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- Mar 15, 2014
I'm happy to hear that she's keeping it too! But with the 3-3 in the first half, how can she possibly compete with Zhenya and Alina?
Ladies OGM Contenders 2018
- Thread starter mrfarmer
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I'm happy to hear that she's keeping it too! But with the 3-3 in the first half, how can she possibly compete with Zhenya and Alina?
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2014
A bit bold to declare Alina the "junior world champ" at Russian Nationals, three months before the Junior World Championships actually happened, I would think
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
It was confirmed a while ago.
Also, from Daniil Gleikhengauz recent interview:
"Alina will be doing one of the most difficult footwork of all time, more difficult than her previous and the most difficult I've ever choreorgaphed. I hope this will show how much she's improved from last season in her atristry, skating skills and overall performance."
Sounds interesting to me considering her footwork already was pretty difficult and she got level 4 for it for almost every competition.
Also, he says her Black swan will be a mix of soundtrack and original ballet music, and sounds like there will be costume transformation at the end.
Sounds like a bold move, specially with a costume transformation. imho its a good bet for her, because many other top competitors will play safe.
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- Mar 23, 2014
Black Swan is my favourite film of all time so I was excited when there was a rumour that Alina would do this for SP and then when it was confirmed it blew my mind. The costume change is going to be exciting and suitable for Black Swan. It's not a change for the sake of a change but necessary in the story telling, the transformation.
I read costume change at the end and I'm hyped!
I don't know about a more difficult footwork. If it's difficult for the sake of difficult, and will be performed with the level of finesse she has last year, it wouldn't work for me. She has the technical goods, and skating skills to boot, what she needs now is to make every single move in her program count, she needs to tap into her inner artist and let it consume her. I want lines, extensions, interpretation. And I believe it's not a tall order for her, provided she be pushed into the right direction.
If she comes close to Meds' PCS this season without visible improvement from her, I don't know anymore... \_(ツ)_/¯
I think Mirai can too, but let's see if she'll be more consistent. Who knows? Maybe with the 3A she'll be focusing on that element so much that she won't overthink everything else...
I agree with you about Polina. Love the program and the music is beautiful. I do agree that the hands are a bit distracting and you can tell she's always rushed at the end. Maybe they made some tweeks.
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- Mar 26, 2014
It can go both ways. She can refine her DQ - make it both fast and exquisite: I remember how rough it was when she showed it for the first time and how much better it became towards the end of the last season.Then the sky is the limit as she will have GP, GPF, the Nationals, and the Europeans to boost her pcs. She is currently the best technician in world with Medvedeva trailing. If she is consistent she will put a lot of pressure on Medvedeva. And it will be basically between them who is going to be the next OCM winner. On the other hand, it will be sad but the puberty may hit her at the wrong time. And no matter how dedicated she is she won't be able to control her body the way she used to control.
The summer either pushes up or sets back young lady skaters, to my experience. So I am excited to be the part of this drama - to go to see test skates in Sochi and to answer to myself (preliminary, of course) if Alina is going to be the likely star of the Olympic season or not.
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- Aug 18, 2017
With Evegenia being 98 percent on lock for gold, I predict either Alina, Anna, Kaetlyn (if they both skate clean) or Mai for Silver, and Either Wakabe, Gabi, Maria or Elena R for bronze (don't kill me these are just my predictions) 
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
With Evegenia being 98 percent on lock for gold, I predict either Alina, Anna, Kaetlyn (if they both skate clean) or Mai for Silver, and Either Wakabe, Gabi, Maria or Elena R for bronze (don't kill me these are just my predictions)
Essentially, you don't see the Americans to be among the top 9 contenders (although, at most,, 7 skaters from your list will be there).
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Medvedeva/Zagitova is giving me shades of Kwan/Lipinski. Firstly, the age gap is about the same, second, you have a younger skater who is technically more sound and more daring but not necessarily on the same level on the Artistic Merit/PCS side. Third, they are from the same country and have placed 1-2 in the Nationals, the upcoming Russian Nationals, obviously, would be very telling. Fourthly, whilst, the younger skater is seen as a dark horse or one of the favourites, the older skater has the momentum and all the pressure of winning her first Gold in her first Olympics. Will history repeat?
