Lysacek expects to compete in Sochi

[evangeline]

There are some who believe his steadiness in Vancouver unnerved his main rival, Plushenko, who was sloppy in the free skate while Lysacek was near-perfect.

I think it's far more likely that Plushenko barely knew Lysacek existed until Plushenko won the silver medal that night behind him in Vancouver.

 

[TontoK]

The beauty... and the heartbreak... of skating is that skaters have to deliver the goods on ice under the pressure of the moment and the scrutiny of the judges. Denis Ten aside... the men failed this year, some to a greater extent than others.

I'm not predicting that Lysacek will even skate to make the Olympic team, but I think it's more likely than I did a year ago.

I bet he and Plushenko watched the WC, and both got a boost in their determination to try again.

Setting aside the technical aspect, I don't think the PCS scores we saw for flawed performances in London will fly Sochi, particularly when there are potentially two OGM in the competition.

I hope they're both in physical condition to make a run for it. It will make for a terrific season.

 

[TontoK]

To address the meltdown issue...

I'm not sure I've got my facts straight on skating order... but in an Olympic field that includes them... wouldn't Lysacek and Plushenko both have to skate early in the SP?

If they do, and rock this house with some monster scores, then I predict the number of meltdowns would exceed what we saw in London.

I know they're not everyone's favorites... but they both have a fairly solid record of weathering competition pressure and at least staying on their feet, something our current crop of men do not have.

 

[gmyers]

Almost Everything about Lysaceks 2010 programs are worth less or don't exist. One less step sequence in the short. One in the fs was moved to just goe. Less goe on some jumps. Quads worth more. Sure level 4 step sequences are easier to get and may be the only area where he would have got more points than less. But overall step sequences are less important. It is a lot different and even the exact same performances wouldn't have even medaled. Quads cam back because they are worth doing because more points are there now. His sp wouldnt have been worth 90! Not at all!

 

[Bluebonnet]

Lysacek is no Plushenko. I just hope that Lysacek won't end up like Johnny Weir.

 

[TontoK]

^^^ Agreed, but I presume he would engage a coach and choreographer who are aware of the changes in CoP and construct a program that address current requirements.

And I know he needs a quad... in interviews he has said he needs a quad... in the past (ok, the distant past) he has delivered quads... so I don't think it's impossible that he will achieve it. In fact, he may be in better health and more able to do it simply because he hasn't been beating his body up for the past several years like some of the medal favorites.

Look at the speculation this has brought to our board lately! I hope he does it to bring a little drama and excitement back!

 

[zschultz1986]

We can poetically "ooh and ahh" how Chan, Hanyu, Dai, and so forth woulda/shoulda/coulda skated. But at the most important event of the year, less than one year out from the Olympic Games... it wasn't good from any of the main challengers.

By the way... I don't think Plushenko was intimidated by what he saw, either.

Except, Ten did it. 2 solid programs. We always seem to forget about Denis Ten. Denis Ten is the upgraded version of Evan Lysacek, with much better artistry.

Also, you may say Evan wasn't intimidated by anyone out of the field at WC, and while that may be true, he should be intimidated by the amount of technical proficiency in this group. No Quad? Don't bother. Go back and look at the protocols. The Quad isn't a luxury, it's a necessity and not just in the long, but in the short. Don't bother trying to come and play if you don't have at least two.

Also, I may be one of Chan's biggest critics, but he does do the quad and constantly. Honestly, I would take a 2-Fall Chan with two quads over a clean Lysacek. (I really, can't say that I would do that with very many others though.)

 

[pangtongfan]

LOL I also would take a 2 fall 2 quad Chan over Lysacek anyday, and I am SURE the judges would have as well, and will next year even though I have a feeling Chan will lose some judging favortism after the Worlds debacle, not enough for even a clean Evan to be a threat. Now I wouldnt take a 2 fall/2 quad Chan over the Ten that skated at Worlds, but over Evan easy. Even if Evan had a quad-triple in both programs and skated cleanly I am sure he would lose to the Chan of Worlds, even with all his mistakes, especialy with the huge lead Chan would have over Evan after the SP (even if Evan did a quad-triple in the SP as well). Evan's LP PB was achieved with a clean quad-triple at 2007 U.S Nationals and didnt even reach 170. At his own Nationals! His Olympic LP with a quad-triple would have scored in the low 170s (aka lower thna Chan and Ten's LPs at Worlds, and lower than what Takahashi, Hanyu, and Fernandez all have managed this year, some more than once), but that was with the obviously boosted PCS he was getting as the reigning World Champion, which he clearly would not get today.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Except, Ten did it. 2 solid programs. We always seem to forget about Denis Ten. Denis Ten is the upgraded version of Evan Lysacek, with much better artistry.

