GP Final Predictions

[thisthingcalledlove]

Nope. It's that wooden demeanor in her presentation AND the look on her face.

The Tatianas (Malinina, Totmianina, Navka-Zhulina) all look wooden and thin to me. I think the other Tatiana (Tarasova) can show all of them a thing or two about expression, emotion, and not being so wooden...especially Totmianina (I know she had a scary fall, but she really just bores me...and sometimes her ho-hum expression makes me think that she doesn't CARE about skating)

 

[RealtorGal]

I just don't see why N&K are at the top of the ice dance food chain right now. Maybe I just don't understand this sport.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think if we had a thread on 'wooden look' skaters, we would have a sizeable list.

Joe

 

[RealtorGal]

I think if we had a thread on 'wooden look' skaters, we would have a sizeable list.

Joe

True, but they're not winning World titles and gold medals.

 

[soogar]

Here's my stab at it:

1. Brian Joubert (his jumps are getting better and the program isn't *that* bad)
2. Jeffrey Buttle
3. Johnny Weir

ladies
1. Slutskaya (she's on a roll)
2. Arakawa
3. Cynthia Phaneuf

 

[JonnyCoop]

I just don't see why N&K are at the top of the ice dance food chain right now. Maybe I just don't understand this sport.

I'm probably going to get jumped on for saying this -- but I rather suspect that being Russian, the fact that Navka's been around forever (93 Worlds at least) and she's well-connected have a lot to do with it. That being said, I will say I did enjoy their free dance in Dortmund very much; fun and entertaining without being too over the top. And I would have given the World title to them, too, mainly because Maxim Stayiysky's shirt flew up too high too often and it was a major distraction. They have actually improved a lot in the last few seasons; when I saw them in 2001, their free dance was so simple anyone with about 2 weeks of basic skating lessons partnered with a relatively well-trained cat could have done it. So they have come a long way. But they're really not one of my favorite couples either.

 

[Linny]

Wooden and misc

Joubert has the corner on wooden... but, after all, he's supposed to be a wooden ship....

Misc: who'all do you think is going to withdraw? There were a flurry of withdrawals last year....

Linny

 

[childfreegirl]

their free dance was so simple anyone with about 2 weeks of basic skating lessons partnered with a relatively well-trained cat could have done it.

Just picturing one of my cats ice dancing with me.

 

[diver chick]

I really wish that Navka would take her real personality on to the ice with her, as well as her real face.

Without all the stage make-up she is a stunningly beautiful women and her peronality is actually quite pleasant and warm although to see her on the ice she scares me a bit cause she always looks cold and distant.

I think it'll be

Arakawa
Slutskaya
Rochette/Phaneuf

Weir
Joubert
Sandhu/Buttle

Shen & Zhao
Petrova & Tikonov
Zhang & Zhang

Navka & Kostomorov
Denkova & Stavisky
Belbin & Agosto

These are not necessarily the results I wold like to see but they are what I think is going to happen.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Joubert has the corner on wooden... but, after all, he's supposed to be a wooden ship....Linny

If not 'wooden', then definitely, 'stoneface'. Think Ed Sullivan.

Joe

 

[pollyls]

Nina, Pinta, or Santa Maria?

Joubert has the corner on wooden... but, after all, he's supposed to be a wooden ship....

Perhaps there's no stopping the Ship of Skate!!!

Just as an aside, compared with the lithe/wiry shapes of Sandhu, Weir, and Plushy, Joubert in his ship costume looks downright musclebound. This could be contributing to the wooden impression he's making.

 

[TRAxel]

Men

1. Johnny Weir
2. Jeff Buttle
3. Brian Joubert

Ladies

1. Irina Slutskaya
2. Shizuka Arakawa
3. Joannie Rochette

Pairs

1. Shen & Zhao
2. Petrova & Tikonov
3. Pang & Tong

Dance

1. Navka & Kostomarov
2. Denkova & Stavinski
3. Belbin & Agosto

 

[brenlynn]

Men
1. Johnny Weir
2. Emanuel Sandhu
3. Brian Joubert
4. Jeff Buttle
5. Ryan Jahnke
6. Chengjiang Li

Women
1. Irina Slutskaya
2. Shizuka Arakawa
3. Joannie Rochette
4. Cynthia Phaneuf
5. Miki Ando
6. Yoshi Onda

Pairs
1. Shen & Zhao
2. Petrova & Tikhonov
3. Pang & Tong
4. Obertas & Slanov
5. Zhang & Zhang
6. Inoue & Baldwin

