Ladies OGM Contenders 2018

[Tutto]

I see Pogo's name in a lot of these predictions. For some reason, I don't think she's going to make the team. I think Med and Zagitova are locks and with SO many talented ladies left in Russia, I think Pogo will have a hard time making the team. When she holds it together, she reminds me of my all time favorite skater, Maria Butyrskaya. She really has the ability to work a judging panel with her steely gaze and when she hits them, BIG jumps. It's her lack of consistency that worries me. I feel like I haven't seen Tuk in a million years...How is she looking? She was the IT girl in 2015. I would LOVE to be at Russian Nationals this year.

There are lots of things against Anna and I too am not sure (though hopeful) she'll make the team. If Eteri's girls continue on their unbelievable consistency track, the RusFed sure will support Alina (Evgenia goes without saying) as they need a reliable back up for the team event which the Russians treat very seriously. That would leave only one spot open and we have Buianova with Maria & Elena as her (and TSKA's) potential tickets for the Olympics. I can't even begin to imagine what politics will be employed but whatever way to look at it, Anna is at disadvantage here

 

[Ender]

That's just Canadian and Japanese #1 though. Your previous post made it sound to me as if you thought all the Americans, all the Canaidan and all the Japanese present would have to falter for a 2nd Russian girl on the podium (so 3 + 3 + 2 = 8 ladies). And that's what I objected too. I don't think Alaine Chartrand, who will likely be Canadian #3, will have a high chance of beating Russian #2. Of course it could be, and I don't mean to say Alaine is a bad skater, but between her and Alina for example, Alina is the clear favorite.

And again, yes, maybe there will be something like home field influence. But there was a GPF in South Korea before and Mao beat Yuna. There is only so much the judges can do. They can't chip away Alinas BV or start giving her 4's in PCS when she got at least 7's before. And I doubt they'd throw US or CAN #3 al the 3's in GOE either for some weird "let's hold down the Russian ladies" madness.

I would say they prefer a "fair distribution" in which 3 skaters from 3 different federations will be on the podium. So the quota might be 1 Russian, 1 Canadian, 1 Japanese/American.
But certainly if Zagitova is consistent the whole season, with her BV she might well make it to the podium.

 

[MaiKatze]

Concerning Anna, I thought she had no chance to make the team, immediately after Worlds, too. But now I'm not so sure. It will depend on the GP, if Anna wins Skate Canada and/or Skate America and perhaps podiums at GPF I think she should be sent. I also don't think she can be labelled inconsistent. That, in my opinion is a skater that falls or pops her jumps every second program. Kaetlyn Osmond is far more inconsistent than Anna. It's just that Anna fails spectacularly, but she also had a streak of very good performances and results last season. Also, I think it's a matter of style. This is wishful thinking but watching two Tudberidze girls there needs to be some balance. I would choose one of Elena or/and Maria. My heart goes with Elena, technically I think Maria is better. Not to take away anything from Alina. I also wish her all the luck in the World and a great debut season. Still, we don't know how she's going to do yet and it's perhaps a bit early to crown her the second coming of Evgenia and overlook the talented girls that are still bringing in the medals for Russia during the last quad.

The podium? Should be Evgenia and then the ones who went clean after that. Still too early to say who the judges will prob up next season. And if the three cleanest and best performances come from Russian girls I don't think they will be held back. Especially if someone like Kaetlyn falls, I don't think she'll win against a clean russian girl, even though the judges want to reward her. So while I believe it's unlikely a sweep is possible, in my opinion. Everyone has to deliver.

 

[Ender]

Pogo should have moved to CSKA a while ago. But they didn't accept her so it can't be helped. It's a good choice for Radionova to change coach but is it enough? She should have changed a long time ago. I don't think they will choose 3 girls from the same club to the Olympic.

 

[mrrice]

Who are the Koreans touting as their current female star? I would think being on home ice might help their skater have the performance of a lifetime.

 

[MaiKatze]

Pogo should have moved to CSKA a while ago. But they didn't accept her so it can't be helped. It's a good choice for Radionova to change coach but is it enough? She should have changed a long time ago. I don't think they will choose 3 girls from the same club to the Olympic.

Has a female single skater ever left russian ice to train overseas permanently? I think Anna was in Detroit this year (probably to work with Camerlengo) and seemed to have had a good time. It's probably a money issue...but just imagine the possibilities....it's sad that she wasn't wanted, yeah.

 

[4everchan]

i personally don't like sentences like "the judges want to reward her" in this case the her referred to is Kaetlyn... Don't we agree that Kaetlyn deserves her scores because she skates with emotion, power and grace, has huge jumps, difficult spins and transitions and is a great performer?

That's why she gets her high scores..... not because judges want to reward her... she worked very hard to get back up... and when she doesn't perform well, she can be dead last or close to.... it has happened....

I think judges want to give good marks to everyone who deserves them... it's like when I mark exams... I don't go there in my mind with "oh i will only give 70s' I am open to give the biggest marks when the exams are perfectly well done.

 

[Ender]

i personally don't like sentences like "the judges want to reward her" in this case the her referred to is Kaetlyn... Don't we agree that Kaetlyn deserves her scores because she skates with emotion, power and grace, has huge jumps, difficult spins and transitions and is a great performer?

That's why she gets her high scores..... not because judges want to reward her... she worked very hard to get back up... and when she doesn't perform well, she can be dead last or close to.... it has happened....

