Predictions

[SailorGalaxia518]

Well, its only about a week away from the start of the season for Seniors and that means time for the 1st event: Skate America. So here are my predictions for the event

PAIRS:

1.) Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (GER)
2.) Keauna Mclaughlin and Rockne Brubaker (USA)
3.) Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov (RUS)

MEN:

1.) Johnny Weir (USA)
2.) Evan Lysacek (USA)
3.) Adam Rippon (USA)

ICE DANCING:

1.) Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto (USA)
2.) Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA)
3.) Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates (USA)/Sinead Kerr and John Kerr (GBR)

LADIES:

1.) Yu-Na Kim (KOR)
2.) Mirai Nagasu (USA)
3.) Miki Ando (JPN)

What are your predictions?

 

[Hsuhs]

PAIRS:

1. Aliona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY
2. Maria MUKHORTOVA / Maxim TRANKOV
3. Rena INOUE / John BALDWIN

MEN:

1-2, 2-1 Johnny / Evan (I really dont' know what to expect of him)
3. Kevin VAN DER PERREN / Adrian SCHULTHEISS (in case both WD - Takahiko KOZUKA)

LADIES:

1. Yu-Na KIM
2. Yukari NAKANO (the problem is, Mili ANDO's promised a quad in LP, again)
3. Maybe Miki, if she WD - Rachael FLATT or Mirai NAGASU

ICE DANCING:

1. Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto
2. Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder
3. Sinead Kerr and John Kerr

 

[lmarie086]

Pairs

Gold: Savchenko/Szolkowy
Silver: Mukhortova/Trankov
Bronze: McLaughlin/Brubaker

Mens
Gold: Johnny Weir
Silver: Evan Lysacek
Bronze: Kevin Van Der Perren/Adrian Schultheiss/Adam Rippon


Ice Dance
Gold: Delobel/Schoenfelder
Silver: Belbin/Agosto
Bronze: Kerr/Kerr
Note: Gold and Silver and in my prediction here is not really set in stone for either team, but I do think they'll get the top two spots; the order, no idea)

Ladies
Gold: Yu-Na Kim
Silver: Miki Ando/Yukari Nakano
Bronze: Mirai Nagasu/Rachel Flatt

Kimmie Meissner could be a wild card, depending on how her training is going. I haven't heard much lately.

 

[Medusa]

Oh Yes, prediction game. I'm always wrong. If I am daring and pick possible surprise winners - the established and expected skaters always win. If I am conservative and put my money on the favourites - some upcoming guy is winning. But it's great fun anyway, even if this is hard or even impossible to predict because very few of these guys have done a competition so far.

PAIRS
1. Keauna McLAUGHLIN / Rockne BRUBAKER USA
2. Aljona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY GER
3. Megan DUHAMEL / Craig BUNTIN CAN
I went for daring here, but if Savchenko/Szolkowy can't land more than 30% of their sbs triples (they performed 18 sbs triples/intended triples last season and only got 5 with GOE 0 or better), it is time for a wake up call.

MEN
1. Takahiko KOZUKA JPN
2. Evan LYSACEK USA
3. Johnny WEIR USA
It would be the fourth year in a row that Lysacek gets second place behind a Japanese guy who is about half his size, this tradition is too precious to be broken (2005 Takahashi, 2006 Oda, 2007 Takahashi - 2008 Kozuka?!?). Plus, I expect great things from Kozuka and he can start right at Skate America with those great things. I hope he is well prepared especially since he will have to fight for his place on the World team against Takahito Mura.

But Kozuka is not some strange schadenfreude-motivated choice (well, perhaps a tiny bit schadenfreude-motivated), I really think that Kozuka can win this. His triple Axel is quite solid (moreso than Chan's or Rippon's - wait, I have never seen Rippon doing a 3A), his basics are just to die for and he has character on ice.

LADIES
1. Yu-Na KIM KOR
2. Rachael FLATT USA
3. Yukari NAKANO JPN
Gee, who needs the ladies. Well, Kim is going to win this, even if she struggles on one or two jump elements - her skating skills are great, the jumping technique is amazing, interpretation and musicality is good + the judges apparently don't want to punish her lack of extension and sometimes sloppy posture. Flatt gets second place after one of these great 7 Triple freeskates she pulls off on a regular basis. Nakano gets third (*sigh* I would love to see her win a competition).

ICE-DANCE
1. Sinead KERR / John KERR GBR
2. Isabelle DELOBEL / Olivier SCHOEFELDER FRA
3. Pernelle CARRON / Mathieu JOST FRA
I know absolutely nothing about icedance and therefore I just picked the skaters who I like most. Purely by accident this also turned into a European sweep in enemy territory.

