Predictions

[adamlondon]

Men
1 Patrick Chan CAN
6 Takahiko Kozuka JPN
5 Johnny Weir USA
2 Brian Joubert FRA
4 Jeremy Abbott USA
3 Tomas Verner CZE

I hope Patrick will skate cleanly and win this although he may choke and start to fall on triple axels. Johnny will look a bit blah compared to the others and Kozuka will not get enough PCS to beat the others. Brian and Thomas should be up there, Brian is on a roll and Tomas seems to be improving. The judges really are revving up the PCS marks for Verner.


Ladies
1Mao Asada JPN
2Yu-Na Kim KOR
3Joannie Rochette CAN
4Carolina Costner ITA
5Yukari Nakano JPN
6Miki Ando JPN

I really think those two will battle it out. But the one who makes the most mistakes will lose. Mao seems to have done a lot more over the past year compared to Kim. On balance I think Mao should take it. Joannie might do it only if the others collapse as I have a feeling she will begin to implode from here on end.

Pairs
1 Savchenko/Szolkowy GER
2Zhang/Zhang CHN
4Kawaguci/Smirnov RUS
3Pang/Tong CHN
5Voloszohar/Morozov UKR
6Mukhortova/Trankov RUS

the germans will take this even with a couple more mistakes than the rest.

Ice Dance
2Delobel/Schoenfelder FRA
1Domnina/Shabalin RUS
4Faiella/Scali ITA
3Khoklova/Novitski RUS
6Davis/White USA
5Belbin/Agosto USA

D/S are still the favoured pair and i feel they will rebound after COR.

 

[lmarie086]

Honestly I'm thrilled that Yu-na looks a little out of shape here because I'm hoping that they are undertraining her now so she'll be healthy at worlds...(Finally!)

I want Mao to win this one because I'm convinced GPF is cursed for Yu-na, BUT I have a feeling Yu-na will take it again.

Same. I would rather see Yu-Na second or third here if that means she is not yet up to full strength so that she can finally peak (good health and all) at Worlds.

Hasn't Orser said they're training her a little less at this point in the season compared to last year in hopes that she can make it to Worlds in top form? I think that's an excellent strategy if so.

 

[bmelanie]

1. Yu-na Kim: According to Korean press reports, she's practising 'mind control', which I assume means that she's preparing herself for the pressure of the final competition and to keep herself in tight shape. I remember Yagudin did something like that for the 2002 Olympics - he got a sports psychologist - and, well, that turned out well for him
2/3. Mao Asada: Her painful fall-apart at Eric Bompard had me almost despairing (I nearly cried when she singled her salchow and then fell over) but she really pulled through for NHK, I can't say her SP this year really thrills me (it's kind of...blase, no?) but her LP does, it's a total blast and I'm just so impressed she can even pull that off. That said, as some posters have pointed out above, for Mao it's often all or nothing; one mistake early in the program and she falls apart. Plus, I was surprised that her scores weren't higher at NHK (considering it was in Japan and all) - it's going to be even tougher for her in Korea.
2/3. Joannie Rochette: If Mao does indeed fall apart then I don't really see any huge obstacles to Joannie stepping up for silver.

 

[screech]

Men

1. Brian Joubert
2. Patrick Chan
3. Takahiko Kozuka
4. Johnny Weir
5. Tomas Verner
6. Jeremy Abbot

Ladies
1. Yu Na Kim
2. Joannie Rochette
3. Mao Asada
4. Miki Ando
5. Carolina Kostner
6. Yukari Nakano

 

[yhhh2001]

Same. I would rather see Yu-Na second or third here if that means she is not yet up to full strength so that she can finally peak (good health and all) at Worlds.

Hasn't Orser said they're training her a little less at this point in the season compared to last year in hopes that she can make it to Worlds in top form? I think that's an excellent strategy if so.

Korean people and media are now really heating up. In order to promote GPF, Korean media, in particular SBS, even provoke anti-Japanese sentiment, targeting Mao and Miki. As a result, the tickets are sold out quickly. The relation among the Korean Skating Union, SBS, the main sponsor of GPF, and IB Sport, Yu-Na’s management company, is strong, so it seems that winning GPF is almost an obligation for Yu-Na.

Yu-Na is mentally strong, so I expect that she would win.

 

[YRLEE]

Korean people and media are now really heating up. In order to promote GPF, Korean media, in particular SBS, even provoke anti-Japanese sentiment, targeting Mao and Miki. As a result, the tickets are sold out quickly. The relation among the Korean Skating Union, SBS, the main sponsor of GPF, and IB Sport, Yu-Na’s management company, is strong, so it seems that winning GPF is almost an obligation for Yu-Na.

