Focus on Ladies

[VINLUVSKWAN]

Irina Slutskaya - definitely odd-on favorite, but if she falters the way she did at Japanese Internat'l Challenge (one fall, level 1 elements - sit spin, straightline footwork) and Shizuka skates flawlessly, the judges will give it to Shizuka. We saw that at JIC, Irina lacked the speed and stamina she usually has (likely due to her heart problems). Her choreo. was uninspired and lacked relation to music and audience. Her edge jumps are always strong, but she should receive neg. GOE for landing on her lutzes at a standstill and double axels for no exit and flow. Her Bielmann spiral is not her best Bielmann position, unlike her fast, well-centered, well-arched laybacks, and her COE spirals are clunky and insecure.

Shizuka - the blank facial expression, lack of attack artistically and sometimes technically (tends to step out, fall out, or touch down) may become an issue. And obviously the cheated 3 toes in combo, but at the times that she smiles, and obviously couting her beautifully extended, well-held spirals and MITF (Ina Bauer, numerous one-foot movements in her footwork), she's among the best.

Mao - obviously juniorish, joyful and "fresh" skater but lacking variety of mood changes and gestures in relation to her music (either callow or smiling) but her Tara-like jumping ability and high-level spins [one-arm Bielmann, beautifully extended leg positions in her camel] will bring her among the highest TES scores.

The SP result will be: 1. Slutskaya 2. Arakawa 3. Asada
The FS result will be: 1. Arakawa 2. Slutskaya 3. Asada
Highly likely final result: Gold: Slutskaya S/B: Arakawa and Asada will bottle it out, with the older skater likely settling for silver

Mens: Easy: 1. Lambiel 2. Sandhu 3. Chengjiang Li

 

[RealtorGal]

Highly likely final result: Gold: Slutskaya S/B: Arakawa and Asada will bottle it out, with the older skater likely settling for silver.

Does that mean they will be hitting each other over the head with a bottle to see who wins the gold?

 

[Doggygirl]

Does that mean they will be hitting each other over the head with a bottle to see who wins the gold?

Now I'm even MORE motivated to get up before the birds tomorrow AM as this comp just got more interesting.

DG

 

[JanJam]

Irina Slutskaya - definitely odd-on favorite, but if she falters the way she did at Japanese Internat'l Challenge (one fall, level 1 elements - sit spin, straightline footwork) and Shizuka skates flawlessly, the judges will give it to Shizuka.

Nope. Even if Irina falls three times and hits the walls, the gap between Irina's score and the next skater's will just widen. All Irina needs to do is show up and walk on the ice in a Biellman position for four minutes and the judges will hand her the gold. She'll accept the award in a Biellman position and the astonished crowd will give her a standing ovation for realizing that she overcame all the odds these past years by going 24/7 in a Bielman position.