Men Free Skating - 2013 Trophée Eric Bompard

[ImaginaryPogue]

IP, welcome back on the boards, I've missed seeing your posts.

I think Adam's out. Machida will get in barring a major issue (he will be in with just a 4th place finish).

The biggest question is whether the last guy will be Kovtun or Oda.

Kovtum will need a silver or better to be locked in. A bronze will require him to score higher than 236.31 points.

Fernandez, though he is out of contention at this point, also holds the key, he could push Kovtun to bronze.

In general, the number of monkey wrenches present (Joshua Farris, Fernandez, even Gachinski) makes this a fascinating competition.

Thanks for the welcome. I took a breather as I wasn't really enjoying myself. We'll see how long I last!

 

[karne]

Hah, as I mentioned, I don't actually consider Sotnikova a headcase, nor do I consider Yuzuru that. It's a rude term, and I'm merely poking fun at sky_fly's rudeness.

LOL, Yuzuru bombs a freeskate and Sotnikova skates a perfect FS and a personal best, who would've thought -- sky_fly must be fuming!

I'm surprised she's not yet calling for him to retire, like Gachinski!

In general, the number of monkey wrenches present (Joshua Farris, Fernandez, even Gachinski) makes this a fascinating competition.

Um, monkey wrenches? Excuse me, what?

There are many words and phrases I would use to describe Joshua, Javier and Artur, but monkey wrench is NOT one of them.

 

[pangtongfan]

Isnt there a chance Fernandez still makes it if he wins NHK? I could see atleast 1 or both of Machida or Kovtun having a disaesterous showing potentially (not that I am hoping for that). Both of those skaters are wildly inconsistent.

I just looked over the standings. If Fernandez wins he will pass Rippon. He would then need to hope for Kovtun to be 4th and Machida 5th to have a chance. Difficult but not at all impossible to happen. If Farris and Dornbush skate well and Machida especialy does not it very well could.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Um, monkey wrenches? Excuse me, what?

There are many words and phrases I would use to describe Joshua, Javier and Artur, but monkey wrench is NOT one of them.

It's an expression. I'm using it to mean obstacles/obstructions/"disruptions"

Farris and Gachinski cannot make the GPF. Fernandez is EXTREMELY unlikely to (but technically still can). However, each has the ability to skate in a manner that prevents others from making the GPF. For example, if these three skaters make the podium (which I think is plausible, though I can understand those that don't), Kovtun can't make the GPF.

 

[karne]

Thankyou for the explanation, ImaginaryPogue. As an Australian, the expression I am more familiar with is "a spanner in the works"; "monkey wrench" to my mind is something far less complementary. (Also, I'm yet to hear anyone here ever describe it as a monkey wrench, we call them shifting spanners.)

Oooh, a Farris/Gachinski/Fernandez podium. Not bad! I'd like that. Hmm, actually, my ultimate CoR podium would be Meshov/Gachinski/Farris. But your option is a good one too!

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

If Kovtun makes the Grand Prix final he definitely deserves to go to the Olympics over an old and beat up Plushenko, and it would be disappointing if the Russian fed. did not send him.

If Kovtun made it to the GPF and beat Plushenko at Russian Nationals, they should send Kovtun. Although I can bet that if Plushenko happens to lose to Kovtun at Russian nationals, they'll give him another shot to beat Kovtun at Euros. However, if Plushenko places ahead of Kovtun at Nationals he'll be sent to Sochi, regardless of what happens at Euros.

If Menshov/Voronov/Gachinski won both Russian Nats/Euros, the Russian Fed would still send Plushenko or Kovtun.

 

[pangtongfan]

Isnt Joubert skating here too. So with Dornbush, Farris, Joubert, and Gachinski all at his disposal to potentially help there is real hope for Fernandez if he can win the event with a huge score to still make it. It would be a shame if he wasn't in the Grand Prix final.

 

[pangtongfan]

If Kovtun made it to the GPF and beat Plushenko at Russian Nationals, they should send Kovtun. Although I can bet that if Plushenko happens to lose to Kovtun at Russian nationals, they'll give him another shot to beat Kovtun at Euros. However, if Plushenko places ahead of Kovtun at Nationals he'll be sent to Sochi, regardless of what happens at Euros.

