Plushenko will honour us with his presence in 2010!

[szidon]

In terms of consistency, there were other contemporaries of Plushenko who were pretty consistent with the quad, especially when more men were doing them. I will hand it to Plushy - when it came to doing the hardest quad combinations, I'm pretty sure he was in a league of his own. Though who knows what Yagudin might have done if his career had not been ended by injury. But the bottom line for me is that Evgeni Plushenko wasn't better at doing quads than every single skater he faced in his career, and therefore cannot be described as the master of them.

Was Zehnya also suffering from injury for a few seasons before his retirement?

I heard Zehnya described Alyosha as his archrival but not other skaters in his autobiography, didn't he?

Plus, I have something to tell Seniorita. "Don't give up!'

 

[antmanb]

Ant, you're right!! I always respected Plush for his great skill. I just felt like he went into the comp knowing he was going to win and took advantage of the situation by doing a lack luster routine. Again, I felt cheated. After the other performances, I thought Plush will save the day. I sat with mouth open, saying where's my program.

Ant, don't you think Seniorita is kind of a Rebal Rouser and Riot Inciter??

She definitely is!! And i applaud her also for it

You know what. I'm starting to come round to the idea of looking forward to a Pluschenko comeback for a number of reasons:

1. Plush will (at teh absolutely earliest) show the shape he's in internationally at COR, then Euros then it's the Olys. He will not have time to "establish" himself like he did for 2006, so he's going to have to give it everything if he wants that oly title. A top form Plush (even with mistakes) is going to be far better than 2006 Plush.

2. Brian will be sure that playing it safe with Plush in the competition is no way to win. He'll have to go for an all out technical program and include as many of those quads he values so highly to ensure he puts out the tricks required to win.

3. Everyone else who failed to beat Plush when he competed could if they skate well enough get a chance to finally beat one of the best men in skating. That's got to be inspirational for many of them (ARE YOU LISTENING JOHNNY WEIR? )

Ant

 

[antmanb]

No, the judges could not automatically give Plushenko what he wanted, even if they wanted to. Plushenko was facing tremendous pressures from all directions and from inside and out. Everyone believed he could win, but what if? It was a really nerve racking "what if". It was like once in a life time opportunity to get an Olympic gold medal. If he couldn't get it that time, he may never get it. Imagine under those circumtances, all eyes were on him, how difficult could that be? I think that he sacrificed choreography (he knew that) to secure his win because he did not truly believe that with an all around program he could guarantee his gold since Joubert, Lambiel, and Takahashi were very competitive too jump wise. Also Lambiel, Takahashi, and Weir were very competitive in the artistic area.

Personally I don't think Plush ever suffered from nerves or pressure from competition. Many skaters commentators have said the same thing. My personal opinion was that the only pressure he ever felt was his rivalry with Yagudin. The few times he made fatal errors in programs was because he wanted to wipe the smug grin from Yags face! The fall on the quad in the SLC SP, the stalking the quad when he was a youngster....all because he just HAD to beat Yags. That's my theory anyway. The fact that he barely missed after Yags left makes me think i'm on the right lines.

Ant

 

[seniorita]

From his official interview
-When are you going begin to competition?
-Plushy: - At the end of September. Immediately I ll be warned, the first pancake could be bad. Yes, and the second too. One way or another, but the most important launch in the season, before the Olympics, will be Championship of Russia and Europe. Of course, I will ask the President of the Russian Federation Valentin Piseev, to include me in the application and to participate in the Russian stage of the Grand Prix.

Which competition is at the end of September?It is not Cop.

I disagree with him having no nerves or pressure, this is loooong talk but I think he was pretty good in hiding it, but Olympics 2006...This was Olympics, and what he dreamt for 8 years if not more, he must have had butterflies in his stomach, he was not superman (or was he?another debate à la the yesterday the master of quads, I say he is Superman and buttercup will say he is Spiderman)

Dee and Ant: I officially announce you my co-cheerleaders, you ll be responsible when i m gone.

 

[Buttercup]

I disagree with him having no nerves or pressure, this is loooong talk but I think he was pretty good in hiding it, but Olympics 2006...he must have had butterflies in his stomach, he was not superman (or was he?another debate à la the yesterday the master of quads, I say he is Superman and buttercup will say he is Spiderman)

Just to be contrary: he is one of the X-Men.

Now I'll leave you to decide what sort of mutant he should be.

