What will the 2011/2012 season bring us in the men?

[mskater93]

I believe the USFS is set in its ways for selecting the World Team, and I believe Evan will have to skate US Nats and place lst or 2nd to become part of the Team for 2012 and onwards. Didn't they do that to Sasha Cohen despite her podium Oly?

Sasha was out of competition for four years (versus 1) and her LP at Nationals was AWFUL technically to put it mildly. I hate to say it but I think they tried to hold her up as far as possible, but with the automatic negative GOEs and -1's for the falls, it just wouldn't have been possible to keep her in the top 2 and the quality of that skate just wasn't convincing enough for her to be chosen for the Olympics (ie, that she would contend any better than Flatt/Nagasu).

 

[treeloving]

I'm interested in Hanyu vs Gachinski, both up and comers but Gachinski got the opportunity to go to Worlds 2011 while Hanyu was left at home due to the deep Japanese Men's field.

Eta Skate Canada has great line-ups too.

Gachinski will have an adventage over Yuzuru in PCS as he complete as Russian 1 and world bronze medalist last year(Unless push really comeback into grand prix) while Yuzuru is considered to be Japan fourth.

For technique, at the begin of last season Yuzuru was a bit better at consistency, but at the end of last season Gachinski improve a lot in this area while Yuzuru not improve much.

I will not be surprise if Arthur is going to beat Yuzuru if both of them skate clean next season, eventhough I prefer Yuzuru much more.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Chan and Plushenko are both competing at the Japan Open. Should be interesting.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Maybe now enough time has passed for Evan´s foot injury to be completely healed and he can include a quad into his freeskate programme as in 2007 US Nationals?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8zJXcviX0I

I think that is what Evan is trying to find out. He must be all healed by now, but probably wants to see if he can get a quad consistent before he announces he is competing or not. if he can't get the quad consistent enough, he probably will decide not to skate as both he and Frank know you need a quad to win these days.

keeping my fingers crossed that Evan skates and that its Evan, Abbott at Nationals, in that order. Dream Team.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Chan and Plushenko are both competing at the Japan Open. Should be interesting.

I started the Japan Open thread with link.

 

[LuCN]

Chan and Plushenko are both competing at the Japan Open. Should be interesting.

well,for me,Plushenko vs Gachinski is more intersting LOL

and Chan vs Kozuka is the most beautiful to watch,gorgrous skating skills.

 

[NMURA]

Plushenko vs Gachinski
Battle for the Sochi home favorite

Chan vs Kozuka
Battle of CoP maximizing machines

 

[Tinymavy15]

Chan has the Japan Open in the bag if he is in the form he was last season. Plushenko is delusional if he thinks he can beat an even quasi-clean Chan.

 

[seniorita]

^ have you heard Plushenko saying anywhere that he participates in JO to beat Chan?

I m surprised he even participates, evgeni hasnt even got on the ice yet after the surgery.

 

[ciocio]

^ have you heard Plushenko saying anywhere that he participates in JO to beat Chan?

Maybe he/she talked to Plushenko personally.

 

[Violet Bliss]

^^^Tinymavy15 said if Plushenko thinks (whatever). Just some speculative projection like what is done every day in this forum.

So one can also ask: Have you heard Tinymavy15 claim that Plushenko says (whatever)?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

^ have you heard Plushenko saying anywhere that he participates in JO to beat Chan?

I m surprised he even participates, evgeni hasnt even got on the ice yet after the surgery.

Having had knee surgeries myself, I completely empathize with Evgeni. In rehab a lady said I've had hip surgery, but knee surgery is much more painful and it takes longer to mend. I would not rush Evgeni into competition until he feels totally able.

 

[seniorita]

^ i agree Joe, if it was me I would stay retired in his case, no reason to do more damage to my body. Anyway in an interview of Mishin I read recently he is off the ice, in rehab phase.

^^^Tinymavy15 said if Plushenko thinks (whatever). Just some speculative projection like what is done every day in this forum.

So one can also ask: Have you heard Tinymavy15 claim that Plushenko says (whatever)?