I think judges want to give good marks to everyone who deserves them... it's like when I mark exams... I don't go there in my mind with "oh i will only give 70s' I am open to give the biggest marks when the exams are perfectly well done.

Osmond had a really good SP last season. It was well-choreographed and she was consistent with it the whole season. Her LP was.... much less than just half of that. I think the main reason they scored her LP high was because she had a good SP and she's in the medal contender position. But also, it happened to almost all skaters in the same situation.

 

[MaiKatze]

i personally don't like sentences like "the judges want to reward her" in this case the her referred to is Kaetlyn... Don't we agree that Kaetlyn deserves her scores because she skates with emotion, power and grace, has huge jumps, difficult spins and transitions and is a great performer?

That's why she gets her high scores..... not because judges want to reward her... she worked very hard to get back up... and when she doesn't perform well, she can be dead last or close to.... it has happened....

I think judges want to give good marks to everyone who deserves them... it's like when I mark exams... I don't go there in my mind with "oh i will only give 70s' I am open to give the biggest marks when the exams are perfectly well done.

If it were so easy we would't have this forum perhaps. It's a judged sport and the judges have their faves, too. It's not as simple as a math problem, when your dislike or like of someone doesn't play into the grade. And the judging shows that. It's only human. That's why we feel so strongly that we get into arguments with strangers on the internet just because we think our darlings are treated unfairly. I'm totally guilty of that, I'm the first to admit.

 

[Osmond4gold]

Osmond had a really good SP last season. It was well-choreographed and she was consistent with it the whole season. Her LP was.... much less than just half of that. I think the main reason they scored her LP high was because she had a good SP and she's in the medal contender position. But also, it happened to almost all skaters in the same situation.

Sure Ender, never mind the 6 triples, and the double, double, double ending, GOE on her jumps, SPEED, difficult spins, transitions, great choreographed, interpretation and musicality. Rather, let's just say the numbers were ...pulled from a hat.

Do we have a BINGO?

 

[Mrs. P]

Who are the Koreans touting as their current female star? I would think being on home ice might help their skater have the performance of a lifetime.

The Olympic team will likely be two of either Da Bin Choi, Na Hyun Kim or So Yeon Park.

The reigning national champ, Eunsoo Lim, is too young.

 

[Ender]

Sure Ender, never mind the 6 triples, and the double, double, double ending, GOE on her jumps, SPEED, difficult choreographed, interpretation and musicality. Let's just say the numbers were pulled from a hat.

Do I hear BINGO?

Her LP last season was a big let down compared to her SP. that's not something new. Had she not skated in a good position after the SP, her LP wouldn't have got such score. In short, it's also the same for other skaters. She climbed up a lot thanked to her SP.

 

[Osmond4gold]

^^ News flash, many on here preferred her LP, to her SP...imagine.

 

[Mrs. P]

I think it's within everyone's right to like one program over the other. No need to argue about that.

I don't think I would want to gamble on guessing the podium. In the previous three years we've had:

2015: RUS, JPN, RUS
2016: RUS, USA, RUS
2017: RUS, CAN, CAN

For GPF we had:
2014: RUS RUS USA
2015: RUS JPN RUS
2016: RUS JPN RUS

I don't think it's out of the question for two Russians to end up on the Olympic podium, but the field is all over the place. The only repeat medalist at Worlds is Evgenia.

 

[silverfoxes]

Has a female single skater ever left russian ice to train overseas permanently? I think Anna was in Detroit this year (probably to work with Camerlengo) and seemed to have had a good time. It's probably a money issue...but just imagine the possibilities....it's sad that she wasn't wanted, yeah.

What is sad? She's said that she's glad she stayed with Tsareva. And I think Viktor Adoniev has helped her come a long way. Being part of CSKA or having Buyanova as a coach is no guarantee of success either.

I believe Anna's chance is as good as anyone and I would not rule out Polina yet. Nobody has any idea how Polina and Alina will do as seniors. Just because it was an easy transition for Evgenia doesn't necessarily mean Alina will follow exactly the same path.

 

[MaiKatze]

What is sad? She's said that she's glad she stayed with Tsareva. And I think Viktor Adoniev has helped her come a long way. Being part of CSKA or having Buyanova as a coach is no guarantee of success either.

I believe Anna's chance is as good as anyone and I would not rule out Polina yet. Nobody has any idea how Polina and Alina will do as seniors. Just because it was an easy transition for Evgenia doesn't necessarily mean Alina will follow exactly the same path.

It's sad that she wasn't wanted, exactly what I wrote in my post. Now she's glad, or perhaps that's what you say after being rejected, because you have to protect yourself. Can't be a nice feeling if a top coach says they don't want to work with you.

 

[silverfoxes]

Oh please. Anna is doing just fine and I'm sure she's moved on a long time ago. She is happy with her team...end of story.

 

[mrfarmer]

Just a thought: If Dabin Choi skates her GP assignments clean, and skates clean too at the Olympics, will we have another Sotnikova? I doubt it, but imagine the drama.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Someone with Osmond's basic skating skills, power, speed, big jumps, and ice coverage cannot be ignored once she skates well enough to be a medal contender. You simply cannot ignore a skater who has all those goods, no matter what you think of her LP, and especially in this field.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

The only repeat medalist at Worlds is Evgenia.

THIS :scard7: