2018 Olympic Season: Men's Figure Skating

[Jedi]

karne, breathe.... it's going to be okay.... Brendan WILL make the free....

Maybe Karne can move to Canada where weed is being legalized.

 

[Jedi]

Imao this article headline https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/02/olympics-mens-figure-skating-nathan-chen-preview/551900/. "The Men's Figure-Skating Gold Is Nathan Chen's to Lose. The 18-year-old American is already seen as the greatest athlete in the sport’s history." Sorry but even if Chen skated clean I doubt he would beat a clean Hanyu and saying that he is the greatest athlete in the entire figure skating history. These American articles are just getting so egotistic and over confident that I'm beginning to think they've already brought the gold. Especially when you consider the time schedule specifically designed to suit American viewers and not even the home fans, I mean how much Korean people can go to watch it when its at 10am. Reminds me of 2010 when there was conspiracy of some kind of big money TV deal between American and ISU for men's gold.

Well there was also talk of Knerims winning individual gold (not team). They are good but they just made it to the freeskate and barely stayed out of last - because everyone including them skated so well.

 

[satine]

Skating gods, can we have a (relatively) clean competition from the top men tonight? Please!?

 

[readernick]

Yuzuru will have to earn his gold. Judging panels at the Olympics are stingy when in comes to skaters trying to repeat. The skater needs to beat not just the other skaters on the ice, but their skate from four years before. Think Yuna Kim in 2014 and Evgeni Plushenko in 2010.

Since the men’s event in 2014 was not very good and even Yuzuru Hanyu was not close to his best. This should be possible

 

[readernick]

Can I just say that watching comps where you have no emotional investment is awesome. I mean that really, I'm not snarking. I found that out in pairs.

Jason isn't here:sad21: I like Adam, but I do not not not like the Birds program, so I watch it going "meh". I Deniss and Misha, but they are not going to medal. (Deniss better make the free, I love his FP:dev2

So I do not need Xanax and a drink

Yes, it is so much easier to enjoy the programs when you aren’t biased toward any particular skater. Pairs was like that for me too because I loved all the competitors. Ice dance and the ladies will also be that way for me (I mean I love Carolina Kostner but I just love her skating-I don’t care where she places) but I am rather nervous for the men’s event because I really want Shoma to do well and win a medal. It is causing me stress.:eeking:

 

[Mussique]

I'm slowly but surely, step by step, quietly freaking out.

 

[WeakAnkles]

I was just in the supermarket and happened to see People Magazine's Special Olympics Figure Skating Issue. Know which two contemporary American skaters they had on the cover (along with greats from the past and, of course, Tonya Harding)?

Jason Brown.
Ashley Wagner.

Which I took as a Sign From Above that you just never can predict with any certainly what will happen in the wacky world of figure skating.

 

[yoloaxel]

Jackie Wong's prediction:

GOLD - Nathan Chen
SILVER -Javier Fernandez
BRONZE - Yuzuru Hanyu

 

[Metis]

Yuzuru will have to earn his gold. Judging panels at the Olympics are stingy when in comes to skaters trying to repeat. The skater needs to beat not just the other skaters on the ice, but their skate from four years before. Think Yuna Kim in 2014 and Evgeni Plushenko in 2010.

While I don’t have any particular feelings about Adelina winning and don’t subscribe any meaning to her hugging the judge, nor do I think Kim was flawless... I also wouldn’t use it as an example of the difficulty of defending an OGM. Though Kim was in a bad position in terms of the media narrative, which was all about Queen Kim going for her second gold, with the competitiveness of the rest of the field badly covered in America. Didn’t help that Lipnitskaya also took all the attention during the team event.

I’m not saying Hanyu won’t have to work for a gold medal, but in terms of sheer skill, he and Uno are definitely a class above Chen, and Uno is peaking at the right time. (Again, I would buy him as the spoiler/upset/Lipinski of the games that “no one” saw coming. He has two programs that suit him perfectly, the technical skill, and all the artistry Chen doesn’t.) Hanyu is still on another level when it comes to the sport, however, and his 2014 Sochi SP is already outdated and far from his best. (I’m still going to pretend that Prince thing never happened.) And he’s been under the radar and out of competition, so he gets to start “defending” his medal from behind, which is (from a storyline perspective) a much better place to be. Not to mention that not falling in the free automatically beats his skate from four years ago. It’s been a crazy, warp-speed cycle.

I have Xanax, but who has wine?

 

[Blushingheart]

his 2014 Sochi SP is already outdated and far from his best.

