Who Will Be The Ladies " Underdog" at the Olympics? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Who Will Be The Ladies " Underdog" at the Olympics?

desertskates

Medalist
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
Let's face it, we will never agree on this.
US Nationals will tell us a lot about Gracie.

Firmly agree. If Gracie can really bring to nationals, then I'll give her more thought for Sochi. But I have to base my guesses and hopes on what I've seen so far this season, and I'm not a huge fan of what she's putting out.
 

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam
Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
It seems that Yuna Kim is solid as a rock, so she's a lock for gold. As for the medalists, I put this in another thread, but I'll give silver to Lipnitskaia and bronze to Wagner. These are two women who have the eye of the tiger. That's my hope. Actually I hope JuLip takes gold but I doubt it. I want to see the fighters win. Not the pampered princesses with benefit of PCS. *puke*
 

MidnightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
Let me put it as simply as possible, if Gold beats Yu Na Kim or Mao Asada (or both) in Sochi would you be absolutely stunned. Of course you would. Not only are both much more consistent than her (especialy Kim), they also are perceived at the moment to have much more scoring potential, and have much more clout and rep with international judges at this point. If you are saying she is not an underdog you saying if she beats Kim or and Asada it wouldnt surprise you much, or any. I find that hard to believe.
When did I say that I would not be shocked if Gold beat Asada & Kim in Sochi ?!.
I simply said I think she is above quite a few others in the skaters you would not consider a medal favourite. The judges do love Gracie & (IMO) a skater who is an underdog has to fight both the judges & the other skaters to do well.
That is my opinion.
Please understand our views are different & accept that.
 

Sochi_2014

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 4, 2013
I think underdog and darkhorse are one in the same. And as far as I'm concerned, everyone except Yuna and Mao are underdogs/darkhorses. That's why this Olympics is going to be so exciting, seeing who can fight it out for that last medal. No one is clearly set up to take it. Everyone has their attributes and downfalls. May the odds be ever in your favor! :p
 

FlattFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Isn't underdog or Darkhorse someone a term for someone who is a long shot contender.

Someone like suzuki is an underdog.
Someone like gede isn't even a mutt.

You have to be a long shot candidate to be considered an underdog.

There shouldn't be that many underdogs either. One or two who have a legitimate case and odds to win it all.

Suzuki showed she can skate perfectly in both phases. And she is one of those who is good enough to win if top 3 makes mistakes.

If Valentina skates perfectly, she wouldn't come close to the podium. She cannot be an underdog.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
I think underdog and darkhorse are one in the same. And as far as I'm concerned, everyone except Yuna and Mao are underdogs/darkhorses. That's why this Olympics is going to be so exciting, seeing who can fight it out for that last medal. No one is clearly set up to take it. Everyone has their attributes and downfalls. May the odds be ever in your favor! :p

Agree - that's what always makes the Olympics exciting! Always a chance for an upset. I think Julia is the underdog/dark horse with the best shot at pulling a Sarah Hughes. It'd be similar - If she wins, everyone who tunes in just for the Olympics will say "who?" But skating fans would have known she always had some chance. It'd be a an even bigger upset though, given how far ahead of the field Yuna was at her last worlds and that Julia wasn't even at worlds.


Just read this NYTIMES story that was recommended in the Mao Asada/triple axel threat. Tara has offered a pretty good answer for this thread:

“Yu-na has become a megastar,” said Tara Lipinski, the 1998 Olympic champion. “She has that Olympic title and that puts them in a slightly different category than they were in before. Now, Mao is a bit of an underdog, pushing to grab that medal. Yu-na has only gotten more confident.”
 
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snowflake

I enjoy what I like
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Isn't underdog or Darkhorse someone a term for someone who is a long shot contender.

Someone like suzuki is an underdog.
Someone like gede isn't even a mutt.

So, what kind of an underdog was Elizabeth Manley? What was her results before olympics? As she was the example of an underdog in the first post.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I think underdog and darkhorse are one in the same. And as far as I'm concerned, everyone except Yuna and Mao are underdogs/darkhorses. That's why this Olympics is going to be so exciting, seeing who can fight it out for that last medal. No one is clearly set up to take it. Everyone has their attributes and downfalls. May the odds be ever in your favor! :p

Oh no, just saw Hunger Games 2. Who will be the heroine (Katniss) of the games. We all know who gets major overscored no matter what. Zagreb, cough cough.
 

FlattFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
So, what kind of an underdog was Elizabeth Manley? What was her results before olympics? As she was the example of an underdog in the first post.

She was an underdog. Top 5 in 2 previous Worlds. Olympics was in Canada. That is as underdog as you gonna get.
 

pohatta

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Maybe the perfect underdog would be someone who's currently out of the Olympics altogether. A Russian or Japanese alternate (Anna P?) getting a chance because of injury or Finland getting a leftover spot and Korpi making a miraculous recovery.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I would consider Caro, Suzuki, Adelina, Julia and Ashley underdogs for Gold or Silver, although any of them winning Bronze would not be surprising at all.

Gold, Murukami and Osmond would be underdogs for any medal because that result would surprise me.
 