I should not reply to this but you make my comment sound more personal towards another poster, which by me was not intended as an attack to him/her opinion and I dont like someone to play the lawyer. My comment was a reply to PLushenko is delusional... I wondered how is that so since even an average maybe skating fan must have already figured out Plushenko cant beat Chan, it is not that upper science so i suppose Evgeni or Gatsinky or whoever goes to JO has thought of it too, but if that was the case all skaters but Chan should stay home and participate nowhere.
It was not a personal comment, Tinymavy15.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

And I guess I better step to the plate as the guy who mentioned the "head-to-head" in the first place.

I'm flashing back to Neda's wonderful story here. I'd like to see, in the same competition, Patrick (with quads, of course) and Plushenko. An injury meant the first head to head meating (CoR 2009) didn't happen and that the second one (Olympics 2010) was underwhelming. I'd also like to see just how much Plushenko has learned from Vancouver. I'd almost want Chan to lose just to get rid of the curse of the heavy favourite (almost. I also want him to break 200 in the LP. The perils of fandom)

But in all honesty, this line-up of men and women is pretty awesome in general.

 

[Violet Bliss]

^^^ It's all semantics that I can't help getting into sometimes. (eta this is in response to Serionita before IP posted.)

As for Plush vs Chan, specifically at JO, my first reaction to Tinymavy's post was that it might not be necessarily so. It will be a new season with likely a new ambitious program that Chan will be practising in competitions. There is no guarantee he will succeed at new risky elements. And Plushenko does get reputation PCS. So it's not like Chan's 2011 Nationals performance vs Plushenko's 2010 Olympics programs.

Then, remembering that Plushenko just came off his surgeries, and that he, along with Takahashi, got bested by Adam Rippon last year at the same event, I think Plush may not be at an advantage after all. Anything can happen in a competition. That's why we have them. A good thing.

 

[LuCN]

will,JO is not a serious competition,so attend JO is the best choice for Plushenko to test.

but I think Plushenko vs Gatsinky is more intersting. while Chan vs Kozuka.

Those ones with the same style can be compared.Plushenko and Chan are so different,people compare them always fall into a battle between fans and never have a fair judgemant.

 

[janetfan]

There is a good chance whichever one of the guys shows up in the best shape, and is most comfortable with his (new) program will win.

Last year it was Rippon. Hard to say who it will be this season as anyone of the four guys could pull off a very good early season skate.

If Plushy is not in top shape yet then the others will probably beat him. Same for Dai or any of them.

Gachinksy is the youngest and may have been training the hardest all summer so it would not surprise me if he does what Rippon did last season and puts up the highest score.

It's just a pre-season pro-am event and hardly worth getting into an uproar over the results.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

^ i agree Joe, if it was me I would stay retired in his case, no reason to do more damage to my body. Anyway in an interview of Mishin I read recently he is off the ice, in rehab phase.

Plush in rehab now? When is that Japan Open? If he is aiming for Sochi, there is no reason for him to rush into cheesefests.

I should not reply to this but you make my comment sound more personal towards another poster, which by me was not intended as an attack to him/her opinion and I dont like someone to play the lawyer. My comment was a reply to PLushenko is delusional... I wondered how is that so since even an average maybe skating fan must have already figured out Plushenko cant beat Chan, it is not that upper science so i suppose Evgeni or Gatsinky or whoever goes to JO has thought of it too, but if that was the case all skaters but Chan should stay home and participate nowhere.
It was not a personal comment, Tinymavy15.

I wouldn't sweat it senorita, most fans are really fans of their country first and if a top skater happens to be of that country, they have nothing to offer in the sport of figure skating except to brag about their 'hero'. All competitions are await and see. Discussions before hand should be based on new tech, improvements in past faulty tech and peformance. Of course, with that in mind, when assorted gold medalists appear in the same competitions, it does make for a must see championship.

 

[let`s talk]

Any men's skating thread becomes Plush thread. :thumbsup:

 

[gmyers]

Last year at the JO Plushenko did no quad and had level one spins. So he came in third. He was inelgible to do any other competition however so maybe this year he will try a quad and level 4 spins becuse he is eligible for other things now.