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- Mar 7, 2015
the main difference is that lipinski had already won senior worlds before.... while zagitova hasn't even competed on the circuit
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- Jan 11, 2014
I'm going all in on Medvedeva. I don't feel I know enough about Zagitova to have an opinion but I do see her being a contender:
Olympic Podium:
Gold-Medvedeva
Silver-Satoko M. (if healthy)
Bronze-Anna P. (Like a beautiful bird out of the ashes)
4th- Kaetlyn Osmond
5th- Ashley Wagner
I could see Kaetlyn getting a medal and I hope she does but it's a tough field. I'd also like to see Carolina do well but there are only 3 spots and that is how I see the medals going. Long time until February though.
Olympic Podium:
Gold-Medvedeva
Silver-Satoko M. (if healthy)
Bronze-Anna P. (Like a beautiful bird out of the ashes)
4th- Kaetlyn Osmond
5th- Ashley Wagner
I could see Kaetlyn getting a medal and I hope she does but it's a tough field. I'd also like to see Carolina do well but there are only 3 spots and that is how I see the medals going. Long time until February though.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
I am not in the know but while there is a lot of conjecture is it realistic Mirai is really getting consistent with the 3A. I mean she has barely tried it competitively and nothing really that close to complete and she still has other jump issues. That's the problem with these posts and skater boasts about what they plan in their programs we need to separate the truths from the puffery. And then we all add our biases and it is really hard to understand what is reality or realistic versus pipe dreams. I think Mirai will be thriled just ot make the team. it will be tough. Mirai, Mariah, Ashley, Gracie, Polina, Courtney, Karen, Bradie, Starr, Angela, Caroline....Roll the dice and say a wish.
Mirai might make the team if she can skate a clean FS---but forget about it if she goes for the 3a. Every attempt so far in competition has been <<.
As for her winning a medal, she doesn't get high enough PCS scores to get even close to the podium, and that is because she concentrates entirely on executing elements rather than performing her programs. The only time we see Mirai performing programs is in exhibitions, where there are no judges. Sad, but true.
As for her winning a medal, she doesn't get high enough PCS scores to get even close to the podium, and that is because she concentrates entirely on executing elements rather than performing her programs. The only time we see Mirai performing programs is in exhibitions, where there are no judges. Sad, but true.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
To be fair, the US has precisely zero women who can reliably execute technical elements and perform engaging programs. Unless Gracie finds her old form, it's hard to see a US woman winning a medal.
With all due respect, I think you underestimate the Olympic ice a bit.
Maybe I make myself enemies now, but the US girls tend to come out of nowhere and grab the gold all the time. It is something that Americans just have, to be there when it counts. The Olympics are also far from home, which is usually not the worst condition for US American athletes, who have to deal with pressure from home.
I wouldn´t be surprised if the US Ladies play a much bigger role than many would think. It´s just in their DNA, to peak when it really matters. Look how well Gracie did at Sochi, a 4th place for a relatively new contender, that was amazing.
In fact, the U.S. women have been 4th or better at EVERY Olympics dating back to Peggy Fleming in 1968 (in 1964, the team still was rebuilding after the plane crash).
More recently, at Worlds:
The U.S. has had at least one woman in the Top 5 for the past 6 years.
Ashley Wagner has been Top 5 for four out of the past six years, with Gracie Gold three times and Karen Chen once.
It's true that there has been only only one medal (Ashley's 2016 Worlds silver) in that stretch. But the U.S. ladies have always been in the mix.
Pretty tough to do that if they can't "reliably execute technical elements and perform engaging programs."
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2015
I'm happy to hear that she's keeping it too! But with the 3-3 in the first half, how can she possibly compete with Zhenya and Alina?
By rotating that triple axel, which she just did in her free skate at Champs Camp.
http://www.hudl.com/technique/video/view/iOGTdsT8?e=10308294
It's a long shot, but she's got nothing to lose.
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