 

[Ptichka]

Men:

1. Weir
2. Lysachek
3. V D Perren
4. Rippon
5. Schultheiss
6. Uspenski
7. Kozuka

Ladies:

1. Kim
2. Ando
3. Meissner
4. Nakano
5. Poykio
6. Nagasu
7. Flatt

Pairs:

1. Savchenko & Szolkowy
2. Mukhortova & Trankov
3. Duhamel & Buntin
4. Inouie & Baldwin

Dance:

1. Belbin & Agosto
2. Delobel & Schoenfelder
3. Kerr & Kerr
4. Carron & Jost
5. Frasier & Lukanin

 

[siberia82]

Men:

1. Weir
2. Lysachek
3. V D Perren
4. Rippon
5. Schultheiss
6. Griazev
7. Kozuka
8. Mabee

Mabee is taking a break from competition this season and has withdrawn from all of his competitions.

 

[Wrlmy]

Mens
Gold: Evan Lysacek
Silver: Johnny Weir
Bronze: Takahiko Kozuka, he should, and will medal.

Pairs
Gold: Savchenko/Szolkowy
Silver: Mukhortova/Trankov or McLaughlin/Brubaker


Ice Dance
Gold: Belbin/Agosto
Silver: Delobel/Schoenfelder
Bronze: Kerr/Kerr

Ladies
Gold: Yu-Na Kim
Silver: Rachael Flatt
Bronze: Nagasu or Ando

 

[sorcerer]

Ladies:

A) If Morozov lets Miki try her quad and if she lands it,
1. Ando
2. Kim
3. Nagasu (or Nakano or Meissner)
4. Nakano (or Nagasu or Meissner)
5. Meissner (or Nagasu or Nakano)
6. Flatt

B) If Morozov lets Miki try her quad and if she falls there,
1. Kim
2. Nagasu (or Nakano or Meissner)
3. Nakano (or Nagasu or Meissner)
4. Meissner (or Nagasu or Nakano)
5. Ando
6. Flatt

B) If Morozov preserves Miki's quad till next time,
1. Kim
2. Ando
3. Nagasu (or Nakano or Meissner)
4. Nakano (or Nagasu or Meissner)
5. Meissner (or Nagasu or Nakano)
6. Flatt

In the Tokyo Regionals yesterday, Nakano came third after Suguri and Takeda. And her new LP costume IMO doesn't seem to become her. I doubt that she can appeal herself like Mirai who has a strong uprising aura at this moment...

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Is it really predictions? or is it just listing your HOPES?

Much too early in season to predict, imo, but not to early to watch and learn whether skaters have improved? and how they fit in the overall competitions leading to Worlds.

 

[MissIzzy]

Men:

1. Evan Lysacek
2. Johnny Weir
3. Adam Rippon

With virtually everyone else withdrawing(things are not looking good for poor Kevin now either), the USFSA will get what it wants, which is this, exactly.

Ladies:

1. Yu-Na Kim
2. Mirai Nagasu
3. Rachel Flatt

After the last article I'm not too confident in Kimmie, and Yukari hasn't been doing too well, either, and I'm pretty sure she'll get dinged for any underrotations. Miki Ando might be more of a threat, but I think these three definitely have the leg up, Yu-Na has a clear advantage over both American girls, and if Mirai skates clean, I think she'll beat Rachel, especially if she gets big enough a lead in the short.

Pairs:

1. Savchenko-Szolkowy
2. McLaughlin-Brubaker
3. Murkhortova-Trankov

S&S are obvious, I think Keuna and Rockne will benefit from home-field advantage, but I think M&T can probably beat the other teams.

Not touching ice dance right now, because I'll really don't know which of B&A or D&S is going to triumph in this go-round, and the bronze is even more of a headache.

 

[lcd]

Men:
1. Weir
2. Lysachek
3. Rippon

Ladies:
1. Kim
2. Flatt
3. Nagasu

Pairs:
1. Savchenko & Szolkowy
2. McLaughlin & Brubaker
3. Mukhortova & Trankov

Dance:
1. Belbin & Agosto
2. Delobel & Schoenfelder
3. Kerr & Kerr

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Bearing in mind, last minute WDs, and with no concern for predicting, I will be looking forward to:

Kozuka who can do a good job of it
Schultheiss (if he skates) who looked good in Gotenborg
Lysacek and Rhapsody in Blue. That should be a stretch for him.
Rippon to see if he is Senior material or just another Jr. wonder.
Weir because he's Johnny, the most celebrated skater in the universe.