If Menshov/Voronov/Gachinski won both Russian Nats/Euros, the Russian Fed would still send Plushenko or Kovtun.

Yeah that is probably the reality of the situation but it is awful. I feel bad for most of the Russian guys that there is such blatant favoritism, to Plushenko first and foremost, and to Kovtun 2nd. Voronov was screwed of going to the Olympics in 2010, and now he probably never will go. Menshov was screwed of probably his only ever chance to compete at Worlds last year.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Isnt Joubert skating here too. So with Dornbush, Farris, Joubert, and Gachinski all at his disposal to potentially help there is real hope for Fernandez if he can win the event with a huge score to still make it. It would be a shame if he wasn't in the Grand Prix final.

I think at this point we're all expecting Didier to withdraw him, but yes, Joubert definitely counts. In a season where Takahashi loses to Aaron, all bets are off.

 

[Mrs. P]

I think at this point we're all expecting Didier to withdraw him, but yes, Joubert definitely counts. In a season where Takahashi loses to Aaron, all bets are off.

They already WD Joubert due to "medical reasons."

 

[Srin Odessa]

Isnt there a chance Fernandez still makes it if he wins NHK? I could see atleast 1 or both of Machida or Kovtun having a disaesterous showing potentially (not that I am hoping for that). Both of those skaters are wildly inconsistent.

I just looked over the standings. If Fernandez wins he will pass Rippon. He would then need to hope for Kovtun to be 4th and Machida 5th to have a chance. Difficult but not at all impossible to happen. If Farris and Dornbush skate well and Machida especialy does not it very well could.

Do you mean if Javier wins COR? He's at 7 points from his NHK 5th place finish. If he wins COR, then he ties Adam Rippon and beats him on the placement tiebreaker. Furthermore, Tatsuki Machida must come in 5th to tie with Javier or lower to guarantee him the spot. Kovtun must place 4th to tie with him or lower to guarantee him the spot after beating the Machida tiebreaker. If he initiates a tiebreaker with Machida, then Javier will have to score better than 265.38 at COR. I think this should be the correct series of events for Javier to make the GPF.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

If Farris and Dornbush skate well and Machida especialy does not it very well could.

I can't imagine Dornbush and Farris outskating Machida, especially with Machida coming off a GP win.

 

[karne]

Yeah that is probably the reality of the situation but it is awful. I feel bad for most of the Russian guys that there is such blatant favoritism, to Plushenko first and foremost, and to Kovtun 2nd. Voronov was screwed of going to the Olympics in 2010, and now he probably never will go. Menshov was screwed of probably his only ever chance to compete at Worlds last year.

Plushenko at least deserves a bit of favouritism. He's earned it. I mean come on, the guy is probably the greatest male skater of the modern era. At what point do you NOT want that on your Olympic team?

Kovtun, however, has done NOTHING to earn the favouritism he's been shown. What happened after Russian Nationals last year was nothing short of criminal - that TWO skaters were screwed over in favour of him. Menshov was the big one that was overlooked, but Gachinski also beat Kovtun at Nationals, and that was in the middle of Gachinski's worst possible season. Gachinski was punished - and is still being punished - by the public and by the federation over the 2012 Worlds issue, but Kovtun somehow seems to have escaped scot-free even though he did no better than Gachinski!

 

[pangtongfan]

Plushenko at least deserves a bit of favouritism. He's earned it. I mean come on, the guy is probably the greatest male skater of the modern era. At what point do you NOT want that on your Olympic team?

Well he has already got to experience 3 Olympics, and won medals at each. Now that doesn't mean if he wasn't consistently competing and proving he is still the best Russian skater he should absolutely go if he wants to. However not competing that often, and just being given the spot no matter what, no I don't agree with that. I would say if he beats the other Russian guys easily at Nationals, but you know if he shows up there will be some incredibly biased scoring at Nationals.

Atleast we agree on Kovtun, although as I said if he does make the Grand Prix final I think he probably deserves the spot right now.

 

[pangtongfan]

I can't imagine Dornbush and Farris outskating Machida, especially with Machida coming off a GP win.

