiful and that it makes a jump look smoother and easier. But that likely won‘t be the same for everyone. Out of curiosity, though:

”You see beautiful skating skills - I don't pick on that despite "skating skills" is such a travesty.“

What did you mean by that? That Kaori’s SS are a travesty? Or skating skills in general?

I guess we‘re pretty off-topic right now, so about the thread: Kaori in third makes sense. She will have to perform, though, since at Worlds, others will use every chance they get to claim a medal. If clean, Alina and Rika are far above the rest. I still think Alina might somehow get it together for Worlds. After all, this is the only competition she has not won yet so she will be hungry. It will be seen whether or not she can overcome her issues. She‘s a strong competitor. I choose to believe in her.

 

[[email protected]]

”You see beautiful skating skills - I don't pick on that despite "skating skills" is such a travesty.“

What did you mean by that? That Kaori’s SS are a travesty? Or skating skills in general?

I mean that very often "skating skills" is the last argument. Well, sometimes it's the only argument. And I don't like it because it is very subjective and often used just to support ones position without any hard proof to it. Like "Alina has poor skating skills" - we all saw how she did a one foot skating around the sticks in Japan. For me it's the manifestation of very good skating skills. And btw no one dared to repeat it then.

I saw nothing outstanding in Gracie's SS that many people here praised - I don't say they were bad either. With Kaori it's the same for me - she is a good skater but there is nothing special about how she skates. If you name Patrick and Yuzuru then yes, it is very clear. If you name Samarin - it is also clear but on the other end of the spectrum. But there is a very wide area in between where "skating skills argument" is used declaratively: "skater A has superb skating skills and skater B has poor skating skills" - "you are wrong: skater A has poor skating skills and skater B has superb skating skills". That's why I name it travesty.

 

[FS101]

UPDATE

I apologize for the bad grammar and spelling!

1. Rika Kihira (no change)
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2. Alina Zagitova (no change)
2. Elizaveta Tuktamyshaeva (no change)
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3. Kaori Sakamoto (no change, had an increduble outing at nationals)
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4. Satoko Miyahara (no change, but the future isn’t brights. She should have have placed 4th at nationals behind Mihara since the under rotations were clear and their only going to get worse)
4. Mai Mihara (+1, very consisistent and under scored)
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5. Bradie Tennel (no change)
5. Sofia Samodurova (+1, super consistent but she needs a more technically difficult program to score higher)
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6. Mariah Bell (+2, I really like her programs her skating and has improved. But she needs to get a solid 3-3 even it’s 3 toe-3 toe combo
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7. Carolina Kostner (No change, she finally is practicing again and with 4 weeks until Euros, I thinks she’ll compete and practically has a huge chance of getting on the podium. This is because of the massive PC’s she’ll get and if somewhat clean she’ll get at last a 210 which is miles ahead of Stasya and a bit ahead of Samodruova)
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8. Stanislava Konstantinova (NEW, she is extremely pushed by the Russian Fed and I really don’t get it at all. She underroates often and sometimes gives a good performance. How she’ll place in future competitions for me, is really a mystery)
8. Evgenia Medvedeva (-5, the struggle will pay off. It’s also unlikely she’ll get more high level international competitions, so I hope she’ll atleast go to some smaller competions)
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9. Anastasia Gubanova (No change, had a good outing at nationals and I really confused why Konstantiova is being pushed but not her. I actually really like her skating and her programs. But I don’t understand why isn’t CSKA isn’t pushing her for more international competitions.
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10. Loena Hendricxx (No change, she has a scent shot of being on the podium at Euros if Koatner doesn’t show and could possibly be ahead of Stasya and Sampsurova because she has a PB of 204 which is somewhat achievable.
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11th to 13th would be Eunsoo Lin, Elizabet Tursynbaeva, Gabby Daleman (I really wanted to include her in list and I hope she gets better and competes at Worlds)

I apologize for the bad grammar and spelling!

