- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
I know posters on her love to discuss skating and I thought this thread might be interesting and encapsulate a lot of different stuff. So here is my take as we are just over half way with the Grand Prix.
Generally, there is a huge push for technical advancements (TES) and so far though it is early the programs/music are not stellar and what makes them stellar is if they are clean but most of the music is meh is what I am getting - there are a few ubers might like certain programs but most have been well PC performed it well but no real outstanding programs - yet at least. And certainly not musically.
The Pairs well injuries, pregnancies, and newly formed teams has made a clear path for the chosen ones S and M looking pretty good for World and maybe olympic gold. Duhamel and Radford refuse to give up and Sui and Han are hopeful they can recover along with the two newly formed Chinese teams. The Americans well there is hope but no team really stands out but they do have some big tricks and could be spoilers to teams getting three teams next year - mainly China and Russia in trouble. Speaking of Russia well without their special teams who have magic or great tenacity V and T, S and K and K and S (at least the latter two are question marks) this leaves the door open to two or three unknown relative teams and Tarasova and Morosov who seem to be part of the very good Russian pedigree skaters but not special or outstanding - look how they got beaten in the FS by the French recently in France. The judges really like S and M and they have amazing tricks. D and R - I feel kind of sorry how they are picked on all the time but they are still two time world champs. S and B could be the spoilers but they too have looked vulnerable - and to be fair one of the Russian up and comers could surprise teams as well.
Dance well P and C look like the Crown is there. V and M are good but really seem to be battling it out with Chock and Bates and the Shibs where the real battle is - who is the top American team. Those four teams are fighting for the podium. Then you have the mess in Russia against the two Italians and the Americans and Canadians in a huge dog fight where Weaver and Poje and C and L look vulnerable to an ice down smack down ala the German team or Israeli teams which one bronze and then fell down the top ten list into oblivion. However, no team has show great innovation,style or charm that was or is extraoridnary - yet.
Men - arguably the two constants are Hanyu and Fernandez the only two really guaranteed a spot at the GP finals. The huge push for tech skills seems to suggest we will not see a lot of cleanskates. Skaters who have good to even great pcs seem to be scoring higher if they do well technically ie Umo, Chen, Fernandez. Umo and Chen and Boyang who struggled in his first competition seem to be winning the battle against Chan, Brown, Rippon and Ten though all four have had good results so far. the Russian men who seem to switch around like the seasons have not been overly impressive. Because of the push technically it seems to mean there are bound to be inconsistent skates and results so look for a rollercoaster other than probably Hanyu.
Ladies well the three world medallists look solid, getting consistent and confident. Bravo to Evgenia, Anna and Ashley. However, contenders and really perhaps the two top skaters who have not put it together recently are probably Gracie Gold and Mao Asada. Neither has skated well and both have been slipping down the ladder faster than there is another complaint or protestor at the front of Trump Tower. I can't bare to see both stylish, big jumpers struggle so horribly for whatever reason - injury with Mao - though it is probably more than that and mental games with Gracie. It is too painful.
The Japanese ladies have so many fine skaters that it may be good bye Mao come world's Miyahara, Marin, Higuchi, Nagai and the list goes on and on. The Russians seem to have three solid ladies in Med, Pogo and Rad and another potential consistent beautiful skater in Maria S with another one wiating int he wings next year Polina T and that doesn't count three real threats who are having problems Sot,Lip and Tut and then, sadly you have the new Fumi Suguri - Leonova who one can only hope at this point as she is not as old as Fumie at the end of Suguri's career that she pulls a Maria B - but then again Maria was hovering around the world podium for a while and it has been a long time for Leonova which is kind of sad.
USA is still looking good but they Ashley and one would think Gold but with Gold's issue who is next. Nagasu has not even managed with Polina E's injury to claim solidly no. 3. You have Courtney and Bell and we still haven't see Chen. i think it is important to see what happens in each of these skaters next GP because it is hard to know if Hicks and Bell were flukes or what
The surprise is probably the Canadians and it doesn't look like at least Daleman and Osmond are flukes . These two have stepped it up and Chartrand looks to be out of it if she doesn't pull a rabbit out of the hat. Even if Chartrand beats these two ladies Canada would be wise to send Gabby and Kaetlyn because they both have something - a bit surprising but if they got consistent I think judges could put them ahead of gulp Wagner.
