Oh, I agree with you there...I"m not saying that kostner will skate to her potential though.. As I mentioned, I've kind of given up on her... I think that Kostner needs a new coach, that will really bang it into her head, that she cannot run accross the ice, and rush her elements. Speed is great, but it's not so great when it's uncontrollable...
GP final predictions
- Thread starter slutskayafan21
- Start date
Oh, I agree with you there...I"m not saying that kostner will skate to her potential though.. As I mentioned, I've kind of given up on her... I think that Kostner needs a new coach, that will really bang it into her head, that she cannot run accross the ice, and rush her elements. Speed is great, but it's not so great when it's uncontrollable...
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
Kostner and Lambiel used to date. Maybe they had a pact to never skate to their potential and always make mistakes, just in varying degrees. They do it a good job of pulling it off so far.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2005
Ladies
1. Kim
2. Kimmie
3. MAO
1. Kim
2. Kimmie
3. MAO
Kostner is inconsistent wherever she skates, but she becomes a bundle of screaming nerves when she skates in her home country (she trains in Germany). Several years back, she even lost her National title to Marchei. She bombed at 2005 Euros in Torino, and at the Olympics in Torino. Skating on home ice is a huge negative for her.
- Joined
- May 2, 2007
i think an underdog will win the ladies competition like last year.
everyone was banking on mao, but instead yuna seized the moment. this year everyone is looking at kim or asada this year, but i think that zhang will win. wouldn't that be wonderful? 3 straight GPF champions straight out of juniors.
everyone was banking on mao, but instead yuna seized the moment. this year everyone is looking at kim or asada this year, but i think that zhang will win. wouldn't that be wonderful? 3 straight GPF champions straight out of juniors.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
I like Zhang but based on the GP my personal feelings is that Asada and Kim would have to skate over half the program on their butts, and Meissner and Nakano would even have to blow big time, for her to win. Hey though that is just me, kudos for going out on a limb with your pick.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
I agree, and I didnt even think she was impressive in her GP events at all, to some degree in the short she was, but in the long. I would be surprised to see her on the podium here.
That would be wonderful for Caroline!
But not so wonderful for Yu-na or Mao, or their fans. 
It's highly unlikely, but not entirely impossible (ice is slippery), here is one way in which how it could play out:
SP: Caroline delivers a squeaky clean SP (as usual), Mao pops her 3/3 (as usual), Kimmie gets her 3/3 downgraded (as usual), Yu-na has a minor flip-out for the combo but leads on the strength of her PCS, Carolina skates a clean and fast SP (as usual) and places 2nd, Yukari skates clean but gets penalized for the wraps (as usual) and also no 3/3. Results: 1) Yu-na Kim, 2) Carolina Kostner, 3) Caroline Zhang, 4) Kimmie Meissner, 5) Yukari Nakano, 6) Mao Asada
LP: Mao under-rotates and flips out of the 3A, but otherwise hangs on to a clean if not inspired LP. Yukari falls on the 3A, and gets a couple of downgrades along with the leg wraps. Kimmie tries to fight back but pops a 3Lz and has both 3/3's downgraded. Caroline delivers a beautiful and clean LP, with all level 4 spins & spirals and high GOE's, plus greatly improved PCS (in the high 6's) due to 6 weeks of strength training since CoC. Carolina Kostner crumbles under pressure and manges only 2 clean triples. Yu-na re-injures her back during practice and has to withdraw (sorry, not wishing ill on Yu-na, but I can't see her losing to Caroline any other way!). Results: 1) Mao Asada, 2) Caroline Zhang, 3) Kimmie Meissner, 4) Yukari Nakano, 5) Carolina Kostner
Final standing:
1) Caroline Zhang
2) Mao Asada
3) Kimmie Meissner
4) Yukari Nakano
5) Carolina Kostner
I'm not wishing ill here on any of the other skaters. I'm just imagining one of the very unlikely scenarios here that Zhang could skate away with the gold. The probability of this particular scenario playing out: 1%. The probability of any scenario allowing Caroline to win gold: 5%. I think she has a 35% chance of getting a bronze or higher, and 80% chance of getting 4th or higher. I would give Mao Asada, Yu-na Kim, and Kimmie Meissner all better chances.
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- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
If Yu-Na ever reinjures her back again it would be so 
She is my favorite women skater now, and I atleast need one favorites at the top now with Stephane letting his skating go down the toilet, and with the horror (for me anyway, no offense to their fans) of Domnina/Shabalin and Zhang/Zhang taking over the couples events.
I hope to see Yu-Na stay healthy over the next 3 years atleast, perhaps beyond. I hope her team know how to protect her from re-emergence of her back problems of last year.
She is my favorite women skater now, and I atleast need one favorites at the top now with Stephane letting his skating go down the toilet, and with the horror (for me anyway, no offense to their fans) of Domnina/Shabalin and Zhang/Zhang taking over the couples events.I hope to see Yu-Na stay healthy over the next 3 years atleast, perhaps beyond. I hope her team know how to protect her from re-emergence of her back problems of last year.
If Caroline does finish off the podium, I hope her fans and detractors alike will not be too harsh on her. It's worth keeping in mind how much younger she is compared to the other GPF qualifiers: Yukari Nakano (22y 4m), Carolina Kostner (20y 10m), Kimmie Meissner (18y 2m), Yu-na Kim (17y 3m), Mao Asada (17y 3m), Caroline Zhang (14y 7m).
