2017 Worlds Predictions 3 months out!

With one half of the season finished with the culmination of the GPF and the beginning of many national championships, the field is starting to look slightly clearer for Worlds in Helsinki. If the event begun tomorrow, who would win? Or who has proved so far that they can challenge for or repeat on the podium..

ICE DANCE:
Gold: Virtue and Moir. As a huge fan of Tessa and Scott's I was petrified the judges weren't going to properly reward them this season and leave them behind. Thankfully I was wrong, and I think they will have no trouble earning their 3rd World Title.

Silver/Bronze: My head tells me to put Papadakis and Cizeron comfortably in silver, but if other teams improve over the next two months I can see P/C losing event more momentum and struggling to keep up while they aren't on top. The Shibutanis could re-work their free dance or W/P could make a surprise play to assert their status as Canada's number 2 team over G/P. Either way I think this event is the most exciting of all four disciplines and I can't wait to watch.

MEN:
Gold: Javier Fernandez
Silver: Yuzuru Hanyu
Bronze: Shoma Uno

I would love to see Patrick Chan back on the podium with this beautiful SP but I think if he is ever going to return to consistent, top form it'll be just in time for PyeongChang.

LADIES:
Gold: Evgenia Medvedeva
Silver: Satoko Miyahara
Bronze: I would love to see Katelyn Osmond skate a clean FS, and if she does so with her 8 triples I think she can beat Pogorilaya and Wagner for the final spot.

PAIRS:
Gold: Stolbova/Klimov had a wonderful return at Russian Nationals with two great programs, especially the long which suits them enormously.
Silver: Duhamel/Radford. Megan is her own worst enemy but I think her inability to sacrifice winning in order to develop new elements will keep them from becoming three-time champions but they will have sorted the other kinks out to defeat the Chinese and Russian pairs here.

What do you think? Is it still too early or have too many skaters shown their cards early?

Men:

1. Yuzuru Hanyu
2. Nathan Chen
3. Shoma Uno

Ladies:
1. Medvedeva
2. Miyahara
3. Osmond

NicoleJ96B said:

Bronze: I would love to see Katelyn Osmond skate a clean FS, and if she does so with her 8 triples I think she can beat Pogorilaya and Wagner for the final spot.

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?

Osmond is a gamble, one clean SP does not podium make.

1. Medvedeva
.
.
.
2. Pogorilaya
3. Miyahara
4. Wagner
5. Osmond
6. Sotskova

My bets to win this year would be Hanyu (if he's in good shape), Medvedeva (as much as a sure thing as there can be in FS) and V/M for Dance. Pairs is hardest to predict with many of the top teams coming back from injury - my guess it would be either a threepeat for D/R (if they are clean), S/M or S/K.

The other slots are wide open, IMO, we'll have to see.

NicoleJ96B said:

Is it still too early?

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Yes. Especially in pairs.

whatif said:

Osmond is a gamble, one clean SP does not podium make.

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And has proven herself at each competition this season. IMO, some 'gambles' are worth taking!

Ladies:
1. Evgenia medvedeva
2/3. Ashley Wagner/Anna Pogorilaya/Satoko Miyahara/Kaetlyn Osmond

Men:
1. Yuzuru Hanyu
2. Nathan Chen
3. Javier Fernandez

Dance:
1. Virtue/Moir
2. Shibutani/Shibutani
3. Papadakis/Cizeron

Pairs:
?????????

Ladies: A Russian sweep (Evgenia, Pogo, Sotskova) wouldn't exactly be a surprise to me, but Satoko/Kaetlyn/Ashley could definitely spoil, and that's more likely imo. I think Satoko is and will be able to get the silver this year. Also, I'm curious to see if Gracie will be able to get over her slump by US Nationals. If she somehow does and is put on the Worlds team, she could be a medal contender.

Men: Honestly after the GPF, I have no idea LOL. It will be some combination of Patrick, Javier, Yuzuru, Nathan, or Shoma...but the men are so unpredictable. Who knows what will happen? Maybe Boyang will web his way into getting a World title. But if I had to choose right now, I'd bet on Yuzuru. (Also, I truly hope for no more Sochi-like events this season)

Dance: The GPF podium in the exact order. I don't think Papadakis/Cizeron will be able to threepeat this year.

Pairs: I predict Duhamel/Radford, on the other hand, will be able to get their act together and threepeat at Worlds. Other than that, I don't know. But I'm hoping Peng/Jin will sneak onto the podium and get bronze!

As commented on other threads, the tech panels could make a significant mark on the outcomes, especially in ladies....unlike some others who have commented that the tough calls in GP season are not a signal of a permanent change in view, I'm not willing to assume that the trend to tougher calls on URs and edges will vaporize at Worlds....

I'm also hopeful that Finland will provide decent ice conditions..if a slightly oddly dimensioned (though legal) rink. The GPF and ToF results were definitely impacted by visibly poor conditions, so I'm taking these into account...

