Ok time to get serious with the Euro. Pred. Game!! This year is so difficult because I have so many doubts in my minds right now, I don't know how the youngsters will deal with the pressure, and how well/bad the (many) new couples will do. I'll base my predictions on skaters' absolute capacities even if I'm sure many unpredictable facts will happen. But I can't think of anything more reliable to set my standings, I'm overwhelmed by doubts
LADIES
1. Radionova
2. Tuktamisheva
3. Pogorilaya
4. Meite
5. Joshi Helgesson
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6. Victoria Helgesson
Apart from the Russian girls, this category has a very low level this year. I don't think Kira is already back to her ideal form, I don't even know which jump's layout she's going to present. I'm torn about whether to consider her or not. Meite has the potential but she's struggling a bit. But she still remains my best choice. The
Helgessons are always a question mark... by now Victoria can only say thanks to her PCS so I hope this year will be the definitive consecration for Joshi. I don't have big faith in the Italian girls... Rodeghiero always struggle with the short program. Once she passes this big obstacle she can repeat the great free she did last year. But last year she was the third Italian skater in her mind... this year she's the first... and her mind seems not to handle very good with this (see the Italian champs). I don't have news about Weinzierl, she was so good last year but now? Which is her condition? And Popova has never been one of my favourite (and sorry will never be).
So the hardest prediction was the.... 6th place
MEN
1. Fernandez
2. Kovtun
3. Voronov
4. Brezina
5. Pitkeev
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6. Amodio
Sorry Michal for the umpteenth 4th place...
Again, the hardest place to predict is the 6th... Amodio, Righini, Besseghier, Liebers, Bychenko, Majorov can all be there, so I'll go with the most famous. Obviously a good Amodio as well as a good Liebers could place higher. Righini, Besseghier, Bychenko and Majorov need to be perfect and at the same time many skaters above need to melt down.
DANCE
1. Papadakis / Cizeron
2. Cappellini / Lanotte
3. Coomes / Buckland
4. Ilinikh / Ziganshin
5. Monko / Khaliavin
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6. Stepanova / Bukin
I'll give to Gabriella and Guillaume the advantage of a great season so far and two beautiful programs already tested. Anna and Luca can't say the same but they are an experienced couple so I can't think (or better I don't want to think) of a different outcome. Then I have 7 couples who are almost on the same level. The three Russian couples are unpredictable: talented but so inconsistent till now (especially Stepanova / Bukin... I still don't have understood if they are good as people say, or not). Hurtado / Diaz and Guignard / Fabbri are rising while Zhiganshina / Gazsi are falling (and I also dislike their programs this year). Then we have Coomes / Buckland that are experienced, loved by judges but... I can't stop thinking of their last competition. They had the opportunity to do the GPF, were also pretty safe but did a disaster. Maybe they lack in self-confidence... Or maybe it was just something that happened.
PAIRS
1. Stolbova / Klimov
2. Kavaguti / Smirnov
3. Tarasova / Morozov
4. James / Cipres
5. Marchei / Hotarek
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6. Della Monica / Guarise
I see Marchei / Hotarek better than Della Monica / Guarise even if they're a very new couple. But they have the hardest elements and aren't new to big competitions (so I hope they won't suffer from pressure... thing D/G seems to suffer from). I think they can challenge James / Cipres for the 4th place but even if the French couple hasn't do a great GP season I think they'll be ready for Euros. The only other "decent" pair I could think of is Vartmann / Van Cleave but honestly I have never liked them before.