Denis Ten has been very much a headcase. This past World, an unusual Ten showed up. Just like in 2010 US Nationals, an unusual Jeremy Abbott showed up. I don't think anyone could guarantee the same tough Ten will show up the next season. I won't write him off. We'll see.

 

[skateluvr]

Evan is a Wc and OGM. Too bad that rankles. Ten is not the artistic upgrade. He ws very lucky. Will he do as well? No, Evan was consistent. Quads are much harder for tall lanky skaters. Evan has some great skates. Go back and watch. His progress was always there, and he deserved that win. deal with it detractors of Evan. Yes, he's outgunned now when the top 5 skate great, but they usually don't perform two clean skates. The rules change with IJS, thus the winners. Give Evan his due. He didn't win due to hard work alone. He has innate talent and is very exciting in his best programs. I think he really wants to try. Weir did not get slammed like this and he was awful.

 

[zschultz1986]

Evan is a Wc and OGM. Too bad that rankles. Ten is not the artistic upgrade. He ws very lucky. Will he do as well? No, Evan was consistent. Quads are much harder for tall lanky skaters. Evan has some great skates. Go back and watch. His progress was always there, and he deserved that win. deal with it detractors of Evan. Yes, he's outgunned now when the top 5 skate great, but they usually don't perform two clean skates. The rules change with IJS, thus the winners. Give Evan his due. He didn't win due to hard work alone. He has innate talent and is very exciting in his best programs. I think he really wants to try. Weir did not get slammed like this and he was awful.

If you read my post, I was... well, as positive as I could be about Evan. I don't detract from his OGM. He was the winner. He was extremely clean and did what he set out to do in Vancouver. Good for him. However, I think he was the weakest Men's OGM since Petrenko. He doesn't need me, I'm sure, to justify his OGM, I'm a nobody. However, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend he is this world beater. He was the best in an poor quad for the men: Plushenko was on the decline, Lambiel can back for sh*ts and giggles, Buttle retired (and by the way, Buttle did what Evan did, except he did it 10000x better.) I mean Brian Joubert won a world title in that Quad, COME ON. Also, don't sit here and tell me Lysacek was more talented than Weir or Abbott. It's a testament to his hard work combined with taking advantage where he could that got him his titles, but he wasn't more talented than Weir.

His exuberance always came off as manufactured except for one time (and that was in 2006, that Long Program was as authentic from him as I have ever seen since then, and I loved it). His artistry could be defined as "more is more". It was almost comical, his "Masculine Artistry," as if being an artist makes you feminine or not as much of a man. Over-exuberance isn't artistry and can come off as tacky, especially with his body type, it looked almost reckless, in a bad way.

Is Ten inconsistent? Sure. However, he's with Evan's coach, and it made a MARKED difference in his skating. He's healthy now, but I will reserve judgment until I see Ten's skates this next season; but I do expect him to have more of the form that we saw at this years WC than I do in his past. Also, his artistry is very much an improvement on Evan's. I actually find he know when and were to be exuberant and then playful, and then comical. Ten innate feel and charisma totally can through in those two skates, and was much more refine than anything I ever saw Evan put out on the ice.

 

[zschultz1986]

Denis Ten has been very much a headcase. This past World, an unusual Ten showed up. Just like in 2010 US Nationals, an unusual Jeremy Abbott showed up. I don't think anyone could guarantee the same tough Ten will show up the next season. I won't write him off. We'll see.

Except Jeremy Abbott ALWAYS showed up like that at Nationals. It WASNT unusual. He always peaked at Nats from 2008-2010.

Also, I wasn't talking about consistency wise is the upgraded version. I was talking about that Ten does the quad. It's not an if/maybe thing for him, like it was for Evan. Also, I mean artistically, mostly.

 

[Skater Boy]

Evan intended to compete this season. However, he was forced to WD from Skate America due to injury and subsequently had surgery on November 20. He was not cleared to resume on ice training until 2.5 weeks before US Nationals.

There have been many reports that, prior to the injury, Lysacek was skating at a very high level with a quad. Now the question is whether Lysacek can fully recover from the surgery and regain all of his jumps back.

Of course that is easy to say since he never competed. Evan is a very lucky man. I don't think he personally should push his luck. He was vry luck to have won ogm in 2010. Sometimes we should accept the grace and not push our luck.

I just feel firstly evan has used up his luck and it is time for someone else to share the joy of OGM.

Second, Evan has to improve artistically with hanyu, Daisuke and even that world champion guy everyone seems to hate on this board.

Third, while he is a competitior and has a better chance at the us nationals at the olympics he will have to not only deal with another American but two Canadians, Joubert, Three Japanese men and Fernandez let alone Verner and Brezina and Ten.

It is as though he just couldn't stand not being int he spotlight. Of course he will have vera wang on his side and dressing him. By the flip of a coin he basically won OGM sure he works hard but so do many others.

It is time for Evan to be humbled just as so many hav ein the past.

