The "Future" of Figure Skating - 2014 Podium Threats (Men's)

[aftertherain]

In the wake of many disagreements about the placement of the Men's Figure Skating event, I decided to make this thread to look at the younger skaters who were also at the Olympics. It was started by this comment:

But 2A-Chan is our future, or not?

Followed by:

Of course not, silly. 4T-Kozuka shall be the future of the sport!

Or Lutzy Rippon and/or Czech Buttle will be.

And then finally, with silverlake22 giving me her list:

The future of figure skating - 2014 podium threats

Men:
Chan
Kozuka
Rippon
Brezina (aka Czech Buttle)
Amodio
Ten
Fernandez
Borodulin (mini Plushenko?)

After watching the men's event, who do you hope to see on the podium at Sochi or just at the next Olympics and why?

P.S. Please keep discussions of the "apparent" second coming of the Cold War out of here. With all this talk about the "future of figure skating", what better than to focus on the skaters themselves?


**Brought to you by:
http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/photograph/pickup/?1266634287
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clIeFgJB6FA (No, I have no idea what they're saying.)

And Johnny's very pretty rose crown:
http://www.rtve.es/imagenes/johnny-weir-siempre-polemico/1266563929149.jpg

 

[DesertRoad]

I hope to see Patrick Chan win the next Olympics and then become a commentator, because he apparently inspires an emotional response in people.

 

[bibi24]

I really want to see the 3A-3T combo worked back into men's skating.... that was the staple for men's skating for about 20 years, but unfortunately the CoP has taken that away

 

[aftertherain]

I really want to see the 3A-3T combo worked back into men's skating.... that was the staple for men's skating for about 20 years, but unfortunately the CoP has taken that away

Didn't Johnny do it last night?

 

[Layfan]

I hope to see Patrick Chan win the next Olympics and then become a commentator, because he apparently inspires an emotional response in people.

yes!! that'd be great.

Even though I sometimes feel like shaking Chan and telling him that he was never a gold medal contender this year, I actually did love his skating in the LP. Just gorgeous. I will be very disappointed if he doesn't make it to Sochi as an OGM favorite.

I also officially became a fan of Amodio. Everyone else on the list, yes. Especally Kozuka.

I hope Brandon Mroz is there too. I haven't made that much attention to the other U.S. guys but I'm sure I'll warm up to them soon.

Also, why not Oda. Isn't he 22? He'll be 26 for Sochi. That's doable....

P.S. DR- I too love your signature. Hee!

 

[DesertRoad]

Didn't Johnny do it last night?

He didn't. But Oda, Kozuka, Abbott, Borodulin all did 3A+3T, and aside from Oda, all of them were clean. Oda had a wildly swinging landing on the 3A, possibly even did a turn, and still pulled off his 3T, which in a way makes it even more impressive.

 

[screech]

Chan. Especially since he's now basically confirmed he's sticking around until Sochi (thank god he's not retiring after this year like he had hinted)

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Chan+needed+perfection+four+years+learn/2585940/story.html

"I was too young to go to Torino, I wish I'd had one Olympics under my belt when I came here," said Chan. "This was kind of an overwhelming first Olympics, but in the end, that's why I'm looking forward to Sochi (in 2014). All I have to work on is my head and how I approach the program mentally. I think I've narrowed it down to just one thing, which is probably the mind."

Though I do want to correct him that he was 7th at the 2006 Canadians so wouldn't have qualified for Torino anyways... but I get what he's saying - that having your first O's being at home is kind of intimidating. But I'm very happy he's going to stay in until 2014. I just hope he's not reigning world champ at that time, since it's bad luck for Canucks.

 

[bibi24]

He didn't. But Oda, Kozuka, Abbott, Borodulin all did 3A+3T, and aside from Oda, all of them were clean. Oda had a wildly swinging landing on the 3A, possibly even did a turn, and still pulled off his 3T, which in a way makes it even more impressive.

ahh thanks!! I didn't catch the early skaters, will go back and watch them

 

[ARipp42014]

I think we've list them all already.