1. Rika Kihira (no change)
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2. Alina Zagitova (no change)
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3. Kaori Sakamoto (no change, although she didn't do well at 4CC, I think it was an exception for this season, and she'll do well at Worlds)
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4. Satoko Miyahara (no change,)
4. Mai Mihara (no change, won't go to worlds but is knocking on door for a possbility to go worlds, and is very consisistent and under scored)
4. Elizaveta Tuktamyshaeva (-2, since she did not do that well at the small compeition where she competed this week although she won)
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5. Sofia Samodurova (no change , has a chance to medal at world since winning Euro's will help her GOE's and PC's)
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6. Elizabet Tursynbaeva (+6, had a really good outing at 4CC and podiumed, and I really believe she will land the quad salchow in worlds and she has improved so much)
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7. Bradie Tennel (-2, not really consistent this season, and should have podiumed at 4CC but did not )
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8. Mariah Bell (-2, I really like her programs her skating but she has not had a clean competition so far!
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9. Stanislava Konstantinova (-1, did well at Russian National but did not well at Euros at all, and has not displayed a 200+ score at all in international competitions which is not good for a Russian skater whom wants to go worlds,)
9. Evgenia Medvedeva (-1, the struggle will pay off. I really hope she goes to Worlds)
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10. Loena Hendricxx (No change, with her 204 PB she has an ability to place decently at worlds)
11th to 13th would be Eunsoo Lim, Viveca Lindfors, and Laurine Lecavelier
Wild Cards
Gabby Daleman (She is Canada's only chance of getting into the top 10 at worlds and atleast maintaining 2 spots)
Carolina Kostner (Her condition is unknown, but if she competes at world she has decent chance of getting into the top 10 with her high PC's)

 

[rachno2]

I might revise after Russia Cup Final, but probably not:

1. Rika Kihira (-) The one to beat, even with her SP woes
2. Kaori Sakamoto (+1) She is the reigning national champion at home Worlds, and, more significantly, she is the only woman to beat Kihira in competition this season. I think she is the favorite for silver, unless she falters and Samodurova sneaks in with her trademark consistency, or Alina regains her form.
3. Alina Zagitova (-1) She has been producing solid, high-scoring short programs all season. Given Kihira's inconsistency in that segment, I can see Zagitova in the lead heading in to the free. The FS, though, is a huge question mark at this point. If she gets through it with a limited number of errors, she is in contention for any medal.
4. Sofia Samodurova (+2) She might not have the base value or the PCS of Kihira or Zagitova, but she has consistency and momentum. In a high-stakes, unpredictable competition, those two things count a lot.
5. Satoko Miyahara (-) Her jumps have been looking shakier since GPF, but she is still the steady veteran on Team Japan. If she can regain the early-season spark of her newly-revised programs (doable), she can sneak onto the podium. But that will require errors from others and a lenient tech panel (more uncertain).
6. Evgenia Medvedeva / Elizaveta Tuktamysheva I think base value and body of work still favor Tuk for the third spot, but if Medvedeva does well at the Cup of Russia Final, I think she will go to Worlds. With Tuk not in her best form at Dragon Trophy, the decision would make sense. In any case, both are question marks, so I think they're out of medal contention for now.
7. Elizabet Tursynbaeva (back on the list) She delivered on her promise earlier in the season and just took silver at 4CCs. If she attempts 4S again, she could really shake things up.
8. Bradie Tennell (-1) She's competitive and hard-working, but I question her morale after Nationals and 4CCs. Without a reliable lutz-loop combo, I don't think she's in the conversation.
9. Eunsoo Lim (-) The pressure to acquire spots for Team Korea will be enormous. I hope she handles it well, because she shows great promise.
10. Viveca Lindfors (new) She and Eunsoo have been scoring lower than Mariah Bell on average, but I think momentum works in Lindfors' favor after her European bronze, and I question Bell's morale even more than Tennell's. Just a feeling.

