Canada World Results 2008

[fumie_fumie]

Chuckm,

I do enjoy reading your posts and appreciate your research and extensive knowledge in skating. However, I somehow get the impression that you are a bit more critical to the skaters from Canada than those from other countries.

A lot of Canadians tend to identify ourselves with winter sports, hockey, curling and skating. It is just one of many Canadian national traits to be supportive of our skaters. At the same time, pretty much every Canadian posters on this forum are aware of our skaters' chances of finishing on the podium at 2008 worlds.

No Canadians here are criticising the American skaters or fans here. Why do you find it so hard to accept the way the Canadians enjoy the sport in particular?

 

[chuckm]

Chuckm,

I do enjoy reading your posts and appreciate your research and extensive knowledge in skating. However, I somehow get the impression that you are a bit more critical to the skaters from Canada than those from other countries.

A lot of Canadians tend to identify ourselves with winter sports, hockey, curling and skating. It is just one of many Canadian national traits to be supportive of our skaters. At the same time, pretty much every Canadian posters on this forum are aware of our skaters' chances of finishing on the podium at 2008 worlds.

No Canadians here are criticising the American skaters or fans here. Why do you find it so hard to accept the way the Canadians enjoy the sport in particular?

(Sigh) This is a discussion board. If you look at the US Nationals skating thread, you will see LOTS of posters criticizing US skaters. Why? Because some US posters go over the top with hype on some of the US skaters.

I do not START negative threads about Canadian skaters. All of my posts relative to Canadian skaters are responses to similar over-the-top hype in posts. If my posts seem negative, it's a counterbalance to the thread I was replying to---which I append to my post. So the end result is not all negative. It's DEBATING!

I have to admit, though, that in general, US posters take criticism of their skaters a lot more in stride than Canadian posters do. Although there are a few Canadian posters on this and other boards who do understand that I am not sniping, just trying to apply a little reality to the hype.

 

[laceup]

REALITY, chuckm, is that people on this thread realize Canada in not likely to podium this year. REALITY, chuckm, is that Canadians try to see the good in people (or athletes) and will point that out. REALITY, chuckm, is that we DO see the areas our skaters need to work on but we don't need people shoving them in our faces since we are a gentle sort of people and try to be positive. That does not make us blind, just kind to those we care about.

 

[chuckm]

Those who don't like my posts can just add me to the ignore list.

Then they can go along thinking all is for the best in this best of all possible wolrds.

 

[laceup]

Those who don't like my posts can just add me to the ignore list.

Then they can go along thinking all is for the best in this best of all possible wolrds.

Likewise, chuckm.

Then you can go along thinking all is for the worst in this worst of all possible worlds !!!

 

[chuckm]

Then you can go along thinking all is for the worst in this worst of all possible worlds !!!

Nope, but when you guys start raving about 'a full glass' or a 'three-quarters full glass', I reserve the right to point out that: 'that glass is half full!"

 

[bellafurr]

The same could be said for U.S. Skaters also:

 

[Sackie]

bellafurr - didn't you know that American skaters flaws are to always be over looked by the judges and anyone with eyes. Flaws are only to be pointed out on those skaters who beat American skaters such as was done when Kostner beat Zang att he GPF!

Chuckm sorry if I wrote out of turn that you called other Canadian skaters slow. I must have taken someone elses comments (like Chuckiem on another forum)about D/L's and Sandu's slowness last year and Jen Robinson's in the past to be yours. I am sorry!

 

[chuckm]

Variety is the spice of life.

If only positive comments about skaters were permitted on this board, I can assure you the membership would dry up in very short order.

There are as many opinions as there are posters; if only one one type of opinion is considered valid, there would be no need for a discussion board.

 

[skatingfan04]

Where does everyone think our ice dancers will finish in Sweden. NOT V/M, who have been discussed in this forum already, but the other two. Assuming that the second and third spot will be between Weaver/Poje, Hann-McCurdey/Coreno,Crone/Poirier, and Possibly but not probably, especially the latter, the new team of Karam/O'Keefe or the young Lenko/Islam, where would they finish? My guess would be...