Lil Flo (Florent Amodio)
Czech Buttle (Michal Brezina)
Lutzy Rippon (Adam Rippon)
Takahito "Bazooka" Kozuka
Javier "Javi" Fernandez
Denis "D-Ten" Ten
Artem "Shaggy" Borodulin (shaggy is after his shaggy hair)
The Chosen One (Patrick Chan)
and maybe Brandon "BRoz" Mroz if gets it together

Cool thing about it is that we'll see all of them (except for Mroz, unless Abbott drops out) at Worlds. Did Evan & Johnny confirmed they're not going to Torino yet?

 

[Mathman]

Amodio!

About the 3A/3T, I think the CoP scale of values should be re-worked to give more points to harder combos. The way it is now, you get the same points from tacking a 3T onto the end of an easier combo, so there is not reason to go for a 3A/3T or a 4T/3T.

 

[silverlake22]

What about Steven Carriere? Is he retiring? I'm a really big fan of his skating!

My money's on Patrick or Czech Buttle though....Brezina's been skyrocking this season and his quads in practice are intense.

 

[Alatariel]

As long as it's not Chan I will be happy. I will never ever cheer for that twit.

For the others well, it's difficult to tell but based on the current events I'd go for Brezina, Kozu (love him), Borodulin and Tan.

Hopefully we'll get a change in the rules too to avoid a repeat performance of this idiocy the other day but I have a feeling Canadians and USA may be a tad opposed to that.

 

[#1Kerryfan]

Go marry the quad if you love it so much.

Haha, great title.

 

[Tonichelle]

America's Keegan Messing for GOLD!

 

[ARipp42014]

What about Steven Carriere? Is he retiring? I'm a really big fan of his skating!

My money's on Patrick or Czech Buttle though....Brezina's been skyrocking this season and his quads in practice are intense.

Steven could be up there with ARipp and BRoz but needs to be consistant.

I was getting really PO'd on how much Scott and Sandra doesn't like Brezina, saying he's not as polished. Yes he needs time and when he's there, he will be something to behold!

America's Keegan Messing for GOLD!

2014's US Team will be a tough fight! Let's hope we get 3 and not 2 (ala ladies).

 

[Tonichelle]

2014's US Team will be a tough fight!

as it should be. US Men's is where it's at!

 

[bekalc]

Scott liked Brezina, it was Sandra who didn't. Scott added at the end that Brezina needs time to work on improving his skating skills/polish. (What Sandra said about others) I didn't want to be rude to Sandra but I'd love to tell her that it may be easier for Brezina to polish up and improve his skating skills, than it will be for Chan to become a great jumper.

 

[Spun Silver]

How old will that tiny little Japanese guy be in 2014? (Sorry, don't remember his name. I think he might be a junior by now.)

If he's not cooked yet, then I'm calling it for Chan, Fernandez and Amodio!

That is, if Chan agrees to let his feet do the talking. Otherwise, everybody move up a notch and Oda for Bronze.

Oh wait, I forgot about Armin. If he continues he could be in the mix.

 

[icebeauty]

2014 Sochi might just be as crazy as 2010 Vancouver. It's going to be CRAZY! Too hard to call...I really have a soft spot for Rippon (probably because he started late and really made a splash when he started skating internationally). Chan and Kozuka have the best skating skills and a little more experience. Rippon has incredible natural talent, and Orser has don't a great job with him in just one year. Ten is ONLY 16, he'll be a force in Sochi (age 20) and in the 2018 Olympics, where he'll be 24...he's already been working on a quad for a year. Brezina, the boy skates fast and has springs for legs, a little more training and he'll be great. Amodio knows how to perform, he needs a little more consistency. Oda is only 22, and I'd really like to see him stick around, his jump landings are INSANE! great knees. There are sooo many others too b/c so much can happen in 4 years. If by the end of these Olympics, Plushenko and the Russian Federation haven't killed all respect for men's figure skating, it will be THE EVENT in Sochi.

 

[museksk8r]

I hope we see Takahiko Kozuka, Jeremy Abbott, Nobunari Oda, Michal Brezina, Adam Rippon, Artem Grigoriev, Florent Amodio, Denis Ten, Javier Fernandez, Artem Borodulin, and Armin Mahbanoozadeh all at their full potential!