You know, I can just picture Plushy vs. the SuperChan at CoR. In which Patrick may learn that quads really do matter .

 

[elanna]

Of course, I will ask the President of the Russian Federation Valentin Piseev, to include me in the application and to participate in the Russian stage of the Grand Prix.[/I]

Sorry for off-top, but it is a real news for me. Is Piseev the Russian President now??? You see, I didn`t hear...

 

[seniorita]

I liked Mystique
Oh, I m not into these films much, I know basics only..Now i have to decide if he is H. Jackman or Halle Berry????

In which Patrick may learn that quads really do matter .

Sounds like Godzilla trailer!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Senorita - Just for the record, what exactly will you do about Figure Skating when Evgeni does retire after the Olys? You don't seem to care about any other skaters, including Russian skaters.

 

[seniorita]

To Joe:
I have posted in other threads also, you can read them, forum is for some minutes of fun-escape from work so I chose whatever looks interesting.
Since it is for your record:After Vancouver, I will do what I ve been doing since 2006, I m not waching fs since then just to wait for vancouver and if plushenko would come back, and I wasnt watching fs until 2006 just for plushenko, it is impossible for me to have seen Dick Button but at least I watch since 1998, I have said numerous times my fav skaters, russian or not.

But allow me to say if you were intersting to know something more than what it seems, you could ask me in pm, cause honestly here it seems like I need apologizing for something now.

Edit: If you open a thread about kozuka, weir, lambiel, buttle, takahashi, ten, swizuka, mao, S/S and I cannot name all, I promise I will honour them. I m sorry i dont like Ice Dance. In rules topics I cant speak because I dont know much to have an opinion.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

To Joe:
But allow me to say if you were intersting to know something more than what it seems, you could ask me in pm, cause honestly here it seems like I need apologizing for something now.

I'm sorry, Senorita, and I do apologize.

 

[Buttercup]

I liked Mystique
Oh, I m not into these films much, I know basics only..Now i have to decide if he is H. Jackman or Halle Berry????

Oh no! Female X-Men... Now the femininity/masculinity debate will come to haunt the Plushy thread! No! Nooooo! There are too many threads on that already.

Re the "In which Patrick learns" bit, I was thinking of chapter headings you sometimes see in older novels, they often start with "In which (insert whatever happens in the chapter)". Like - "in which Evgeni wins Eurovision" for example. Though that was last year, and I was disapointed he didn't have a cameo this year.

 

[seniorita]

we ll find something to speak after vancouver,(or maybe should i wait for plush to come back to socci.)
but everybody has his/hers favorites.
No worries, have a sunny day

in which Evgeni wins Eurovision" for example. Though that was last year, and I was disapointed he didn't have a cameo this year.

Whats wrong with him, he wins whatever he enters, it must me boring
oh no, never eurovision again for plushy.

 

[merrybari]

Interesting to me how most assume that just because he's "back" he'll win. I think he has a lot of catching up to do. I'm not sure the others are shaking in their skates over it, though. I do think they'll all focus more on what they're doing - at least I hope so. the name alone should not intimidate. Respect? yes? Intimidate? I hope not. These skaters have earned their places too.

And, at the risk of stirring up a hornet's nest, why, may I ask, do so many leave out the current World Champion when discussing Plushenko's "opposition?" Plushy himself has expressed great respect for Evan. Just wondering.

 

[antmanb]

Oh no! Female X-Men... Now the femininity/masculinity debate will come to haunt the Plushy thread! No! Nooooo! There are too many threads on that already.

No, no, no it's fine because mystique can turn into anything, man, woman or beast, so that would be the perfect power as a skater - show off all your sides. Even a crying baby in a pram

Ant

 

[antmanb]

Interesting to me how most assume that just because he's "back" he'll win. I think he has a lot of catching up to do. I'm not sure the others are shaking in their skates over it, though. I do think they'll all focus more on what they're doing - at least I hope so. the name alone should not intimidate. Respect? yes? Intimidate? I hope not. These skaters have earned their places too.

I can only speak for myself, but i am not assuming that Pluschenko will win. Not even that he might/could win. I think we will all have to wait and see what competitive shape he is in come COR. If he is landing his jumps like he used to then he will certainly be a contender, and the reason that might intimidate the other men is because, not a single one of them can say that they have consistent jumps.

The one thing I am hoping beyond hope is that the talk of having Pluschenko back makes them skate like a dream, not buckle under the pressure and skate the nightmare programmes that were skated in 2006.