Yu-Na is mentally strong, so I expect that she would win.

I'm Korean and SBS is notorious in doing anything to attract viewers' attention and make money.
Yuna is a super star in korea and that's why the tickets were sold out in an hour.
Also the arena is quite small and doesn't hold many seats(about 2,500).

Plus, half of the tickets(especially the seats behind the judges) were not on sale and reserved for no reason. I guess some invitation tickets and some sold to Japanese travel agency.

I just wanted to say I feel no anti-Japan sentiment here and the tickets were sold out solely due to Yuna's popularity.

I agree that Yuna is mentally strong and she's very mature.

 

[Tonichelle]

actually most events have a lot of seats right behind the judges blocked off... it's not the best view anyway, with cameras sitting there, and there's also the whole 'security' deal with the judges (US nationals in 06 wouldn't let Scott Hamilton sit behind the judges and watch them and they escorted him away. It was kinda comical)

 

[yhhh2001]

I just wanted to say I feel no anti-Japan sentiment here and the tickets were sold out solely due to Yuna's popularity.

Yrlee, thanks for your reply.
I know that there are a lot of Mao fans in Korea, and we have a lot of Yu-Na fans in Japan. I am sometimes resented by SBS TV programs and Korean newspaper articles related to figure skating, because they always pick holes in Mao and Miki and criticize them, recently mainly about pre-rotation, but I still like Yu-Na. I hope that GPF in Korea would be an exciting competition.

 

[propronia]

I saw a post on a Japanese forum pointing out the similarities of Kim and Kwan (at 2002 Olympics). They are both using red costumes and Scheherazade music at home competitions. Kim's exhibition is "GOLD" and Kwan's was "Fields of Gold". There's no doubt Kim is extremely conscious of Kwan. Her LP is choreographed more like performing "Kwan" than an Arabian princess. Barring withdrawal (which is very likely), she'll end up in the third place by missing the (f)lip.

 

[Yogudin]

I saw a post on a Japanese forum pointing out the similarities of Kim and Kwan (at 2002 Olympics). They are both using red costumes and Scheherazade music at home competitions. Kim's exhibition is "GOLD" and Kwan's was "Fields of Gold". There's no doubt Kim is extremely conscious of Kwan. Her LP is choreographed more like performing "Kwan" than an Arabian princess. Barring withdrawal (which is very likely), she'll end up in the third place by missing the (f)lip.

Oh, Hi, dear Propronia! How are you doing? What a lovely your prediction is!
If You want to continue discussing more how awful Korean and Japanese skating fans are, please go there:
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25585 or
http://www.2ch.net

If you want to look at slow motion videos and rant about skater's you dislike, please go to You Tube. If you have anything else to offer some constructive predictions, please continue here.

Do you know that every your post is worth too much to respond in other way? Good luck! Won't she end up in the SEVENTH place ?

 

[slidingqueen]

Proponia

You, notorious Mao fan! If you really think Mao is the best then, all you need to do is tell why Mao is great, instead of shouting how bad Yuna is.

 

[catanet]

Men

1. Joubert
2. Verner
3. Kozuka


Ladies

1. Asada
2. Rochette
3. Kostner

 

[yunaddiction]

I think some ppl are confused in between 'prediction' & 'desire'.

 

[yunaddiction]

No, Propronia is a Lovely Mao fan! It's the special my prediction about ladies only for Propronia;

Do not react anymore.
It's not worth...

 

[kandidy]

I think Mao Asada could win if she turn off the TV Camera.

This thread is so funny, first I mentioned about Yuna carrying her skates on the plane, now Mao's team is going to shut down all the camera in the arena.

 

[SusieH]

Wow, the YuNa-Mao fight is becoming scary to me. I think this is a prediction thread?

Back to the topic. Here is my prediction:

Men
1 - Joubert (Go Brian! I truly hope one of the "older" guys will get Gold. Not only for personal sentimental reasons, but also because I truly think the youngsters haven't been up to the level, YET. I adore his SP. Please go to GPF with a well-equipped, redesigned LP :yes

2 - Patrick Chan (While I think there was too much hype surrounding him, his skating is indeed beautiful, and he was pretty much anointed in the past two events. So here it goes.)

3. Johnny Weir or Takahiko Kozuka. (Johnny is my sentimental choice. I like his skating, but his two new programs just couldn't do it for me--probably because SA was the first event and he was sick at NHK? Anyway, hope they will gradually grow on me. I in fact already began to like his SP. And Kozuka go! I hope he can medal.)