Machida has been wildly inconsistent in the past. He hasn't even made a World team for Japan yet, which is pretty bad when even Mura has done it. He had best skate like he did at Skate America right now though if he wants to keep his nose out in front of Oda for the 3rd Japanese Olympic spot though.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Machida has been wildly inconsistent in the past. He hasn't even made a World team for Japan yet, which is pretty bad when even Mura has done it. He had best skate like he did at Skate America right now though if he wants to keep his nose out in front of Oda for the 3rd Japanese Olympic spot though.

I'm more skeptical of Farris and Dornbush skating well, which is more unlikely than Machida's inconsistency costing him. If I were a betting man, Machida would be a no brainer over Farris and Dornbush.

Also, there's no shame in not making the Japanese men's world team. And if we're using Worlds as a barometer, Dornbush hasn't been to Worlds since 2011, and Farris has yet to go to Senior worlds. Machida, even if he's off, will easily beat the Americans, I'm predicting.

 

[Mrs. P]

I'm more skeptical of Farris and Dornbush skating well, which is more unlikely than Machida's inconsistency costing him. If I were a betting man, Machida would be a no brainer over Farris and Dornbush.

Also, there's no shame in not making the Japanese men's world team. And if we're using Worlds as a barometer, Dornbush hasn't been to Worlds since 2011, and Farris has yet to go to Senior worlds. Machida, even if he's off, will easily beat the Americans, I'm predicting.

Also this is the first year that Machida really has the quad. Last year, he was only attempting one and falling on it. This season, he has a pretty good quad hit rate. Most of us have only seen him at Skate America, but from what I understand he also did several quads at a Japanese regionals competition as well.

Yes, Machida has been inconsistent in the past and he knows it (he even stated at SkAm that he was "the farthest from the Olympic team" based on that record. However, from what we've heard about him in national competitions, practices and his performances at Skate America, he seems to be coming in with a new-founded consistency and is really hitting those quads consistently.

Neither Richard nor Josh are consistent in their quads and they are not skating cleanish programs (at least so far) and racking up points elsewhere like Jason Brown is.

I'm really interested to see how Richard and Josh, especially, rack up. Josh was always ahead of Jason in juniors internationally for the most part (and novice, as I noted elsewhere) due to having much more difficult content. But now Jason is starting to catch up in that arena all in the while racking up high PCS, it seems the roles have reversed a bit.

 

[pangtongfan]

I'm more skeptical of Farris and Dornbush skating well, which is more unlikely than Machida's inconsistency costing him. If I were a betting man, Machida would be a no brainer over Farris and Dornbush.

Also, there's no shame in not making the Japanese men's world team. And if we're using Worlds as a barometer, Dornbush hasn't been to Worlds since 2011, and Farris has yet to go to Senior worlds. Machida, even if he's off, will easily beat the Americans, I'm predicting.

Machida has been around for awhile though. Farris is a newcomer. Dornbush has also been a disappointment and underachiever. Machida should have made a World team by now, even with the depth in Japan. He is good enough, but rarely brings his best to Japanese Nationals.

 

[Art&Sport]

Chan has no rival.

In the eyes of the judges and his fans perhaps. I would say Chan is a master artist with his blades and he's looking calmer and within himself so far this season. He performed beautifully in Paris and he has redeemed and reinvigorated the judges' faith in him. He's not the best artist to ever lace up however. Both Jason Brown and Jeremy Abbott are more intuitively musical and gifted artists, especially interpretively IMO. Toller Cranston, John Curry, and Robin Cousins are on my list as the best artists ever. And among others who skated against Chan, I feel Johnny Weir, Stephane Lambiel, Dai Takahashi, and even Jeff Buttle are all stronger artistically than Patrick even though their technical and blade control strengths are no match for Patrick's, aside from Pat's average 3-axel.

 

[seniorita]

Hahaha I tried to post this message a while ago and my browser crashed!
I lost all the fs tonight and started by men FS on Yt(thank you Mao88!), although Vivaldi brings me flashbacks of Lambiel's Zebra program, this is maybe the first program of Chan that I will put on my ipod, it was jawdropping and I cant wait to see this skate in Sochi! Now Ill go to watch the rest!