My early top 10 predictions for top 2008 Worlds | Golden Skate

My early top 10 predictions for top 2008 Worlds

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Men:

1. Lambiel
2. Takahashi
3. Verner
4. Joubert
5. Oda
6. Lysacek
7. Weir
8. Preaubert
9. Abbott
10. Buttle

Ladies:

1. Asada
2. Kim
3. Ando
4. Meissner
5. Meier
6. Kostner
7. Poykio
8. Rochette
9. Hughes
10. Korpi

Dance:

1. Denkova/Staviski
2. Domnina/Shabalin
3. Belbin/Agosto
4. Davis/White
5. Moir/Virtue
6. Delobel/Schoenfeldner
7. Khokhlova/Novitski
8. Pechalat/Bourzat
9. Faiella/Scali
10. Kerr/Kerr

Pairs:

1. Pang/Tong
2. Savchenko/Szokoly
3. Zhang/Zhang
4. Dube/Davison
5. Kawaguchi/Smirnov
6. Inoue/Baldwin
7. Volosozhar/Morozov
8. Mukhortova/Trankov
9. Langlois/Hay
10. Castile/Okolski
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Hmm. I don't see much to find fault with. :agree:

But I'll say Preabert will overtake Weir, Kostner will make the podium, S&S will give the Chinese pairs a challenge for gold and Virtue and Moir will stay ahead of Davis and White and maybe beat Belbin and Agosto.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
very gutsy of you, eh? ;)

I hope Meissner can make the podium again and prove her 06 world win wasn't a fluke or a "freak event". Also, I'd rather Kostner medal than Ando. If a member of the Asian Armada MUST win, I'd rather YuNa over anyone else.
 
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slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
I honestly dont expect Plushenko to return. If he does I would not be surprised if he aborts his comeback.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Kimmie may not win, but I don't think she will take another 4th place.

I dunno. Considering she only slipped up once during the worlds, she really didn't do badly at all. She is (was??) just not in the league that the medalists were in.

It may be time to get someone else ready to lead the US. :biggrin:
 

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Hmm. I don't see much to find fault with. :agree:

But I'll say Preabert will overtake Weir, Kostner will make the podium, S&S will give the Chinese pairs a challenge for gold and Virtue and Moir will stay ahead of Davis and White and maybe beat Belbin and Agosto.

It is interesting you think Weir will place even lower then I predicted, when I did not predict a particularly strong result for him. I guess that means we are in agreement that the Zmievskaya experiment is not going to be enough to turn his career around in a truly meaningful way. Preabert is one of those intriguing second tier skaters who are showing improvement, and will be interesting to see how high they can climb next year perhaps.

It will of course be intersting to see if Kostner or Meissner can break up the Asian sweep.

The pairs is really a pick em among the current top 3. None goes into next season with a solid edge on the other 2 which makes it exciting, and makes next season a big one for each to try and establish themselves as the leaders, with all 3 having a very real opportunity to do that. Going in the Germans are probably the most complete and best packaged of the 3 when they are all performing very well, but they are also maybe the most unpredictable and unreliable of the 3.
 

jennylovskt

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
How much this coach changing means to Weir's career is remaining to be seen. I certainly hope that it will bring some highly noticeable difference, which means the attitude change towards the training and competition. I believe that if Weir works as hard as Lysacek, not harder, he will be definitely better than Lysacek, and pass Oda as well. Which could bring him back into the top 6.
 

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
How much this coach changing means to Weir's career is remaining to be seen. I certainly hope that it will bring some highly noticeable difference, which means the attitude change towards the training and competition. I believe that if Weir works as hard as Lysacek, not harder, he will be definitely better than Lysacek, and pass Oda as well. Which could bring him back into the top 6.

Scott Davis went to Zmievskaya and it didnt work that well for him. His slow decline just continued to retirement. Of course that doesnt mean it wont work for Johnny who is a completely different person then Scott. Hopefully it does work in a positive way. He has very tough GP assignments with Lambiel and Lysacek at the first; then Lambiel and possibly Plushenko at the second. It will be important for him to be very sharp early in the season to gain momentum. Some skaters can cruise through the GP season, and it really isnt that important in the grand scheme of things, but I think for him it is important to gain some positive momentum as early in the season as possible given his gradual decline in rank and stature over the last year or two.
 

Kypma

Final Flight
Joined
May 12, 2007
I'd place Buttle highes than 10th... maybe over Préaubert and Abbott. Last season he was slowed down by his stress fracture, but I believe he will be back inside the top eight, if not top five. I don't think he can get much higher without the quad, though...
I also like how you placed Dubé&Davison in 4th place :), but I do think that Virtue&Moir will stay ahead of Davis&White, based on previous results from the last couple of years.

