Rika Hongo, where would you place her at Worlds?

[sunnystars]

The prediction at a 5th or 6th place sounds unreal to me because you missed Anna P. and Polina.
Realistically I would place her at 7th to 10th unless the other girls in a higher standing completely bomb.

I put 6th/7th because she's been more reliable than the ones above her. hwell:

but I do see how she can place between 7th-10th if Anna and Polina do skate well like in Euros and 4CC respectively.

 

[ks777]

she will be somewhere between 8th-15th. All she has right now is her consistancy on her jumps, nothing more.

 

[ks777]

os, very interesting placements :think:

i do think rika will place higher than 10th, even if all goes clean moreso due to her shown consistency in the season. i would say she would end at 8th at the least, since she is able to overtake kanako (due to her lower tech content) and soyoun (lower pcs range).

but in reality, i would say she would end up at a 5th or 6th place depending on how satoko and gracie performs

sorry she shouldn't place 5th or 6th wiht her PCS. Just don't enjoy her programs at all. I enjoy Yoshie Onda's programs much much more than Hongo's.

 

[chuckm]

She is a decent jumper, but her posture is horrible. Tenth at best. Lower if she makes mistakes.

 

[NMURA]

8th place behind 3 RUS, 2 USA, Miyahara and Li.
The #3 American can make it one place lower but no one else will.

 

[chuckm]

Korpi can conceivably beat Hongo---she will definitely get much higher PCS scores. Remember, it's an all-European judging panel. And I think all three US skaters will beat her.

 

[chloepoco]

So much animosity towards Rika. I hope she podiums.

 

[Alchamei]

I tend to disagree with some postes here. I really like Japanese figure skaters! Which means I enjoy Rika's skating a lot. Her posture needs to improve and her URs are a problems, but she is very consistent and I like her energy she gives into each performance.

I think if she skates her usual self she will reach Top 10 with no problem. Maybe she could go for seventh and sixth place but would have to be lucky then.

 

[sabinfire]

So much animosity towards Rika.

Why would that be? I thought she had a "forgettable" program with nothing "memorable" about it?

I hope she can break the top 5, but...

Back to reality: based on the field of skaters and the European-dominated panel, I would expect top 10... maybe around #8, give or take a spot depending on the usual unpredictability of these things.

 

[Sandpiper]

I would be surprised if Rika makes any errors outside of flutzing and UR. I would be even more surprised if everyone else went clean. That stuff just doesn't happen.

 

[Weathergal]

So much animosity towards Rika. I hope she podiums.

I don't detect animosity toward Rika. I think most posters were just giving their honest estimation of her chances. I like her, but she's a developing skater and not World's podium material yet. I'm thinking around #8 or so. Other than the Russian ladies, and possibly all three American ladies, Miyahara has a good chance of placing in front of her, and perhaps Zijun Li. Park, Korpii, and Meite are possibilities, too.

 

[OS]

os, very interesting placements :think:

i do think rika will place higher than 10th, even if all goes clean moreso due to her shown consistency in the season. i would say she would end at 8th at the least, since she is able to overtake kanako (due to her lower tech content) and soyoun (lower pcs range).

but in reality, i would say she would end up at a 5th or 6th place depending on how satoko and gracie performs

Oops how can I forget Anna!!! I love her! I put her 3/4th, but easily 2nd actually if she ace her programs. I'd place her above Elena as well at this point due to the size of her jumps and speed, power, flow. A consistent Pogo should beat a consistent Elena, even Liza with 3T3T. It is a sport afterall, that is why Gracie is above Liza with 3lz3t. Although Liza with 3A is unstoppable at this point. Hope she bring it. I hate this 3t3t+tano = +3 GOE crap beat 3lz3t lol, since everyone seems to be over doing it for GOEs without choreographic purpose. A Rippon practically feels undervalued in relation.

1/2 Gracie Gold, Liza Tuk
3/4 Ashley Wagner, Anna Pogo, Elena Radionova.
5/6/7 Zijun Li, SoYoun Park, Kanako Murakami
8/9 Satoko Miyahara, Polina Edmunds
10 Rika Hongo

BTW i agree with you about realistic placement. Skating orders matters, federation quotas representation matters. Assume Rinka skated after Satoko and Kanako just flopped, bet another influx of magic PCS again for a Japan Skating federation medal. Rika for me is the luckiest skater this year for the ladies. She benefit from

1. Strong federation, without a Mao holding the fort, and apparently judges suppressing Kanako and Satoko (both stronger skater than her)'s and the rest of Asian young skater's score from competing against the Russians. She being no threat helps.
2. Lucky to have the weakest GP competition Cup of Russia, designed for Sotnikova's easy win. Everyone flopped, she got magic PCS out of no where after judges over did it with Pogo's disaster skate. Hilarious when you think about it, consider she was a last minute replacement.
3. Boring programs/presentation. Not one thing I liked, which is really rare.... but benefit from familiar to the judges, ticked the COP system.
4. Over inflated PCS, undeserved like Maxim's earlier in the year.