Circling the top 10: Mariah Bell, Loena Hendrickx (SB over 200, but form unknown for a while now), Carolina Kostner, Gabrielle Daleman (both huge question marks)

 

[IndiaP12]

I might revise after Russia Cup Final, but probably not:

1. Rika Kihira (-) The one to beat, even with her SP woes
2. Kaori Sakamoto (+1) She is the reigning national champion at home Worlds, and, more significantly, she is the only woman to beat Kihira in competition this season. I think she is the favorite for silver, unless she falters and Samodurova sneaks in with her trademark consistency, or Alina regains her form.
3. Alina Zagitova (-1) She has been producing solid, high-scoring short programs all season. Given Kihira's inconsistency in that segment, I can see Zagitova in the lead heading in to the free. The FS, though, is a huge question mark at this point. If she gets through it with a limited number of errors, she is in contention for any medal.
4. Sofia Samodurova (+2) She might not have the base value or the PCS of Kihira or Zagitova, but she has consistency and momentum. In a high-stakes, unpredictable competition, those two things count a lot.
5. Satoko Miyahara (-) Her jumps have been looking shakier since GPF, but she is still the steady veteran on Team Japan. If she can regain the early-season spark of her newly-revised programs (doable), she can sneak onto the podium. But that will require errors from others and a lenient tech panel (more uncertain).
6. Evgenia Medvedeva / Elizaveta Tuktamysheva I think base value and body of work still favor Tuk for the third spot, but if Medvedeva does well at the Cup of Russia Final, I think she will go to Worlds. With Tuk not in her best form at Dragon Trophy, I can't say I wouldn't understand the decision. Both are question marks, so I think they're out of the top 5 and out of medal contention for now.
7. Elizabet Tursynbaeva (back on the list) Those promising signs early in the season took shape at 4CC, where she won the silver medal. If she attempts 4S again, she could really shake things up.
8. Bradie Tennell (-1) She's competitive and hard-working, but I question her morale after Nationals and 4CCs. Without a reliable lutz-loop combo, I don't think she's in the conversation.
9. Eunsoo Lim (-) The pressure to acquire spots for Team Korea will be enormous. I hope she handles it well, because she shows great promise.
10. Viveca Lindfors (new) She and Eunsoo have SBs lower than Mariah Bell, but I think momentum works in Lindfors' favor after her European bronze, and I question Bell's morale even more than Tennell's.

Circling the top 10: Mariah Bell, Loena Hendrickx (SB over 200, but form unknown for a while now), Carolina Kostner, Gabrielle Daleman (both huge question marks)

What about Mai Mihara?

 

[rachno2]

What about Mai Mihara?

I do my rankings based on who is going to Worlds. I love Mai and will miss her very much, but I don’t see the team changing.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

6. Evgenia Medvedeva / Elizaveta Tuktamysheva I think base value and body of work still favor Tuk for the third spot, but if Medvedeva does well at the Cup of Russia Final, I think she will go to Worlds. With Tuk not in her best form at Dragon Trophy, the decision would make sense. In any case, both are question marks, so I think they're out of medal contention for now.

I would hope Liza has the spot locked up now, unofficially. She hasn't been training much since before Russian Nationals but still put out two programs that show she's improving. The 3A looked like it will be in good shape soon.

 

[IndiaP12]

I do my rankings based on who is going to Worlds. I love Mai and will miss her very much, but I don’t see the team changing.

Oh ok never mind [emoji28]

 

[rachno2]

Oh ok never mind [emoji28]

Mai not being there is so sad though! I think she could be a serious contender for the podium, even with her criminally low PCS

- - - Updated - - -

I would hope Liza has the spot locked up now, unofficially. She hasn't been training much since before Russian Nationals but still put out two programs that show she's improving. The 3A looked like it will be in good shape soon.

She underrotated it in both programs, though, and she doesn’t seem to have her triple-triples consistent. I think the third spot is up in the air right now.

 

[lzxnl]

Mai not being there is so sad though! I think she could be a serious contender for the podium, even with her criminally low PCS

- - - Updated - - -



She underrotated it in both programs, though, and she doesn’t seem to have her triple-triples consistent. I think the third spot is up in the air right now.

I'm sure you're aware, but she'd have to replace someone in the Worlds team. Who would you have she replace? Probs not the internationally undefeated Rika. Or the only woman that's ever taken a gold from Rika. Or the woman that made it to GPF and beat her at Nationals.

Mai is nothing short of abysmally unfortunate.