What? what are you talking abut? What is wrong with it?

 

[Florian]

I hate to miss the next unforgettable event after the pairs. But the time is gruelling, especially if one is supposed to study for exams. Does anybody know when the last group will start exactly and where it can be seen online for certain? I don't believe they show it on German tv.

 

[kevinVchicago]

Will be a nail-biter to see which 6 skaters don't make the cut. I'm guessing that these guys are the most vulnerable:

- Felipe MONTOYA (ESP)
- Michael Christian MARTINEZ (PHI)
- Julian Zhi Jie YEE (MAS)
- Junhwan CHA (KOR)
- Yaroslav PANIOT (UKR)
- Chaffik BESSEGHIER (FRA)
_________________________________
- Paul FENTZ (GER)
- Daniel SAMOHIN (ISR)

Any thoughts? There will be little margin for error. This is a strong field.

 

[Off My Rocker]

Trying to follow GS for the pairs last night was too much for this old rocker-laden crony. I felt like my head was on a swivel between the computer screen and TV; it was like whiplash. So I’ll just say – enjoy the men! I’ll look forward to catching up on the debates tomorrow. Play nice all...

While I plan to see the entire event, looking at the start order there are so many skaters in EVERY group who are unlikely to be podium contenders I’m looking forward to seeing. In the first 2 groups alone! Go Denis, Matteo, Michael, Han, Julian, Brendan, Morris…and my new-found “Happy Feet” Keegan!!

In this entire event, there isn’t one skater I don’t enjoy at least some aspect of his skating. No doubt there will be brilliance and disappointment but I’m channelling my thoughts for many of brilliance. I’m sentimental for the old guard, so eagerly hope for great performances from Yuzuru, Javier, Patrick, Misha, Alexei, Michal and Adam. Then there’s a host of young talent who are more than capable of upsetting the vets with their own skills – Dmitri, Mikhail, Deniss, Nathan, Shoma, Boyang and Vincent. Bring it on!

Let all the men do well, many PBs be beaten, and bring us the high level/quality we saw in abundance in the Pairs SP. :hap93:

 

[Metis]

What? what are you talking abut? What is wrong with it?

Nothing is “wrong” with it (and I didn’t say that there was). He simply improved in the time since Sochi. So did the sport. And on a personal level, I vastly prefer Chopin to Moore. Something about the Parisienne Walkways persona felt a bit forced to me, maybe due to Hanyu’s age. Or maybe because I just don’t like the belt-grab and it’s a jarring detail in otherwise seamless program. Regardless, not my favorite, and according to his scores, no longer his best. It’s still an amazing skate. Chill.

After Hanyu, Uno’s short is probably my favorite of the Big Six, though I also really like Chen’s. I feel like Chen needs to stop trying to play to conventional ideas of artistry and do his own take on “modern” figure skating more forcefully; his short is at least a start.

 

[Blushingheart]

I hate to miss the next unforgettable event after the pairs. But the time is gruelling, especially if one is supposed to study for exams. Does anybody know when the last group will start exactly and where it can be seen online for certain? I don't believe they show it on German tv.

In korea - 13:40, so in Europe 5.40 at night

 

[MaiKatze]

I hate to miss the next unforgettable event after the pairs. But the time is gruelling, especially if one is supposed to study for exams. Does anybody know when the last group will start exactly and where it can be seen online for certain? I don't believe they show it on German tv.

TLC will cover the SP from 2 a.m. onwards. Why am I still awake again?:scard8:

 

[karne]

karne is not around, she had gone out to stock up the liquor cabinet just like last year. I think the liquor store owner is getting a windfall this year from karne.

karne has to work today. While the event is on.

 

[Metis]

karne has to work today. While the event is on.

Covert stares to cellphone livestream?

 

[yoloaxel]

Yeah no okay, I'm actually really nervous now that it's getting closer, how am I supposed to sleep at least 4 hours before I wake up for the last 2 groups?

 

[fredtx121]

I dont think Hanyu needs to have a quad lutz, quad flip or even a quad loop to win the Olympic Gold. His PCS and GOEs will carry him. If he just skates clean, he will win. I think he attempts those quads to challenge himself. Unfortunately it lead to his injury.
My prediction for Men's SP:
1)Hanyu
2) Fernandez
3) Uno
4)Kolyada -- Just because of his ridiculous inflated scores
5) Chen
6) Boyang
7) Patrick Chan
8)Adam Rippon
9)Yan Han
10) Alexei Bychenko