The 3 American gals to see if they are competitive this season
Miki and what she will do with Giselle.
YuNa whom I have heard very little of since Worlds.

Duhamel/Buntin and have they improved this coming season
Savchenko/Szolkowy should have an easy time here, if not....????
Mukhortova/Trankov can they threaten this season?
McLaughlin/Brubaker - Can LeeAnn Miller make them special?

Although all the disciplines are at their most interesting in years, I think Skate Dance leads the disciplins. Great teams and worth watching even if they do not podium.

 

[AdamFan]

Does anyone think the USFSA may be pulling for Johnny over Evan this year? He has been consistently excellent in competitions. He is complying with everything they want from him and not bitching (USFSA Camp, Skate America). They have to recognize his popularity and that his personality is a major draw on TV and in the media. He also won the Michelle Kwan trophy, the world bronze medal and out-skated Evan at Nationals. I predict that if Johnny skates well, he will win. Tarasova is a good choreographer, but her best work was always with Morozov- when he was the main choreographer. Hopefully Tarasova will give Evan a better costume than she gave Ilia Kulik for Rhapsody In Blue.

 

[Ptichka]

Tarasova is a good choreographer, but her best work was always with Morozov- when he was the main choreographer.

Tarasova has done great without Morozov with skaters such as Moiseeva & Minenkov, Bestemianova & Bukin, Gritchuk & Platov and may others.

 

[Medusa]

Tarasova has done great without Morozov with skaters such as Moiseeva & Minenkov, Bestemianova & Bukin, Gritchuk & Platov and may others.

And Weir . Those are still his best programs, the ones that Tarasova and Platov made for him.

Does anyone think the USFSA may be pulling for Johnny over Evan this year?

I hope that they will reward the skater who skates best.

 

[Ptichka]

And Weir

I know I was just trying to limit myself to World champions.

 

[psycho]

He is complying with everything they want from him and not bitching (USFSA Camp, Skate America).

You're right that he isn't bitching much about it, but he had zero choice in either case. He's a seeded skater, and if the federation picks him, he has to go to Skate America. And he'll go even if Galina has to drag him there kicking and screaming. As for Champ Camp, I'm pretty sure they threaten you with revoking your eligibility if you don't attend. It's pretty totalitarian at USFSA.

While it is a pleasant thought that USFSA might finally wake up and realize how awesome Johnny is, I wouldn't count on it. There is way too much bad blood on both sides, so even if they grit their teeth and bear his presence, and he tones down his bitching about them for the sake of his sanity (and probably his coaches'), when all things remain equal, they'll be pulling for the Great Straight Hope, the manly greatness that is Evan Lysacek.

Of course, if Evan's "transformation" is one gigantic flop, they'll dump him and put their eggs in Johnny's basket, because no matter how much they hate that he even exists, they want medals more.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I don't really get the USFS' concern over Evan or Johnny. I strongly suspect that they appreciate the rivalry that has developed. It makes for more interest.

The USFS, imo, has always pushed for little girls as the biggest draw to figure skating.

All the entrants in each one of the disciplins are worth watching which I will be doing on IceNetwork. For me there is only one competition, and that is Worlds. However, these GPs and Nationals will generate interest in the big one.

 

[museksk8r]

Ladies (the most difficult to predict I think!)
1. Yu-Na Kim
2. Miki Ando
3. Rachael Flatt

Men
1. Evan Lysacek
2. Johnny Weir
3. Takahiko Kozuka

Pairs
1. Savchenko/Szolkowy
2. Mukhortova/Trankov
3. Duhamel/Buntin

Ice Dance
1. Belbin/Agosto
2. Delobel/Schoenfelder
3. Kerr/Kerr

 

[skatingfan04]

I'll take a crack at this (even though my predictions are usually horrible)...

Men

1. Johnny Wier (he's got to have some momentum coming off of his performace at worlds)
2. Evan Lysacek (he might be a little rusty)
3. Kevin Van Der Perren (could be Sawyer instead, but I doubt it)

Ladies

1. Yu-na Kim
2. Yukari Nakano
3. Miki Ando (who knows about Miki; she could win, or she could fall off of the podium altogether...it just depends on the day)

Pairs

1. Savchenko/Szolkowy (obviously)
2/3. either McLauchlin/Brubaker or Duhamel/Buntin (it's hard to compare b/c M/B were not at worlds last year)

Ice Dance

1. Delobel/Schoenfelder (I think momentum from last season will serve them well)
2. Belbin/Agosto (they could win, but I think that really depends on how their FD goes over)
3. Samuelson/Bates (could also be Carron/Jost, but the two teams have never competed aginst ech other, so its hard to say)