 

[chopinskate]

I guess we're waiting on the Russian worlds' team to be announced for the acual prediction thread to pop up. But I think the most likely outcome (on the fair assumption that Zagitova is sent) is:

1. Kihira
2. Sakamoto
3. Zagitova

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I guess we're waiting on the Russian worlds' team to be announced for the acual prediction thread to pop up. But I think the most likely outcome (on the fair assumption that Zagitova is sent) is:

1. Kihira
2. Sakamoto
3. Zagitova

I suppose Zagitova's recent Euros performance have made people lose faith in her considerably... however, aside from that competition, she's consistently produced higher scores than Sakamoto this season. I'd say Sakamoto has a shot for bronze at this time, but surprising things have happened (like Zagitova bombing at Worlds 2018 and Wakaba/Miyahara medalling).

 

[lusterfan]

Worlds hasn't been this exciting in a while! Gold and Silver will no doubt be a battle between Rika and Alina, with Bronze contended by Liza, Kaori, Satoko (in that order). Less likely but still possible bronze contenders include: Sofia, Evgenia (if she is sent instead of Liza), Bradie, and Elizabet. Eunsoo, Mariah, Viveca, Loena, Gabby, Alexia, Alaine should round out the Top 15.

1. Rika: Rika has the edge over the rest of the field with her three 3A's. If she lands them well, only an absolutely perfect Alina will come close. However, Rika's short program will be her achilles' heel. If she pops her 3A and Alina skates perfectly in the short, Alina may have a 10-15 pt advantage going into the free -- Rika's free can only save her so many times. Her spin has also been somewhat concerning, but the rest of her jumps seem consistent enough to prevent a total meltdown.

2. Alina: The only one who can challenge Rika. However, Alina's biggest enemy may be her own mental game. She began the season appearing to dominate yet again. However, she's shown she isn't invincible and her last two outings were not World champion worthy. I want to believe Alina and her team will do something to ensure she is in peak condition for Worlds, but the ice sure is slippery...

3. Liza: With two 3A's of her own, Liza is gunning to be back on the World podium. Although her spot is still in limbo (?), I don't see Evgenia actually taking away Liza's spot. If she lands all her 3A's, Liza may snatch the silver (or even gold) if the two above her falter. Her jumps (especially that 3Lz!) are things of beauty and will hopefully be rewarded accordingly. PCS and her recent illness may hold her back, but her performance at the Cup Final was convincing enough. She will continue to regain her form and aim to put a grand punctuation mark at the end of her comeback season!

4. Kaori: Being the new Japanese national champion and having a slight hiccup at 4CC should light a fire within Kaori. Judges have shown a willingness to reward her smooth-like-butter jumps. If she can skate cleanly, I can see her the GOE's and PCS shoot up. She just needs to put it all together when it counts most. A bronze is absolutely within her reach, and she has shown she's capable of overtaking Rika when Rika falters. This is your year to shine, Kaori! :luv17:

5. Satoko: The PCS Queen of our hearts. If she skates cleanly, the judges will probably not hesitate to award her high PCS. However, judges have also been quick to take all those PCS points away when she messes up on her jumps, which will probably land her outside of the Top 5. Her jumps should be capped at +3 GOE, and that will severely limit her ability to fight for more than a bronze, unfortunately.

6. Sofia: As the newly minted European Champion, Sofia has only been on the rise. Her consistency has earned her many brownie points. She will 100% take advantage of any mistakes that the ladies above her may make. One thing we should have learned this season is to never write off Sofia Samodurova!

7. Bradie: If Bradie can put together two clean skates, she has an outside shot at the bronze. Her short was deservedly scored very well at 4CC. Her performance matches very well with the intensity of the music. However, something still seems off about her free. If she can somehow pull out a clean free, I can see the judges propping her up as the "sole American hope". Her international PCS may hold her back, but her greatest enemy is still going to be herself. Let's see if Bradie can show us the "I never fall" Bradie at Worlds. :agree:

8. Elizabet: I was hesitant to place her higher as she's still yet to prove herself. She did win the silver at 4CC, but that was due to several other ladies faltering. If she can hit her 4S, however, she may be able to shoot up several ranks. PCS should hold her back, but two clean skates will take her very far. And we should never underestimate an Eteri-trained skater.

9. Eunsoo: Her recent outing was not the best, but that was far below her capability. When she's on, she's on. I really don't know what to expect from her, but I can definitely see her earn a spot in the Top 10 at Worlds this season. If she can add some more flare to her free, what a difference it would make!