(not counting B events)
Yukari's first int'l senior medal was at 20, Carolina 17, Kimmie 16, Yu-na Kim 16, Mao Asada 15 (although by ISU age limits they both progressed as quickly as possible, Mao is born earlier in the season than Caroline, by 8 months). Also for comparison, Michelle Kwan won her first senior competition at 14 (SA silver, Trophee Lalique bronze, NOT qualified for champion series final, though she was later 4th at WC, so probably if she did qualify she'd be just off the podium too), though the ladies' field was much weaker back then than it is today with all the jumping beans who also have great presentation skills. Also, Irina Slutskaya was 15, and Sasha Cohen was 17, Sarah Hughes and Tara Lipinski were both 14, Shizuka Arakawa was 20!
Compiling the stats above, it also struck me how the ages of the current GP finalists are exactly correlated with how young they attained international success. That's really interesting!
Just a few months ago, many people didn't think that Caroline should even be competing in the senior level yet. I think overall it was a very good decision for her -- she is really motivated by her competition to master the 3/3, up the speed/power of her presentation, as well as increasing the height and rotation of her jumps. She's already had a stellar season so far, I hope everyone can recognize that, regardless of the outcome of GPF and National's.
(not counting B events)
Yukari's first int'l senior medal was at 20, Carolina 17, Kimmie 16, Yu-na Kim 16, Mao Asada 15 (although by ISU age limits they both progressed as quickly as possible, Mao is born earlier in the season than Caroline, by 8 months). Also for comparison, Michelle Kwan won her first senior competition at 14 (SA silver, Trophee Lalique bronze, NOT qualified for champion series final, though she was later 4th at WC, so probably if she did qualify she'd be just off the podium too), though the ladies' field was much weaker back then than it is today with all the jumping beans who also have great presentation skills. Also, Irina Slutskaya was 15, and Sasha Cohen was 17, Sarah Hughes and Tara Lipinski were both 14, Shizuka Arakawa was 20!
Compiling the stats above, it also struck me how the ages of the current GP finalists are exactly correlated with how young they attained international success. That's really interesting!
Just a few months ago, many people didn't think that Caroline should even be competing in the senior level yet. I think overall it was a very good decision for her -- she is really motivated by her competition to master the 3/3, up the speed/power of her presentation, as well as increasing the height and rotation of her jumps. She's already had a stellar season so far, I hope everyone can recognize that, regardless of the outcome of GPF and National's.
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- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
Joubert is not in the GP final. This is who is in the GP final:
Pairs- Savchenko/Szowkoly, Zhang/Zhang, Kawaguchi/Smirnov, Dube/Davison, McLaughlin/Brubaker, Pang/Tong
Men- Lambiel, Takahashi, Weir, Lysacek, Chan, Van Der Perren
Dance- Domnina/Shabalin, Delobel/Schoenfelder, Belbin/Agosto, Virtue/Moir, Khoklova/Novitski, Pechalat/Bourzat
Ladies- Kim, Asada, Meissner, Kostner, Zhang, Nakano
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2006
Men:
1. Takahashi
2. Lambiel
3. Weir (or Lysacek)
4. Lysacek (or Weir)
5. Chan
6. Van der Perren
1. Takahashi
2. Lambiel
3. Weir (or Lysacek)
4. Lysacek (or Weir)
5. Chan
6. Van der Perren
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2007
MEN
1. Takahashi
2. Weir
3. Lysacek
4. Chan
LADIES
1. Kim
2. Asada
3. ??? (Miessner or Nakano)
4. Zhang
I don't know why, but I'm getting a psychic sense that Zhang will be fourth.
1. Takahashi
2. Weir
3. Lysacek
4. Chan
LADIES
1. Kim
2. Asada
3. ??? (Miessner or Nakano)
4. Zhang
I don't know why, but I'm getting a psychic sense that Zhang will be fourth.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2007
My predictions (i'm usually way off, but I'll give it a try):
Men (in any order)
Takahashi (looks pretty solid this season, i put my money on him for gold)
Lambiel (who knows? depends on whether or not he has an off day)
Wier (Chan could spoil, but he's young and the GP final is a lot of pressure)
Ladies
1st & 2nd - Kim or Asada (who knows? depends on the day)
3rd & 4th - Meissner or Kostner ( well see if home ice is an advantage or a disaster for her)
Pairs
1st & 2nd - S/S or the Zhangs ( I like the Germans for this title, but we'll see)
3rd & 4th - Dube/Davison or Pang/Tong (whoever makes the least mistakes, but I give the edge to D/D, especially if they can land the new throw they put in @ NHK)
Dance (in any order)
Domnina/Shabalin (seem to have gotten good scores so far)
Virtue/Moir (have had really good season, and will benefit from lack of CD, their weakness)
Delobel/Sconfelder (nice FD, need to be a bit tighter technically to overtake V/M with no CD)
Men (in any order)
Takahashi (looks pretty solid this season, i put my money on him for gold)
Lambiel (who knows? depends on whether or not he has an off day)
Wier (Chan could spoil, but he's young and the GP final is a lot of pressure)
Ladies
1st & 2nd - Kim or Asada (who knows? depends on the day)
3rd & 4th - Meissner or Kostner ( well see if home ice is an advantage or a disaster for her)
Pairs
1st & 2nd - S/S or the Zhangs ( I like the Germans for this title, but we'll see)
3rd & 4th - Dube/Davison or Pang/Tong (whoever makes the least mistakes, but I give the edge to D/D, especially if they can land the new throw they put in @ NHK)
Dance (in any order)
Domnina/Shabalin (seem to have gotten good scores so far)
Virtue/Moir (have had really good season, and will benefit from lack of CD, their weakness)
Delobel/Sconfelder (nice FD, need to be a bit tighter technically to overtake V/M with no CD)