Women
1 - Yu-Na Kim (I wanted to put Mao's name here as well. I think it is a fifty-fifty chance. But I do want to see Yu-Na get Gold and skate to "Gold" in front of her home crowd. It will mean a lot to her )

2 - Mao Asada (Her LP is simply breathtaking! I hope she can perform the program to its full potential at GPF)

3 - Joannie Rochette (I have a whole new appreciation of her skating this year. Go Joannie!)

Dance
1 - D/S (French)
2 - K/N
3 - D/S (Russian)

Pair (I don't really care where they will place. I will be happy as long as there are less falls)
1 - S/S
2 - Z/Z
3 - P/T

Despite my predictions and favorites and all, may the best wo/man/team win! Good luck to everyone! I hope it will be a good one

 

[frozenhell]

I want Yu-na to skate well. But right now with Asada's increased base value it would take major mess up for Asada to lose... (I love Mao but I'd rather have this mess up occur at Worlds, because I want Yu-na to have a world title) I may though support Mao for the Olympic Title because she does more technically but I want both girls to at least have the world title.

Did Mao's new program really increase base value over her old program? There are two 3A and 5 triples in new program while there were one 3A and 6 triples in old program. if she doesn't replace 3T with 3Lz, there might not be change in base value between old program and new program. That's the reason why I questioned Mao's strategy.

 

[mycelticblessing]

Why do some people fail read the title of the thread before posting?

Anyway, here goes:

Men
Takahiko Kozuka (He may just land the quad this time)
Brian Joubert
Patrick Chan
Johnny Weir
Jeremy Abbott
Tomas Verner

Ladies
Mao Asada
Yu-Na Kim
Joannie Rochette
Miki Ando
Yukari Nakano
Carolina Kostner (I don't see her medalling with this field)


Pairs
Savchenko/Szolkowy (I never liked their skating, but the judges do)
Zhang/Zhang
Pang/Tong
Mukhortova/Trankov
Kawaguci/Smirnov
Voloszohar/Morozov

Ice Dance
Delobel/Schoenfelder
Domnina/Shabalin (If they fix their FD technical problem in time)
Khoklova/Novitski
Davis/White (It's a tough call between them and K/N)
Belbin/Agosto
Faiella/Scali

 

[antmanb]

I like the idea of having a go at the prediction and then havnig the wish list podium!

Men

1. Joubert his SP in Russia was skated well and if he can pull that out again (especialy with a 4/3 as opposed to the 4/2 he sometimes ends up doing) he should have enough of a lead to allow him a mistake or two in the LP.

2. Verner/Chan this is a tough one - if Verner can keep his head in this competition then there is no doubt that with his quads and amazing musicality he can get the silver (possibly the gold) but i suspect that one or both programs might be a splat fest and as a result will leave him off the podium leaving Chan to take the silver.

3. Weir I think if lays down two relatively clean skates but leaves a few points on the table as is usual he'll take home the bronze.

Ladies

1. Asada I think she will keep building throughout the season and the GPF will see her landing two clean triple axels in the LP to take the title moving from secnod or third after the SP (having missed the 3/3 in the SP).

2. Kim she will have a great SP and be in the lead but will have a mistake or two on the jumps in the LP due to home crowd pressure.

3. Rochette will have two clean skates and end up with the Bronze.

Pairs

1. S/S a great pair - i love their skating and they have two strong programs this season.

2. Z/Z i also like their programs and love their LP costumes - they are very flattering to her in particular. I think they might have a few problems e.g. on one of the SBS jumps leaving enough room for the judges to give the title to the germans.

3. P/T again i think they will have some errors with their elements - more so than Z/Z and they will end up with the bronze if they are lucky. If V/M skate clean like in their first GP then they might sneak onto the podium in front of them (this is a bit more of a wish!).

Now for the fun part of the wish list!

Ladies My biggest wish would be for Rochette to land the 3F/3T in both programs and take the title, leaving Mao and Yuna to duke it out for 2/3!

Men My wish for this would be for Johnny to come out guns blazing maybe throw a quad (and land it) in the LP to take the title. Verner to skate two solid programs with no glaring errors and take the silver. Joubert come in third.

Pairs V/M skate two programs to the best of their ability with morosov really paying particualr attention to presenting and not letting any disappointment from a mistake show on his face. Those lifts especially the reverse entry and counter rotation ones are just breath taking and i'd love them to win the title. Germans second cos i do love their skating and Z/Z third.

Ant

 

[gocaroline]

I think some ppl are confused in between 'prediction' & 'desire'.

Anyway, the GPF will be exciting, good luck to every one!