results so far | Golden Skate

results so far

ckomodo

Spectator
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Is it too soon or has anyone figured out the standings so far? There's only 2 more to go before the final and I don't see any clear for sure participants, other then maybe pairs.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Why bother?

Look at last year's GPF cast, in order of finish:
Stephane LAMBIEL - silver Olympics, gold Worlds
Jeffrey BUTTLE - bronze Olympics, 6th Worlds
Daisuke TAKAHASHI - 8th Olympics, didn't go to Worlds
Nobunari ODA - didn't go to Olympics, 4th Worlds
Emanuel SANDHU - 13th Olympics, 5th Worlds

Of the 5 GP Finalists, 2 went on to medal at the Olympics, only 1 at Worlds.

Mao ASADA - didn't go to Olympics, 2nd at Jr. Worlds
Irina SLUTSKAYA - 3rd at Olympics, didn't go to Worlds
Yukari NAKANO - didn't go to Olympics, 5th at Worlds
Miki ANDO - 15th Olympics, didn't go to Worlds
Elena SOKOLOVA - 14th Olympics, 4th Worlds
Alissa CZISNY - no Olympics or Worlds

Of the 6 GP Ladies Finalists, only one medaled at the Olympics. Not one medaled at Senior Worlds. One medaled at Jr. Worlds, but she didn't win, as expected.

TOTMIANINA / MARININ - 1st Olympics, didn't go to Worlds
ZHANG / ZHANG - 2nd Olympics, 2nd Worlds
SAVCHENKO / SZOLKOWY - 6th Olympics and Worlds
PETROVA / TIKHONOV - 5th Olympics, 3rd Worlds
OBERTAS / SLAVNOV - 8th Olympics and Worlds
PANG / TONG - 4th Olympics, 1st Worlds.

Of the six GP Pairs Finalists, 2 medaled at the Olympics. 3 medaled at Worlds.


NAVKA / KOSTOMAROV - 1st Olympics, didn't go to Worlds
GRUSHINA / GONCHAROV - 3rd Olympics, didn't go to Worlds
DUBREUIL / LAUZON - withdrew Olympics, 2nd Worlds
CHAIT / SAKHNOVSKI - 8th Olympics, 6th Worlds
DOMNINA / SHABALIN - 9th Olympics, 7th Worlds
DELOBEL / SCHOENFELDER - 4th Olympics, 5th Worlds

Of the 6 GP Ice Dance finalists, 2 medaled at the Olympics. One medaled at Worlds.

Except for Pairs, there's little correlation between being a GPF competitor and winning a World medal.
 
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debdelilah

On the Ice
Joined
May 6, 2006
Why bother?

Except for Pairs, there's little correlation between being a GPF competitor and winning a World medal.

Isn't this more true when you have top skaters who aren't competing in the GP, like Evgeni Plushenko?

Plus, Mao Asada wasn't eligible to skate at senior Worlds. And Nobunari Oda would have won a medal if not for a COP mistake he made.

Buttle peaked at the Olympics, so not medaling at Worlds in an Olympic year doesn't change the fact that he was in prime condition at that year's main international event.

And the maximum number of people who can win a medal is of course only 3, so with all the other factors added in, one or two of the GP finalists medaling doesn't make GP results seem random to me.
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I don't buy the philosophy that we shouldn't bother to care about the Grand Prix because Worlds and the Olympics are more important. So what? The Grand Prix is a fine series of competitions in its own right, and this year it's more exciting than ever.

The point of winning the Grand Prix is to win the Grand Prix, not to help the bookies make predictions about other (often, as it turns out, less interesting) events.

JMO.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
To speak to the original question, is it too early to start making guesses about the Grand Prix Final? -- no, in fact with four down and only two to go we can make some pretty confident predictions.

In men's I don't see it coming out any other way than Lambiel, Joubert, Oda, Lysacek, Takahashi and Preaubert.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
I think that Lysacek and Ando have qualified for the GPF (among the singles skaters, at least)
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
So has Yu-Na Kim.

My point was that making the GPF (as opposed to not making it) doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. The Men's OGM winner, Ladies OGM winner and all of the 2006 World Ladies medalists had not competed in the GPF.

Last season, after Evan Lysacek withdrew with a hip injury, the ISU couldn't get any of the alternates to replace him. Joubert and Plushenko both had excuses (injury and illness) and it was too late for Weir to go after the first two declined. Many of the more experienced skaters consider it a drudgery to have to do the GPF, and who can blame them.

The FANS like it, but to the more experienced skaters it is an interruption in their training at a time when they are all preparing for their Nationals. All so Speedy can make money from the TV rights to fund his beloved speedskaters.

I'll bet Belbin/Agosto are almost hoping they won't make the GPF because they need every minute they can get to do something about their awful FD.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
To speak to the original question, is it too early to start making guesses about the Grand Prix Final? -- no, in fact with four down and only two to go we can make some pretty confident predictions.

In men's I don't see it coming out any other way than Lambiel, Joubert, Oda, Lysacek, Takahashi and Preaubert.
I did a thread on The Edge on this. If I got my points correct, it should help to make a prediction. I think Dobrin is the only one that Preaubert has to worry about.

In the Ladies, I see both Joannie and Kimmie out, or hanging by a thread. Sara and Alyssa are waaaaay out.

Joe
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I did a thread on The Edge on this. If I got my points correct, it should help to make a prediction. I think Dobrin is the only one that Preaubert has to worry about.
It may come down to the second tie-breaker.

Weir, Dobrin and Sandhu are in exactly the same position. Win next week (but Joubert will be there) and they're in, get second and they are tied with Preaubert. Preubert, however has a lot of CoP points in his two performances, so Weir, Dobrin or Sandhu would have to not only get second, but get second with some big numbers.
In the Ladies, I see both Joannie and Kimmie out, or hanging by a thread. Sara and Alyssa are waaaaay out.
I tried to figure this out, but there were still too many possibilities. Kimmie is probably out, but Rochette holds the first tie-breaker against anyone who gets a second and a third. Suguri, Nakano and Asada are all competing against each other in NHK -- they can't all win.

Sebestyen could very well get fourth at Cup of Russia. This would tie her with Rochette both in total GP points and in the first tie-breaker, so it would go to the second tie-breaker between these two (total CoP points).

For Alissa and Sarah Meier, it's clear. Win or go home. If either wins Cup of Russia (the field is not very strong), she will probably beat Rochette on the second tie-breaker.

This is pretty cool. I am liking this GP series almost as much as I like a good cheesefest! ;)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Here is what Kimmie is hoping for:

Cup of Russia: Onda, Sokolova, Meier, Czisny, Sebestyen.

NHK: Suguri, Nakano, Asada.

Kimmie's in!
 
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