Weaver & Poje- I'm pretty sure thet'll qualify, and I think they'll finish somewhere between 10th and 15th. They could possibly break the top ten, but that all depends on whether training with a new coach now has helped them improve even more since the GP season. BTW, where exactly are they training now? I know it's in Toronto, but at what club?

Hann-McCurdey & Coreno- I honestly don't know, but I'm guessing somewhere in the top 20.

Crone & Poirier- If they went, I'd like to think that they'd crack the top 20, but not go much higher. They're still very young.

Karam/O'Keefe- Again, I'm not sure, but I would like to believe that it would be the top 20.

Lenko/Islam- It's HIGHLY unlikely that they would get it, but If they did, they'd probably be buried in their first year. I ral;ly like them, but they need more time and experience. They're young as well, and illness has pulled the from the only two major international events thet've ever qualified for...Jr. Worlds and the JGP Final.

Your thoughts...

 

[chuckm]

I think Crone/Poirier will be at Junior Worlds, not Worlds, even if they medal at Nationals. As a Junior team (and only 17 and 16), they are unlikely to place high at Worlds. Although they were badly treated at the JGPF, they are sure to place high enough at JW to ensure that Canada can send 3 teams to JW 2009 as well as two teams to every JGP event next year. I think Lenko/Islam will go to JW as well.

Here's a quick peek (using top scores from the GP) at where W/P and H-M/C would place among the top teams:

1 205.24 DOMNINA / SHABALIN
2 197.54 DELOBEL / SCHOENFELDER
3 197.07 VIRTUE / MOIR
4 195.11 BELBIN / AGOSTO
5 191.01 KHOKHLOVA / NOVITSKI
6 184.38 PECHALAT / BOURZAT
7 181.10 FAIELLA / SCALI
8 177.21 DAVIS / WHITE
9 172.37 KERR / KERR
10 171.57 CAPPELLINI / LANOTTE
11 167.83 CARRON / JOST
12 167.80 FRASER / LUKANIN
13 161.86 ZARETSKI / ZARETSKI
14 161.64 ZADOROZHNIUK / VERBILLO
15* 161.51 BOBROVA / SOLOVIEV
16 161.36 COPELY / STAGNIUNAS
17 160.72 GREBENKINA / AZROYAN
18* 159.93 NAVARRO / BOMMENTRE
19 154.20 WEAVER / POJE
20 152.16 HANN-McCURDY / CORENO
21 151.58 RUBLEVA / SHEFER
22 144.33 ZLOBINA / SITNIKOV
23 143.85 REED / REED
24 143.69 ZHIGANSHINA / GAZSI
25 141.28 BEKNAZAROVA / ZUEV
26 139.72 SILNA / MATSJUK
27 139.14 HAJKOVA / VINCOUR
28 139.09 HUANG / ZHENG
29 136.11 HERMANN / HERMANN
30 135.47 YU / WANG
31 132.96 BLANC / BOUQUET
32 131.82 KRIENGKRAIRUT / GIULIETTI-SCHMITT
33 112.69 GUOJIA / MENG
34 108.78 LIU / SUO

You'd have to move both teams up two places because the teams marked (*) are unlikely to be competing at Worlds.

 

[silver.blades]

I think that Weaver/Poje could place higher than a few of those ahead of them in terms of scores so far. That will depend however on how they have improved their compulseries and OD. Their free dance has been good though this season.

 

[rain]

I dont "act" like Im the "only person" being realistic. Unknown to you I did read ALL of the posts. And yes I know others thought the same thing about them not making the podium. I however didnt get bent out of shape and "annoyed" when others didnt think they werent going to be on the podium. People need to relax and calm down. Its just a discussion and everyone has opinions. Theres no need to get upset. because someone doesnt think that someone will be on the podium or that they dont have good lines or they dont have enough numbers to win. And unfortunately numbers is what the event is all about now. Who has the numbers/points. Since 6.0 is gone you gotta rack those numbers up. And as you said everyones predictions are pretty much the same, so theres no need to get angry at someone for stating the same thing, is there?

I wanted to apologize for the slightly bitchy post. Bad day.... Personally, I hope things go better than most of us expect for the Canadian skaters at worlds. One thing to consider, though, is that for all of these skaters the goal is no doubt 2010, and these competitions (even worlds) between now and then are just stepping stones.