Kypma
 

jennylovskt

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Scott Davis went to Zmievskaya and it didnt work that well for him. His slow decline just continued to retirement. Of course that doesnt mean it wont work for Johnny who is a completely different person then Scott. Hopefully it does work in a positive way. He has very tough GP assignments with Lambiel and Lysacek at the first; then Lambiel and possibly Plushenko at the second. It will be important for him to be very sharp early in the season to gain momentum. Some skaters can cruise through the GP season, and it really isnt that important in the grand scheme of things, but I think for him it is important to gain some positive momentum as early in the season as possible given his gradual decline in rank and stature over the last year or two.

True. If Johnny could beat Evan nationally and internationally this coming season, it will be his great victory. There is no need to compare him with others at this point, JMO.
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
True. If Johnny could beat Evan nationally and internationally this coming season, it will be his great victory. There is no need to compare him with others at this point, JMO.

If he can just have a "satisfactory season" according to HIM, I believe would be the greatest victory. If that be "via" ???? however - trying not to speculate my opinion - whatever it is ~ the "switch" that he needs to "flick back on" and he does what he knows he can. But maybe he is more interested in just whooping Evan's butt.:laugh: How ever it comes out I guess, Johnny has to be the best of Johnny for either scenario to transpire.


The only thing I see in the "list" - Post #1 - that IMODo Not think will happen - as where the other 3 categories seem likely - is the Pairs. Castile/Okolski I don't see under 6 and Kawaguchi/Smirnov I would put 10. Like to see them slap me in the face and say "Up yours Seanibu, we rock!":rock: :laugh:But I soooo doubt that is going to happen;) Also don't see S/S putting out a programme that will (could) beat Z/Z. Otherwise I really believe the list has strong possibilities of being extremely close to actual standings regardless of what I might "want."

Wait, I just did a double take - Domnina/Shabalin for silver? Am I thinking of someone else? Was it 7th last season for them?? or am I off???? Be cool to see that bounce, but from what I gathered no one expected them to reach their peak for a couple of seasons - did they???:scratch:
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Wait, I just did a double take - Domnina/Shabalin for silver? Am I thinking of someone else? Was it 7th last season for them?? or am I off???? Be cool to see that bounce, but from what I gathered no one expected them to reach their peak for a couple of seasons - did they???:scratch:
Domnina and Shabulin made great strides last year. They finished fifth at Worlds and everyone above them except Belbin and Agosto is much older. They were also third at the Grand Prix Finals (neither Virtue/Moir nor Davis/White made the finals.)

Plus, if you think (with Tatiana Tarasova, LOL) that politics continues to play an important role in judging, there will be a lot of pressure to put Domnina and Shabulin on the podium. It might be Russia's only medal (unless Plushenko returns in full force, which is doubtful IMO.)

In fact, last year there was a lot of talk also about Khukhlova and Novitski being held up against V/M and especially D/W. This team could well end up higher than Slutskayafan's predictions.

To me the biggest question mark is Belbin and Agosto. There seems to be a perception that they have stagnated and are no longer improving. I think this is an important year for them.
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Plus, if you think (with Tatiana Tarasova, LOL) that politics continues to play an important role in judging, there will be a lot of pressure to put Domnina and Shabulin on the podium. It might be Russia's only medal (unless Plushenko returns in full force, which is doubtful IMO.)
Ah yes, the infamous "country deserves" vs. "performance deserves," I forget about that at times.:laugh:Ture though, I must agree with that. Maybe I am basing to much bias on the last thing that I saw of them - Exhibition "The Wall" - cool, I liked a lot, but seemed to fall apart. From memory I was under the impression they made great leaps and bounds in last season. I thought a little off on placement, so I gues to answer my question "am I off??" that answer would be yes.:cool:

I hope that doesn't sound like I don't like them. I do, and do wish the best - shoot the more they place high, the more the world can see Oksana's incredible face:love:;) - it will be a surprise to me if they place in the top three for worlds. And yes I like those kinds of surprises also.:agree:
To me the biggest question mark is Belbin and Agosto. There seems to be a perception that they have stagnated and are no longer improving. I think this is an important year for them.
I agree with that comment and I agree with the placement of them from what was seen IMO - much like thought of Dom and Shab - unless there is something that is happening this off-season, Bronze is exctly where I think B/ A will wind up. Could even be D/W in 3rd with B/A in 4th. I hope better... but then again I hope better for even the skaters I don't really favor as well. So hard to try and cheer for everyone.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Sasha Cohen for the win with Michelle Kwan as the runner-up, and Jenny Kirk in a surprise comeback breaking the bronze ribbon.

Joe
 

all that

Final Flight
Joined
May 4, 2007
To me the biggest question mark is Belbin and Agosto. There seems to be a perception that they have stagnated and are no longer improving. I think this is an important year for them.

I think last season was an aberration for B/A, and they'll come back this season as the team to beat. If Denkova/Staviski don't compete, then I'd put B/A as winning the WCh. B/A had a terrible season last year because they started too late, picked the wrong free dance, and basically had one disaster after another once they started competing. At the end of the season, from her statements, you could tell that Tanith was clearly disappointed and frustrated with the way they played catch-up all season. I have a feeling that last season's disappointments (and the fact that some fans are actually saying that D/W might be a better team than them) will motivate them to really do their best this season.
 
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