CarneAsada

Medalist
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
How things change. Before the season Kostner was being touted a strong gold hopeful. She was being picked as a strong contender than Mao. Now she is just another bronze contender.
After Japanese Nationals, Mao's stock has fallen slightly too. During the GP circuit everyone assumed Mao would improve all the way up to Sochi but now with this talk of her back pain issues that is in doubt as well.
 

Matilda

Medalist
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
It's really too bad Li Zijunn was injured and then ill, as she was on track for being a contender. I'm glad to see she's back on ice now, and seems to be getting her jumps back :) http://instagram.com/p/in7isozX87/

If she can get back in shape in a matter of weeks, could she be a dark horse?
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Just read this NYTIMES story that was recommended in the Mao Asada/triple axel threat. Tara has offered a pretty good answer for this thread:

“Yu-na has become a megastar,” said Tara Lipinski, the 1998 Olympic champion. “She has that Olympic title and that puts them in a slightly different category than they were in before. Now, Mao is a bit of an underdog, pushing to grab that medal. Yu-na has only gotten more confident.”

Except to call Mao an underdog to Yuna is like calling Microsoft/Bill Gates an underdog to Apple/Steve Jobs. Ridiculous!


It's really too bad Li Zijunn was injured and then ill, as she was on track for being a contender. I'm glad to see she's back on ice now, and seems to be getting her jumps back :) http://instagram.com/p/in7isozX87/

If she can get back in shape in a matter of weeks, could she be a dark horse?

Yes I posted some updates on her Fan thread in the Fan fest part of the forum. Consider she has had a horrible time this season recovering from series of illness and growth spurt, plus a bit uncertain about the coaching situation, I don't think LiMinZhu was even listed as a coach anymore.... I'd say she is the biggest under dog out of the ladies consider she was one of the most promising young lady's last season. Consider how strong all the Russian youngsters are this season, if she can still finish top 8 (assume she still go to Sochi, she didn't respond to that question today) imo that'd be a stunning finish! It will raise her stock considerably among the Asian ladies of the next quad.

XiangFuzi posted more vids there.

A video of FS practice (divided into three parts)was posted on weibo this afternoon. Zijun landed all the jumps(3F3T, 2A3T,3Lz,3S2lo2lo,3F,3lo,2A) and looked faster than ever.

And Zijun said: "This video is sent to all people who care about me. I want to tell you, though in sick, I did not give up, has been working hard in silence!"

http://v.youku.com/v...U2MDI2Mjk2.html
http://v.youku.com/v...U2MDI2Nzg0.html
http://v.youku.com/v...U2MDI2ODUy.html

So glad to see these videos! This is the best New Year's gift for Zijun's fans like me.
 

SimplyAFan

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
It seems that Yuna Kim is solid as a rock, so she's a lock for gold. As for the medalists, I put this in another thread, but I'll give silver to Lipnitskaia and bronze to Wagner. These are two women who have the eye of the tiger. That's my hope. Actually I hope JuLip takes gold but I doubt it. I want to see the fighters win. Not the pampered princesses with benefit of PCS. *puke*

This. As an American I'm obviously gonna root for an American to get on the podium and I'm really hoping it's Ashley (I think Gracie will be more of a factor later). I also agree that Julia is a fighter and that makes me root for her. I also find her Schindler's List program interesting. I think her teammate Sotnikova (assuming those are the 2 Russian women chosen to go) could be in the mix if she skates clean. I'm not sure whether a "home field advantage" will help the Russians, or if the pressure will be too much for them, especially Julia whose only senior championship experience prior to the olympics will be Europeans.

Added: I had previously thought Mao would challenge for gold, but after Japanese nationals, I'm thinking the pressure might be getting to her. I thought some of her early scores this season were a little generous considering her 3A attempts but I thought maybe the judges were setting her up to challenge Kim. However after the Golden Spin, I think the judges might be sending the message that no one is going to beat Kim for the gold.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Akiko, Ashley... those are the two that I think could shake things up drastically - but all of the stars have to align just so.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Ashley, Akiko, and Gracie.

Why Gracie? Because, as was stated before, no one actually EXPECTS her to win anything. She hasn't even competed since November, and I can only hope that Frank Carroll is working some calming magic on her. (I do like her new SP. A big improvement on the last one, IMO.) But does Gracie have the chops for a medal? I'd say yes.

Though I understand why, it pains me that Julia is considered an outside threat for a medal. Other than her rock-solid consistency, which is remarkable in one so young, her skating is just not my cup of tea. I'm raising the roof for Adelina!

(Also, first post in quite a while. What'd I miss? :laugh: )
 

Gigi13

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Akiko, Ashley, Gracie, and maybe Adelina and reading this thread made me miss Li even more I hope she's healthy again and comes back soon I miss her terribly :cry:
 

RABID

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Akiko, Ashley, Gracie, and maybe Adelina and reading this thread made me miss Li even more I hope she's healthy again and comes back soon I miss her terribly :cry:

YuNa is the "odds on favorite", Mao is "even money", Carolina is the "dark horse", Akiko and Julia are the "upsets", Ashley is the "underdog", Adelina (only because she is the only other Russian) is the "long shot".:biggrin:
 
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