Consistency Schmatasy yada yada yada. Mediocrity done often as possible is still mediocre. Nothing personal, but I just really don't understand her skating score.

 

[Alchamei]

Oops how can I forget Anna!!! I love her! I put her 3/4th, but easily 2nd actually if she ace her programs. I'd place her above Elena as well at this point due to the size of her jumps and speed, power, flow. A consistent Pogo should beat a consistent Elena, even Liza with 3T3T. It is a sport afterall, that is why Gracie is above Liza with 3lz3t. Although Liza with 3A is unstoppable at this point. Hope she bring it. I hate this 3t3t+tano = +3 GOE crap beat 3lz3t lol, since everyone seems to be over doing it for GOEs without choreographic purpose. A Rippon practically feels undervalued in relation.

1/2 Gracie Gold, Liza Tuk
3/4 Ashley Wagner, Anna Pogo, Elena Radionova.
5/6/7 Zijun Li, SoYoun Park, Kanako Murakami
8/9 Satoko Miyahara, Polina Edmunds
10 Rinka Hongo

I'd like to ask, why do you belive that Gracie might clinch that title? No offense, I'm just interested.

 

[OS]

I'd like to ask, why do you belive that Gracie might clinch that title? No offense, I'm just interested.

I don't think she will. My ranking is based on the idea IF EVERYONE skate at their Optimal level, ie/ everyone at their very best. Which is unlikely to happen at the same competition. But it can, like at the Olympics.

I believe Gracie is the most naturally gifted athlete and has huge potential (like Pogo), and her weaknesses are something that can be worked on and improve. Her threshold for improvement is far from optimized due to the wrong advisor/programs, it felt like sabotage like what they did to Mirai. Urgh.... It makes me want to bang my head against the wall. Of course with injuries it is hard to predict also, so I am holding my fingers cross for Hanyu too.

 

[chuckm]

At 4CC, Gracie was still recovering from her injury. It didn't help that 4CC followed just a week or so after US Nationals. It was not a good competition for her. 2013 4CC wasn't a good competition for her, either--she scored only 166.6 points. But at 2013 Worlds, her first, she managed to finish 6th, scoring 184.25 points with a 7-triple FS. And she wasn't getting the high PCS scores back then that she is getting now.

Hongo barely edged Gracie at 4CC even though Gracie was far from her best. It would be a mistake to assume that Gracie will be easily passed at Worlds.

 

[satine]

Can't wait to look back at this thread once Worlds is over

 

[Interspectator]

Thank you all for your comments. As for me, I LOVE Rika, but more for her personality than for her skating at this present time.
But watching her improve this season and put effort into her weak areas, building confidence and not giving up has made me a fan. So, however well or badly she does this Championships, I'll continue watching her closely.

 

[andyjo24]

Like Samantha Cesario, Rika is very consistent, which is very admirable, but there is a definite ceiling to her scoring potential.

When clean, she can only score around a 61 for the SP and a 116-118 for the FS. She cannot go over that at the moment.

 

[Jammers]

At 4CC, Gracie was still recovering from her injury. It didn't help that 4CC followed just a week or so after US Nationals. It was not a good competition for her. 2013 4CC wasn't a good competition for her, either--she scored only 166.6 points. But at 2013 Worlds, her first, she managed to finish 6th, scoring 184.25 points with a 7-triple FS. And she wasn't getting the high PCS scores back then that she is getting now.

Hongo barely edged Gracie at 4CC even though Gracie was far from her best. It would be a mistake to assume that Gracie will be easily passed at Worlds.

Injuries had nothing to do with that disaster at 4CC for Gracie. She simply is not a good competitor just like Mirai or Alissa were also not strong competitors. A skater of her talent should not be making so many mistakes especially on jumps which she can do in her sleep. All you have to do is look at her face when she gets out there and you know she's going to be tight and make silly mistakes. I don't see her attack when she has a chance to win instead she backs off and you don't win championships that way and this has been an ongoing thing since she turned Senior.

 

[Watermelondrea]

I see Russia, USA Rika, Satoko, and Park so Youn and Zijun li in top 10.