Who has the best chance of beating Yu na Kim at the 2013 worlds?

[Vash01]

How many had predicted Sarah Hughes to beat Michelle and Irina in the 2002 Olympics, before the Olympics? Anything can happen. Riveredge, you did not need to take a jab at Mao's win at NHK. The GPs are quite different from worlds; skaters are still working on their programs in a GP series.

[IceAlisa]

While I think that Yuna will have her jumps sorted out and will show up in readiness at Worlds, like posters have already said, anything can happen. I think it goes against our experience as figure skating fans to make bold predictions based on a small, obscure competition that took place many months before Worlds where the rest of the field was so relatively weak.

[briancoogaert]

Well, I don't think YuNa Kim will be back. I have no clue about Carolina Kostner's shape. It's really difficult these days.

[l'etoile]

While I think that Yuna will have her jumps sorted out and will show up in readiness at Worlds, like posters have already said, anything can happen. I think it goes against our experience as figure skating fans to make bold predictions based on a small, obscure competition that took place many months before Worlds where the rest of the field was so relatively weak.

We're figure skating fans. We like to guess and debate over something that'll probably never happen anyway.

Well, I don't think YuNa Kim will be back. I have no clue about Carolina Kostner's shape. It's really difficult these days.

Hmm, Yuna is back. She just competed last week at NRW Trophy. And she seems and sounds quite serious going for Sochi with one or two of her compatriot skaters which is impossible if she doesn't show up at Worlds since S. Korea now has only one spot for Worlds. Sad, but true

[Vash01]

Well, I don't think YuNa Kim will be back. I have no clue about Carolina Kostner's shape. It's really difficult these days.

She is already back. It was a small competition, but her program was competitive, though not perfect. She is only going to improve, and be in great shape by worlds 2013.

[aftershocks]

She is already back. It was a small competition, but her program was competitive, though not perfect. She is only going to improve, and be in great shape by worlds 2013.

Yes, Yu Na's programs are very competitive, and if performed to a high level cleanly, it might be difficult for others to beat her. Still, I've never been fully drawn into Yu Na's skating because of her overall reserve. It kind of irks a bit because I think Yu Na could be stretched to do more (and I mean stretched literally in terms of extending her limbs more and pointing her toes to achieve better lines). In addition, although I feel Yu Na's strength of determination and dedication, I don't really feel a complete connection between her and her music. Her efforts appear more like athletic exercises alone rather than seamless and fully realized athletic/ artistic performances where she is opening up her heart to the audience (e.g., in the way that Michelle Kwan always did). Yu Na could be absolutely exquisite if she actually ever brought everything together. I wonder if her heart is fully in her skating, or whether its more of a sense of duty and athleticism and going through the motions presentation-wise.

I can feel Mao's emotions more, but I think Mao has issues technically and has been getting high scores based on her reputation. I don't care so much for Mao's sp this season and I'm not as fully engaged with her fp because in some ways, even though she seems to be smiling and happy, especially in her sp, I feel a sense of her going through the motions without her heart and her spirit being fully present (understandable somewhat re having lost her mother last year). I know ISU judges don't score based on these type of impressions.

anyone can beat yuna.. you never know and no one is guaranteed a win. heck if mao won with only 3 triples in nhk then anyone can win..

Yes, it is uncertain what judges will do, although I think ISU judges hold Yu Na in very high regard which may lead to rep points. For certain though, Yu Na will have to be at her best at Worlds 2013 and not lose focus during her programs, as she did understandably during some of her performances after she'd won the Olympic gold medal. Yu Na bore up well under the Olympic pressure and achieved her dream and made her country proud. Afterward, she definitely lost a bit of motivation, and I think she is skating now mainly because it is expected of her. Hopefully she will access some joy and improve her presentation because her programs have great music and they are well-choreographed.

[a56]

Miki Ando, if she comes back, I think has the best chance. Not that she is so good, but her usual strategy of take it slow and pray till everyone else falls could work. It has before.

I agree. I have to say I don't care for her skating, but Ando won 2 titles and she's obviously held in *very* high esteem by the judges. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Ando is the 2014 Olympic Champion (if she comes back). Ando has the best chance because she's technically very consistent. The other ladies are just very inconsistent technically.