10. Mariah: As with Bradie, Mariah's greatest enemy is herself. She has shown beautifully skated programs. She has shown a clean triple-triple combo. She has shown she can perform. She has shown that she's a complete package, but she has yet to show all of these things together. If she and Bradie can piece themselves together for Worlds, I want to believe that they have a slightly reasonable chance at regaining three spots for the US. However, she's also still held back by her PCS, and even a clean performance at Worlds may not be convincing enough for judges to shower her with PCS.

11-13. Viveca, Loena, Alexia These European ladies can still put up a fight. They may not be the favorites for Top 10, but no one will be surprised to see them overtake some ranks above them. They may not have the reputation of those above them, but if they hold themselves together for two skates at Worlds, they have a good shot!

14-15. Gabby & Alaine Without Kaetlyn, the Canadian ladies may drop from 3 spots to 1 spot (how awkward will it be if Kaetlyn and Gabby have to fight for one spot next season?). Gabby & Alaine are both wildcards. Gabby can be a top 8 skater at her peak. However, this season has not treated her well. She will either hit or she will miss, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either outcome unfold. My sentiments are exactly the same for Alaine. She will either skate lights out and land close to Top 10, or melt down and fall into the 20's. Canada really needs someone to step into Kaetlyn's (or 2017 Gabby's) role ASAP.

I want to believe that all of the top ladies will peak beautifully at Worlds. I doubt that will be the case, but what a treat it would be if they all skated to their max potential!

 

[Weathergal]

Worlds hasn't been this exciting in a while! Gold and Silver will no doubt be a battle between Rika and Alina, with Bronze contended by Liza, Kaori, Satoko (in that order). Less likely but still possible bronze contenders include: Sofia, Evgenia (if she is sent instead of Liza), Bradie, and Elizabet. Eunsoo, Mariah, Viveca, Loena, Gabby, Alexia, Alaine should round out the Top 15.

1. Rika: Rika has the edge over the rest of the field with her three 3A's. If she lands them well, only an absolutely perfect Alina will come close. However, Rika's short program will be her achilles' heel. If she pops her 3A and Alina skates perfectly in the short, Alina may have a 10-15 pt advantage going into the free -- Rika's free can only save her so many times. Her spin has also been somewhat concerning, but the rest of her jumps seem consistent enough to prevent a total meltdown.

2. Alina: The only one who can challenge Rika. However, Alina's biggest enemy may be her own mental game. She began the season appearing to dominate yet again. However, she's shown she isn't invincible and her last two outings were not World champion worthy. I want to believe Alina and her team will do something to ensure she is in peak condition for Worlds, but the ice sure is slippery...

3. Liza: With two 3A's of her own, Liza is gunning to be back on the World podium. Although her spot is still in limbo (?), I don't see Evgenia actually taking away Liza's spot. If she lands all her 3A's, Liza may snatch the silver (or even gold) if the two above her falter. Her jumps (especially that 3Lz!) are things of beauty and will hopefully be rewarded accordingly. PCS and her recent illness may hold her back, but her performance at the Cup Final was convincing enough. She will continue to regain her form and aim to put a grand punctuation mark at the end of her comeback season!

4. Kaori: Being the new Japanese national champion and having a slight hiccup at 4CC should light a fire within Kaori. Judges have shown a willingness to reward her smooth-like-butter jumps. If she can skate cleanly, I can see her the GOE's and PCS shoot up. She just needs to put it all together when it counts most. A bronze is absolutely within her reach, and she has shown she's capable of overtaking Rika when Rika falters. This is your year to shine, Kaori! :luv17:

5. Satoko: The PCS Queen of our hearts. If she skates cleanly, the judges will probably not hesitate to award her high PCS. However, judges have also been quick to take all those PCS points away when she messes up on her jumps, which will probably land her outside of the Top 5. Her jumps should be capped at +3 GOE, and that will severely limit her ability to fight for more than a bronze, unfortunately.

6. Sofia: As the newly minted European Champion, Sofia has only been on the rise. Her consistency has earned her many brownie points. She will 100% take advantage of any mistakes that the ladies above her may make. One thing we should have learned this season is to never write off Sofia Samodurova!

