Alina wasn't generally seen as one of the strongest and she wasn't the favorite at this point in time before Pyeongchang
Anything is possible.
Yes, anything is possible, but look at her age now. It's a very different situation from the leadup into Pyeongchang, with so many technically superior and more consistent younger candidates. It's actually interesting that now a lot of skaters hit their peak at 16 and start regressing at 17-18. A decade ago, late teens-early 20s was considered the prime age range for figure skaters.