Did this event make the Olympics far more exciting | Golden Skate

Did this event make the Olympics far more exciting

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Before this event it was looking like Voloshzar & Trankov, Chan, and maybe even Davis & white to a lesser degree were all locks for the Sochi gold. Now it does not look like any of these are a total lock, although still probably the favorites. Does this make the event much more exciting.

Meanwhile ladies neither Kim or Asada is a lock over the other at this point, although Kim is probably the favorite, but not a lock due to her layoff and the uncertainty around it. So none of the 4 events have a virtual gold lock and all could be hotly contested by 2 or more competitors for the top spot.
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
I'd say Chan, Kim and V/T are still the favorites. As I'd never call anyone a lock at all, I didn't call anyone a lock beforehand either (for medals, something like national teams is a different thing).

That said, I think Mao slowly getting back to something like co-favorite a step behind Yuna was a work of the whole GP, not just the final. It's the fact that she's been pretty consistent so far and on a really good level looking at her usual problems at the beginning of the season.
It's a little different with Chan and V/T. I said for quite a while nearly clean Hanyu and clean S/S can beat Chan or V/T with mistakes. It's happened now instead of being just a theory, but since Hanyu and S/S aren't exactly consistent skaters, I'm not really sure it makes it more likely to happen again at the Olympics.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Oh I agree the GPF did not improve Mao's status. She was already a potential threat to Kim due to Kim's layoff and Mao's strong (although imperfect) skating this season. Status at best stayed similar here for her, but that was the one event that never looked like it had an overwhelming favorite once Kim was injured.

D&W and V&M was only minimal change. V&M were never totally out of it, and even now D&W are still the favorites (and they didnt lose to V&M like those others of course). Just it looks even closer now perhaps than before the event.

The mens and pairs sees a much different picture now, although V&T and Chan are still the favorites, especialy V&T.
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Why is the men's so much different for you? Chan lost last season too, at SC to Fernandez and at the GPF to Takahashi and Hanyu.
 

ranjake

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 19, 2005
It made it more exciting for me. There seem to be so many variables and different ways the Olympics can/will play out. I'm sure this was always true; but it seems clearer to me after this competition.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Why is the men's so much different for you? Chan lost last season too, at SC to Fernandez and at the GPF to Takahashi and Hanyu.

Last year it was always clear Chan was very vurnerable and beatable (much moreso than this year, even now). He was very lucky to win Worlds in the end. This season though the way he has looked and the way everyone else has looked he looked like a lock for the Olympic Gold. Right now is the first point of the season he even looks to have a close competitor of any sort.
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
I think the pairs event is definitely going to be more exciting now that S/S have finally defeated V/T again. Since Hanyu is inconsistent I'm not sure if he'll be able to keep this up. As for dance, I don't see V/M as likely to challenge D/W for the gold this time. D/W just have a better FD this year. One thing that's exciting about dance though is that P/B managed to maneuver themselves into third position again, although I'm worried if B/S don't fall in Sochi they (Nat/Fab) will be relegated to fourth. It seems that W/P and C/L are out of the running as strong bronze medal contenders now, especially the latter.
 

sweetskates1

Medalist
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
I am concerned after viewing competition. D/W were really disappointing and I am afraid that V/M will grow more until they are awarded gold. I am not counting D/W out but I have never felt this disappointed in them. It was not what I expected. Chan is still the favorite because Hanyu will likely not repeat what we saw this GPF. Mao will get destroyed by a clean Yuna if she continues to fall and underrotate. V/T are still the favorites and I expect falls from S/S. I would say that the GPF made the likelihood of my favorites winning less likely in some cases and did not affect the perceived standing in others. Meh..
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Hanyu is inconsistent but so is Chan so no difference there (although he has been much more consistent this year than what he usually is). Still Chan skating as well as he did in France is just as unlikely or probably even more than Hanyu skating as he did at the Grand Prix final, given that he has been on the scene for many years and has only skated that well in two programs maybe one other time ever. Actually skating 2 perfect LPs in a row given his history is already incredible, and him skating 3 or 4 in a row would be hard to imagine.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I am concerned after viewing competition. D/W were really disappointing and I am afraid that V/M will grow more until they are awarded gold. I am not counting D/W out but I have never felt this disappointed in them. It was not what I expected. Chan is still the favorite because Hanyu will likely not repeat what we saw this GPF. Mao will get destroyed by a clean Yuna if she continues to fall and underrotate. V/T are still the favorites and I expect falls from S/S. I would say that the GPF made the likelihood of my favorites winning less likely in some cases and did not affect the perceived standing in others. Meh..

What do you think was lacking in the performances for D&W here relative to what you expected.
 

sweetskates1

Medalist
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Speed, excitement, oomph, it was so bland. And, Charlie making a mistake in the twizzles uggg, really?! It was extremely disappointing. I do not think that V/M deserved more than 108 for the FD but I knew that if they skated faster and executed their lifts well while selling the romantic connection, they would be scored with 112+. D/W have to be faster, greater, epic and sublime every time. Otherwise, they will lose. I feel like their is nothing more to add or improve in their FD, V/M have a lot more space to fill and edit. This is my biggest fear - a loss with a vastly greater program for D/W like the one they were handed at 2012 Worlds.

What do you think was lacking in the performances for D&W here relative to what you expected.
 
Top