Dance
1. Denkova & Staviski
2. Navka & Kostomarov
3. Belbin & Agosto
4. Chait & Sakhnovski
5. Dubreuil & Lauzon
6. Delobel & Schoendfelder

 

[Sk8n Mama]

My predictions this season have been not good but here goes:

Men
1. Johnny Weir
2. Jeff Buttle
3. Brian Joubert
4. Emanuel Sandhu (I vote for chokes in the short but okay LP)
5 Ryan Jahnke
6. Chengjiang Li

Women
1. Irina Slutskaya
2. Shizuka Arakawa
3. Cynthia Phaneuf
4. Joannie Rochette
5. Miki Ando
6. Yoshie Onda

Pairs
1. Shen & Zhao
2. Petrova & Tikhonov
3. Pang & Tong
4. Obertas & Slanov
5. Zhang & Zhang
6. Inoue & Baldwin

Dance
1. Navka & Kostomarov
2. Belbin & Agosto
3. Denkova & Staviski
4. Chait & Sakhnovski
5. Dubreuil & Lauzon
6. Delobel & Schoendfelder

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

Well here is my most updated predictions of the GPF since Johnny Weir withdrew.

Men:
1. Evgeny Plushenko
2. Brian Joubert
3. Jeffrey buttle
4. Emanuel Sandhu
5. Ryan Jahnke
6. Chengjiang Li

 

[GlitterTwist]

What I hope will happen:

Dance:
Belbin/Agosto! I love her expression!!
Denkova/Staviskyi I love their creativity but the program is a little out there
Navka/Kostomarov They are soooo boring

Men:
Joubert I really hope he skates well, to get his confidence up.
Plushy
Jahnke I think he can really do well here if only he could land his jumps

Ladies:
Irina! It's so nice to see her back
Joannie Love her program and she is so excited when she's out there it makes me excited too!
Shizuka She hasn't been too amazing this year, pretty boring

Pairs:
Shen/Zhao They own pairs skating right now
Zhang/Zhang Been doing really well, and I think they won CoR
Petrova/Tikhonov They're better this yr then in the past

What I think will happen:
Belbin and Agosto will be robbed in dance and Navka and Kostomarov will be the champions even tho thye are not nearly as good as Tanith and Ben

Plushy will win again, as always

Shen and Zhao will win because even if thye falter the judges will give it to them

Irina will win and Shizuka will probably take second.

 

[chuckm]

MEN
Plushenko - THE master of the ice
Joubert - has shown improvement
Buttle - still has problems with the jumps
Sandhu - mercurial, can't hold his act together through two segmetns
Jahnke - 3A a nemesis jump
Li - PCS is his downfall

LADIES
Slutskaya - on a roll now
Arakawa - not showing her championship mettle yet
Rochette - the challenger spot is to her advantage
Ando - can put together a clean program but needs to do more than that
Phaneuf - can't seem to skate a clean FS
Onda - will get low PCS scores

PAIRS
Shen/Zhao - Too strong on the PCS side to catch
Petrova/Tikhonov - steady but boring
Pang/Tong (or Zhang/Zhang) - their last event was their best yet
Zhang/Zhang (or Pang/Tong) - like the way they're coming along
Obertas/Slavnov - too many mistakes, still trying to skate as one
Inoue/Baldwin - not a chance, but glad to see them here

ICE DANCE
Navka/Kostomarov - a boring and illegitimate FD, but they will win anyway
Denkova/Staviiski - energetic but slightly sloppy
Belbin/Agosto - still working their way up the ladder
Chait/Sakhnovski - improving enough to move up a tad
Delobel/Schoenfelder - have had troubles in their GP events, too mechanical
Dubreuil/Lauzon - too slow, can't power through increased difficulty in twizzles and footwork without falls and stumbles

 

[Vash01]

Men:

1.Plushenko (I am going with the odds)
2.Joubert
3.Cheng Jiang Li (he will finally put together a great free skate)

Ladies:

1.Irina (she has the momentum)
2.Shizuka (close, but not enough to win)
3.Joannie Rochett (the COP will help her; otherwise it would have been Ando)

Pairs:

1.S&Z (the judges will give it to them no matter what)
2.Zhang & Zhang (they are clearly the #2 Chinese pair this year)
3.Petrova-Tikhonov (they will edge out the other P&T)

Ice dance:

1.Denkova-Staviyski (they seem more ready than their rivals)
2.Navka-Kostomarov (they are still making mistakes)
3.Belbin-Agosto (they are the team of the future, and this will be their chance to make a statement)