7. Bradie: If Bradie can put together two clean skates, she has an outside shot at the bronze. Her short was deservedly scored very well at 4CC. Her performance matches very well with the intensity of the music. However, something still seems off about her free. If she can somehow pull out a clean free, I can see the judges propping her up as the "sole American hope". Her international PCS may hold her back, but her greatest enemy is still going to be herself. Let's see if Bradie can show us the "I never fall" Bradie at Worlds. :agree:

8. Elizabet: I was hesitant to place her higher as she's still yet to prove herself. She did win the silver at 4CC, but that was due to several other ladies faltering. If she can hit her 4S, however, she may be able to shoot up several ranks. PCS should hold her back, but two clean skates will take her very far. And we should never underestimate an Eteri-trained skater.

9. Eunsoo: Her recent outing was not the best, but that was far below her capability. When she's on, she's on. I really don't know what to expect from her, but I can definitely see her earn a spot in the Top 10 at Worlds this season. If she can add some more flare to her free, what a difference it would make!

10. Mariah: As with Bradie, Mariah's greatest enemy is herself. She has shown beautifully skated programs. She has shown a clean triple-triple combo. She has shown she can perform. She has shown that she's a complete package, but she has yet to show all of these things together. If she and Bradie can piece themselves together for Worlds, I want to believe that they have a slightly reasonable chance at regaining three spots for the US. However, she's also still held back by her PCS, and even a clean performance at Worlds may not be convincing enough for judges to shower her with PCS.

11-13. Viveca, Loena, Alexia These European ladies can still put up a fight. They may not be the favorites for Top 10, but no one will be surprised to see them overtake some ranks above them. They may not have the reputation of those above them, but if they hold themselves together for two skates at Worlds, they have a good shot!

14-15. Gabby & Alaine Without Kaetlyn, the Canadian ladies may drop from 3 spots to 1 spot (how awkward will it be if Kaetlyn and Gabby have to fight for one spot next season?). Gabby & Alaine are both wildcards. Gabby can be a top 8 skater at her peak. However, this season has not treated her well. She will either hit or she will miss, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either outcome unfold. My sentiments are exactly the same for Alaine. She will either skate lights out and land close to Top 10, or melt down and fall into the 20's. Canada really needs someone to step into Kaetlyn's (or 2017 Gabby's) role ASAP.
hink
I want to believe that all of the top ladies will peak beautifully at Worlds. I doubt that will be the case, but what a treat it would be if they all skated to their max potential!

I hate to say this because I really like Alaine and was thrilled to see her win the Gold at Nationals, but I just don't see her in the top 15. (I hope I'm wrong though!)

 

[lusterfan]

Alaine is such an insane wildcard I really don't know what to expect. The first time I saw her skate was at 2016 Nationals where she won and (with Gabby) edged out Kaetlyn for the Worlds team. She was pretty on par with Gabby and Kaetlyn then, but to see her struggling so much now is very sad. I hope she has a redemption skate to punctuate this season of ups and downs.

 

[zounger]

1. Kaori
2. Evgenia
3. Rika
4. Satoko
5. Bradie
6. Sofia
7. Elizabet
8. Eunsoo
9. Mariah
10. Viveca

 

[kenboy123]

1. Kaori
2. Evgenia
3. Rika
4. Satoko
5. Bradie
6. Sofia
7. Elizabet
8. Eunsoo
9. Mariah
10. Viveca

Is this a joke???...and i don't like her, but no Alina???...

 

[zounger]

Is this a joke???...and i don't like her, but no Alina???...

I'm not gonna stay and explain to you my logic. No, it's not a joke. But why do you care anyway since you don't like her?

 

[lzxnl]

1. Kaori
2. Evgenia
3. Rika
4. Satoko
5. Bradie
6. Sofia
7. Elizabet
8. Eunsoo
9. Mariah
10. Viveca

If you reckon Evgenia is going to beat Rika, you're making several awfully bold assumptions. For starters, Rika scores above 150 in her free more often than not. Then, even if she bombs the short, she's still at around 65-70. Evgenia hasn't looked close to touching 210 this season.