Ladies:
1. Medvedeva
2. Pogorilaya
3 - 5. Osmond / Miyahara / Sotskova

Will need to see US nationals to know if Wagner can turn the season around to have a chance to place in the top 5...but concerned she may not get the feedback there she needs to resolve URs. Other US ladies may show turn around through to 4CC, but do not see them in the top 5. Concerned that US is at significant risk of having only two slots for the Olympics.

Gabby Daleman is continuing to strengthen as a contender, and could well place above her 8th place of last year. With a highly placed finish by Osmond, the two could get Canada the coveted third ladies spot.

Men:

1. Hanyu (if there....as strongly hoped)
2 - 3. Chan / Fernandez
4 - 5 Chen /Uno

The young up and coming men showed great form in the GPF, but it needs to be acknowledged that the senior men have been bearing the risk of upping their tech during the first half of the season. With cleanish programs by all, I expect the PCS difference from the more mature skaters will be telling....

Ice Dance: Agree it will be a hot competition

1. Virtue/Moir
2. Papadakis/Cizeron
3. Shibutani/Shibutani

After a couple of head to head competitions with training mates V/M, I expect P/C to be back in form and better, rising to the challenge to skate truly clean, as V/M have risen to the higher technical norms for ID in this quadrennial. Should be closer. I really want to see Weaver/Poje back on the podium, and there is potential for that, but this is the podium that I think is most likely to reflect the GPF. I don't see the Russian teams doing that well, based on their nationals.

Pairs:

1. Duhamel/Radford
2. Stolbova/Klimov
3. Tarasova/Morosov

I can't imagine Megan and Eric letting the World title slip. They've shown that once they have reached a level, they will do whatever it takes strategically and tactically to be where they need to be. They will be stung by the GPF outcome, and working to ensure things are back on track. S/K looked incredibly good for so little time back in training, and with a program which has the potential to be riveting. Totally see them pushing for the top of the podium by Worlds. T/M have been so uneven, like other pairs this season, but I have less belief that they will overcome the two-foot landings and deliver the technically solid programs with higher BV that they need to be competitive. The Chinese pairs are gelling well, but their programs are fairly dreary.....May push out T/M, but see them as stronger contenders next season.

Men

1. Hanyu (if he is finally healthy ?!? it just has to happen again, it will be ridiculous if with his talent he can't reapeat world title again
2. Chen ( dark horse bet)
3. Fernandez/ Uno ? (hmm ?)

TGee said:

I'm also hopeful that Finland will provide decent ice conditions..if a slightly oddly dimensioned (though legal) rink.

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Not another World with a non-Olympic size rink

[email protected] said:

?

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"Bronze: I would love to see Katelyn Osmond skate a clean FS, and if she does so with her 8 triples I think she can beat Pogorilaya and Wagner for the final spot."

Sounds like trolling indeed.

LADIES
1. Med
2. Pogo
3. Miyahara
4-6. Osmond, Sotskova, Carolina?!

MEN
1. Yuzu
2. Javi
3. Shoma
4-6. Chan, Jin, Chen

PAIRS
1. Sui/Han
2. Stolbova/Klimov
3. Savchenko/Massot
4-6. Tarasova/Morosov, Yu/Jin, Duhamel/Radford

DANCE
1. V/M
2. P/C
3. S/S
4-6. B/S, W/P, C/B

Sui and Han's new SP looks amazing, even better than last season. It is the same style as the Spanish Romance and it is so hot! The Russian pairs are boring in comparison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvcRMfMj9Yg&t=95s

Lipea said:

"Bronze: I would love to see Katelyn Osmond skate a clean FS, and if she does so with her 8 triples I think she can beat Pogorilaya and Wagner for the final spot."

Sounds like trolling indeed.

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I'm sorry, that was an unfortunate error by me. No trolling nor was it intended. My apologies!

alia jackson said:

Not another World with a non-Olympic size rink

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Isn't it? because google says it is and now I'm confused

Pamigena said:

Isn't it? because google says it is and now I'm confused

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If it is that's good. I'm not sure why TGee said "if a slightly oddly dimensioned (though legal) rink."

alia jackson said:

If it is that's good. I'm not sure why TGee said "if a slightly oddly dimensioned (though legal) rink."

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As I know Hartwall Arena is one of the best arenas in the world also Finnish are well known with their super ice condition and hella cold venues so I think skaters will be fine

The rink size at Hartwall Arena should be 28 x 60 m which is comfortably inside the olympic standard for ice hockey as well as for figure skating. This was trickier to find out than what I thought as the official site apparently does not feature such a minor detail.

It's slightly wider than the usual North American rink. The hockey team connected with Arena is Jokerit who play at KHL and this league requires a slightly narrower rink than the olympic 30 m or so (from some news stories, could not find the rules easily). But it would be interesting to know what makes the rink size "odd"

I sat through the Europeans in 2009 and cannot remember that there would have been any problems with ice back then. Plus it's used for international hockey games all the time, so I should think that they have no problems with maintaining good ice conditions. (But then again, I would have thought the same of Boston...) I do trust that the Finnsh organizers get this detail correct!

E