 

[chuckm]

Lenko/Islam have withdrawn from Canadian Nationals. Any idea as to which team will go to Junior Worlds with Crone/Poirier?

 

[nadster]

Lenko/Islam have withdrawn from Canadian Nationals. Any idea as to which team will go to Junior Worlds with Crone/Poirier?

It is too bad that Lenko/Islam had to withdraw. May they get better soon.

Anyway, if Lenko/Islam get better after nationals, I still expect them to go to Junior Worlds provided they pass some kind of fitness test from Skate Canada just before Junior Worlds. They did that with Signe Ronka in the year she made the JGPF but missed nationals due to injury so I expect the same will happen for Lenko/Islam.

Canada has 3 spots for ice dance at JW so I would say the remaining slot (or 2 slots if Lenko/Islam don't recover in time ) will be determined by the junior dance results at nationals.

Based on JGP results and Challenges I expect this to happen at Junior nats.

1. Karen ROUTHIER / Eric SAUCKE-LACELLE had the highest aggregate point total on the JGP this year. Won the Eastern Challenge. A pretty clear favourite for the title.

2. Kharis RALPH / Asher HILL. Finished 4th in one of their JGP assignments. Have nice programs but struggle with CD's. Finished 2nd in Eastern challenge. I am sure they will medal but CD's will keep them from winning.

3. Sophie KNIPPEL / Andrew BRITTEN - won the Western challenge with a score higher than Ralph/Hill's challenge score but JGP scores quite lower than the first 2 pairs. They didn't even get any points in their lone JGP stint. I won't put them above Ralph/Hill because of their JGP results and because they didn't compete against each other in challenges so were subject to 2 different judging panels.

 

[skatingfan04]

Lenko/Islam's withdrawl could open a spot for Ralph/Hill or Routhier/Lacelle, whoever places 2nd in jr's. I really hope, however, that L/I will recover in time for jr worlds since they had to pull last year due to illness.

 

[chuckm]

Joanna Lenko has chronic asthma and they had to drop out of JW last year because of it, much the way they had to drop out of the JGPF last month. I'd be surprised if Skate Canada sent them to JW again under the circumstances.

 

[redhotcoach]

Chronic asthma is manageable in high performance athletes, if they are treated aggressively and vigoursly comply with their med's routine. As long as the drugs are registered and the skater has a pulmonary function test to prove the need - they are allowed to take inhaled steriods and the other inhaled asthma drugs. The only thing that can be restricted is the use of prednisone for handling a bad attack.....

Shawn Sawyer has asthma -- so does Ben Ferreria -- and lots more that I can't name off the top of my head right now.

I hope Joanna gets control and can get back on the ice!

 

[chuckm]

Irina Slutskaya was permitted to use prednisone when competing, for a different type of autoimmune disorder.

 

[skatingfan04]

Chronic asthma is manageable in high performance athletes, if they are treated aggressively and vigoursly comply with their med's routine. As long as the drugs are registered and the skater has a pulmonary function test to prove the need - they are allowed to take inhaled steriods and the other inhaled asthma drugs. The only thing that can be restricted is the use of prednisone for handling a bad attack.....

Shawn Sawyer has asthma -- so does Ben Ferreria -- and lots more that I can't name off the top of my head right now.

I hope Joanna gets control and can get back on the ice!

I agree. I do know that she has asthma, but we don't know for sure that that was the cause of ther absence from nationals. We only know that they have withdrawn, although that's likely the cause. Skate Canada has yet to make a formal press release, and I haven't found any articles about it. If so, I think that they have every right to compete at Jr. worlds. They qualified for the JGP final for crying out loud! That puts them in the top 8 junior teams in the world. This is a young team with loads of talent and potential. I doubt SC will have an issue sending them providing that she is healthy. Her health will have a bigger influence on the decision than anything else. I see absloutely no problem with her competing for Canada with asthma. I'm sure that once she is healthier they will be able to compete more than they have this season and the end of last. Many athletes compete with ilnesses and are very sucessful. Slutskaya had a heart condition, and she won the world championships. I hope these two can get healthy and back into competition ASAP, and I wish them a speedy recovery from whatever has stopped them from competing. They're a great team to watch, and they represent Canada well.