Generally, there is a huge push for technical advancements (TES) and so far though it is early the programs/music are not stellar and what makes them stellar is if they are clean but most of the music is meh is what I am getting - there are a few ubers might like certain programs but most have been well PC performed it well but no real outstanding programs - yet at least. And certainly not musically.
The Pairs well injuries, pregnancies, and newly formed teams has made a clear path for the chosen ones S and M looking pretty good for World and maybe olympic gold. Duhamel and Radford refuse to give up and Sui and Han are hopeful they can recover along with the two newly formed Chinese teams. The Americans well there is hope but no team really stands out but they do have some big tricks and could be spoilers to teams getting three teams next year - mainly China and Russia in trouble. Speaking of Russia well without their special teams who have magic or great tenacity V and T, S and K and K and S (at least the latter two are question marks) this leaves the door open to two or three unknown relative teams and Tarasova and Morosov who seem to be part of the very good Russian pedigree skaters but not special or outstanding - look how they got beaten in the FS by the French recently in France. The judges really like S and M and they have amazing tricks. D and R - I feel kind of sorry how they are picked on all the time but they are still two time world champs. S and B could be the spoilers but they too have looked vulnerable - and to be fair one of the Russian up and comers could surprise teams as well.
Dance well P and C look like the Crown is there. V and M are good but really seem to be battling it out with Chock and Bates and the Shibs where the real battle is - who is the top American team. Those four teams are fighting for the podium. Then you have the mess in Russia against the two Italians and the Americans and Canadians in a huge dog fight where Weaver and Poje and C and L look vulnerable to an ice down smack down ala the German team or Israeli teams which one bronze and then fell down the top ten list into oblivion. However, no team has show great innovation,style or charm that was or is extraoridnary - yet.
Men - arguably the two constants are Hanyu and Fernandez the only two really guaranteed a spot at the GP finals. The huge push for tech skills seems to suggest we will not see a lot of cleanskates. Skaters who have good to even great pcs seem to be scoring higher if they do well technically ie Umo, Chen, Fernandez. Umo and Chen and Boyang who struggled in his first competition seem to be winning the battle against Chan, Brown, Rippon and Ten though all four have had good results so far. the Russian men who seem to switch around like the seasons have not been overly impressive. Because of the push technically it seems to mean there are bound to be inconsistent skates and results so look for a rollercoaster other than probably Hanyu.
Ladies well the three world medallists look solid, getting consistent and confident. Bravo to Evgenia, Anna and Ashley. However, contenders and really perhaps the two top skaters who have not put it together recently are probably Gracie Gold and Mao Asada. Neither has skated well and both have been slipping down the ladder faster than there is another complaint or protestor at the front of Trump Tower. I can't bare to see both stylish, big jumpers struggle so horribly for whatever reason - injury with Mao - though it is probably more than that and mental games with Gracie. It is too painful.
The Japanese ladies have so many fine skaters that it may be good bye Mao come world's Miyahara, Marin, Higuchi, Nagai and the list goes on and on. The Russians seem to have three solid ladies in Med, Pogo and Rad and another potential consistent beautiful skater in Maria S with another one wiating int he wings next year Polina T and that doesn't count three real threats who are having problems Sot,Lip and Tut and then, sadly you have the new Fumi Suguri - Leonova who one can only hope at this point as she is not as old as Fumie at the end of Suguri's career that she pulls a Maria B - but then again Maria was hovering around the world podium for a while and it has been a long time for Leonova which is kind of sad.
USA is still looking good but they Ashley and one would think Gold but with Gold's issue who is next. Nagasu has not even managed with Polina E's injury to claim solidly no. 3. You have Courtney and Bell and we still haven't see Chen. i think it is important to see what happens in each of these skaters next GP because it is hard to know if Hicks and Bell were flukes or what
The surprise is probably the Canadians and it doesn't look like at least Daleman and Osmond are flukes . These two have stepped it up and Chartrand looks to be out of it if she doesn't pull a rabbit out of the hat. Even if Chartrand beats these two ladies Canada would be wise to send Gabby and Kaetlyn because they both have something - a bit surprising but if they got consistent I think judges could put them ahead of gulp Wagner.