And, at the risk of stirring up a hornet's nest, why, may I ask, do so many leave out the current World Champion when discussing Plushenko's "opposition?" Plushy himself has expressed great respect for Evan. Just wondering.

As to Evan, i'm not a great fan of his skating at all. I do not question at all the fact that he won the Worlds, he did so rightly and was the best at the competition. I don't really like his style or some of his jumps and if everyone skates the vey best programmes they are capable of (which is what I hope) i don't think he will be on the podium.

Ant

 

[Buttercup]

And, at the risk of stirring up a hornet's nest, why, may I ask, do so many leave out the current World Champion when discussing Plushenko's "opposition?" Plushy himself has expressed great respect for Evan. Just wondering.

I can give you my answer. Worlds 2008 and 2009 were an example of the stars aligning for guys who were always medal contenders but not really top of the podium contenders. Both Evan and Jeffrey were the only top skaters to skate clean performances in their years winning Worlds; in Evan's case, I also think the field wasn't as strong as 2008: Lambiel gone, Weir out, Dai injured, Joubert having a subpar LP... The opportunity was there and he rose to it, but there are better skaters than Evan.

This takes nothing away from what Jeffrey and Evan accomplished, and they should both be happy and proud to have won Worlds; they earned it. But to expect the same thing again next year for Evan - well, it might happen, but I think most of us recognize that it likely won't. And if even some of the other top guys show up and skate well, Evan is unlikely to win the OGM. I do believe he has a chance to medal, provided he rotates his jumps. I also agree that it's not a given that Plushy will win this time. I think maybe the stars will align for someone again... Tomas Verner, perhaps, who will finally live up to his potential?

And before you bring up WTT - Evan IMO was overscored there; he made mistakes in the LP that should have led to lower GOEs on some elements and to lower PCS. But hey, everyone gets the benefit of the doubt sometimes .

Ant, how perceptive! Mystique it is.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

And before you bring up WTT - Evan IMO was overscored there; he made mistakes in the LP that should have led to lower GOEs on some elements and to lower PCS. But hey, everyone gets the benefit of the doubt sometimes .

You didn't see the Oksana/Kerrigan Oly skate, with Baiul two-footing every jump but smiling like Tara. But maybe you are ok with two-foot landings. The predominance of East European judges did rule in that contest. No?

Nothng wrong with your opinion of Evan. Everyone has opinions which counteract other opinions.

 

[Medusa]

Article in NZZ: Plushenko expects Lambiel to be his biggest rival for the 2010 Olympic crown

 

[jennylovskt]

Interesting to me how most assume that just because he's "back" he'll win. I think he has a lot of catching up to do. I'm not sure the others are shaking in their skates over it, though. I do think they'll all focus more on what they're doing - at least I hope so. the name alone should not intimidate. Respect? yes? Intimidate? I hope not. These skaters have earned their places too.

And, at the risk of stirring up a hornet's nest, why, may I ask, do so many leave out the current World Champion when discussing Plushenko's "opposition?" Plushy himself has expressed great respect for Evan. Just wondering.

I never thought that Plushenko could automatically win. Though I believed that he must have a steady quad ready or he won't come back. He will be one of the serious medal contenders. His come back has given a push to the men's figure skating towards higher technical perspect. Intimidating? I think so. Although whether or not it's truly intimidating, everyone will know soon enough after the CoR.

He won't be way ahead of everyone in the field. I would think that Joubert is his biggest rivalry. Joubert and all others will give everything they have out on the ice. Other than that, the men's field is widely opened. Verner, Oda, Kozuka, Chan, Lysacek, Takahashi (will he come back?), and Lambiel (?) are all medal contenders. Evan deserved this year's World title but it was because Joubert lost it. I don't think Evan has a chance to get Olympic gold medal unless he skates like he did in the last Olympics ( I mean last Olympics LP) and all other skaters help him by faltering. I will be horrified and screaming if any of the non-quad skaters like Chan, or Lysacek wins the Olympics. Please NO, NO, NO.

 

[evangeline]

Article in NZZ: Plushenko expects Lambiel to be his biggest rival for the 2010 Olympic crown

As much as I love Lambiel, it is very unlikely that he will come back to competition. Wasn't there some article on icenetwork.com where Lambiel says how much he loves skating without the pressure of competition, and how he's glad that his injuries aren't aggravated by competition anymore?

I suppose we can always engage in wishful thinking...Stephane Lambiel for 2010 Olympic gold!!!