 

[Skater Boy]

ROTFL very well said. Granted mens skating still is at a very low state, which Chan falling 4 or 5 times and winning every event, but even Chan with 4 or 5 falls now that he is doing quads is way better than a clean Lysacek (I mean in terms of the actual skating merit, before even getting into the extra points Chan would get for being Chan).

Anyway the USFSA actually were part of him not competing at Nationals 2012. That shows he is not a USFSA favorite anymore. He probably wont get any help or reputation points from the judges if he skates at Nationals, and without that help he is unlikely to outskate a handful of the current U.S men.

Now pangtonfan let's not get too hyperbolic lol. Chan is not currently winning with 4 or 5 falls maybe int he past but not now. Put back those claws. But Evan would have to up his pcs and skating skills not ot mention get a few quads. I finally got the joke about the orange hiney -s omeone is suggesting he does fake and bake.

 

[Skater Boy]

The beauty... and the heartbreak... of skating is that skaters have to deliver the goods on ice under the pressure of the moment and the scrutiny of the judges. Denis Ten aside... the men failed this year, some to a greater extent than others.

I'm not predicting that Lysacek will even skate to make the Olympic team, but I think it's more likely than I did a year ago.

I bet he and Plushenko watched the WC, and both got a boost in their determination to try again.

Setting aside the technical aspect, I don't think the PCS scores we saw for flawed performances in London will fly Sochi, particularly when there are potentially two OGM in the competition.

I hope they're both in physical condition to make a run for it. It will make for a terrific season.

I hope both get knocked down a peg or two. Both are arrogant. Both had their opportunitiy and both should let someone else have their time in the sun. WE all deserve our one momen tin time. They have had their's now give it up...

 

[aftertherain]

I hope both get knocked down a peg or two. Both are arrogant. Both had their opportunitiy and both should let someone else have their time in the sun. WE all deserve our one momen tin time. They have had their's now give it up...

I don't necessarily agree with this sentiment. I think that they should get sent if they truly, truly deserve it.

 

[zschultz1986]

I hope both get knocked down a peg or two. Both are arrogant. Both had their opportunitiy and both should let someone else have their time in the sun. WE all deserve our one momen tin time. They have had their's now give it up...

Yeah I don't necessarily subscribe to this. People deserve their time in the sun, for sure, but if Plushenko and Lysacek better than others, then they're better than others.

Also, its REALLY hard to give up something you've been dedicated to your WHOLE life. I may want Lysacek to go away, but I certainly understand why he is so drawn to competing again. There's nothing else like the feeling competition, especially when you do well. It's not that you beat others, but it's that the goal you have been working for (in some cases, for a decade or more) has come to fruition. Immensely satisfying and when its over... you feel a sense of sadness, sometimes, that it's over. It's a long journey, and lots of top athletes get nostalgic for that feeling after they're done.

 

[karne]

I hope both get knocked down a peg or two. Both are arrogant. Both had their opportunitiy and both should let someone else have their time in the sun. WE all deserve our one momen tin time. They have had their's now give it up...

I don't subscribe to this and never have. If the younger skaters want their time in the sun, then they need to earn it by beating the old guys.

What I do object to is the difference in this case is that since Vancouver, Plushenko HAS been competing and fighting and working, putting himself out there, testing himself. What has Lysacek been doing? Nada, unless you count endless interviews talking about Sochi.

In the end it's like Jeremy Abbott making comments after the SP at Nationals that he wanted to prepare well for London. You have to actually earn it. We all saw Abbott then with egg on his face when Aaron, Miner and Farris all skated much better than him in the LP and he ended up third. The exact same thing could happen to Lysacek - you can talk about Sochi all you want but he's still got to earn his spot and with Aaron, Miner, Dornbush, Abbott, Farris and Brown...well...that many into two doesn't go.

 

[Jaana]

By the way... I don't think Plushenko was intimidated by what he saw, either.

Neither do I. On the other hand as Evan was the first to skate and still leading as Plushy´s turn as the last skater came, there must have been an influence of some sort. The team Plushy very likely thought, that Plushy by doing a quad will win and he did not do all he could have done (left out a double toe to make a combination). The situation was underestimated by the Plushy team.

 

[yaya124]

Neither do I. On the other hand as Evan was the first to skate and still leading as Plushy´s turn as the last skater came, there must have been an influence of some sort. The team Plushy very likely thought, that Plushy by doing a quad will win and he did not do all he could have done (left out a double toe to make a combination). The situation was underestimated by the Plushy team.

Just amazed people would really think they understand what happened during the competition. Same to the comments by the skater boy about old people quitting. Most of the skaters earn their own spot in the sports by doing better than the old guys, why today's young skaters should be different?

But nevertheless, I have hard time imaging Evan competing again and be as competitive as Plushenko in 2010. Good luck to him.