I would personally prefer to see Elizaveta Tuktamisheva win 2013 worlds and 2014 olympics. Hopefully, she picks it up and gets better results.

[IceAlisa]

We're figure skating fans. We like to guess and debate over something that'll probably never happen anyway.

That's true. But we don't want to tempt the skategods, do we?

[judgejudy27]

LOL at people even talking about Ando. First off Ando isnt coming back. Second of all even if she does she would be lucky to even beat out Murakami for the last spot on the Japanese Olympic team. She is old (26), did not come close to an Olympic medal even in her prime, and with Asada doing well again would never get the support as Japanese #1 like she had in 2011 while Mao was slumping and visibly aided her scores. Anyway the level of skating Ando in 2011 and Kostner in 2012 won World with wont even medal in Sochi.

[IceAlisa]

Because you know just who will medal at Sochi...those Olympic placements, they always turn out exactly as predicted.

[judgejudy27]

The Olympic ladies event does usually go as roughly predicted as matter of fact:

1980- Fratianne and Poetzsch 1-2 in any order as expected. One of Lurz, Watanabe, or Marie Allen bronze as expected.
1984- Sumners and Witt 1-2 in any order as expected. Crapshoot for bronze as expected.
1988- Witt winning as expected. Thomas on podium as expected. On home ice Manley on podium not surprising either.
1992- Yamaguchi and Ito 1-2 in any order as expected. One of Kerigan or Harding bronze as expected.
1994- Kerrigan and Baiul 1-2 in any order as expected. One of Bonaly, Sato, or Chen bronze as expected.
1998- Kwan and Lipinski 1-2 in any order as expected. Crapshoot for bronze as expected.
2002- Slutskaya, Kwan, and Hughes as the podium in some order as everyone expected. Hughes winning was a surprise I admit.
2006- A podium of Cohen, Slutskaya, Arakawa as expected. With Slutskaya's age, illess, and Olympic history her not winning wasnt a shock.
2010- The expected podium.

[IceAlisa]

Nice try. 'Roughly' is the key word here. Your predictions are not only who will be on the podium but also the order, namely gold.

[AndyWarhol]

I'd say Mao. Mao Mao Mao

[aftershocks]

^ Saying doesn't make it so, and seeing is believing, or NOT!

[judgejudy27]

Nice try. 'Roughly' is the key word here. Your predictions are not only who will be on the podium but also the order, namely gold.

Nice try, but I did not guarantee Yu Na winning gold in Sochi, or make exact podium predictions of which 3 women would. I simply stated the obvious that she is a major contender, and already the early odds on favorite which is what Vash01's poll implies. I did say the only one who could beat her is herself, but that is kind of obvious when in her first event back she makes about 4 mistakes and still beats the GP final winners overall point total by a good margin. That has always been the case with Yu Na since 2007 anyway, she only loses when she makes not only mistakes, but alot of mistakes (and I am not even a big fan, just reality) and the ladies field is currently still a shadow of the 07-2010 standard, although blissfully much higher than 2011-2012. Also in stating the obvious that a virtually retired Miki Ando who will be 27 in Sochi is not a real contender, one comment on one skater, that is hardly exact podium predictions for Sochi. If I am wrong on that feel free to bring the thread back up and dance all around.

[blue_idealist]

I think Ashley could beat YuNa if she goes completely clean and YuNa has some glitches like in 2011.

[Vash01]

The Olympic ladies event does usually go as roughly predicted as matter of fact:

1980- Fratianne and Poetzsch 1-2 in any order as expected. One of Lurz, Watanabe, or Marie Allen bronze as expected.
1984- Sumners and Witt 1-2 in any order as expected. Crapshoot for bronze as expected.
1988- Witt winning as expected. Thomas on podium as expected. On home ice Manley on podium not surprising either.
1992- Yamaguchi and Ito 1-2 in any order as expected. One of Kerigan or Harding bronze as expected.
1994- Kerrigan and Baiul 1-2 in any order as expected. One of Bonaly, Sato, or Chen bronze as expected.
1998- Kwan and Lipinski 1-2 in any order as expected. Crapshoot for bronze as expected.
2002- Slutskaya, Kwan, and Hughes as the podium in some order as everyone expected. Hughes winning was a surprise I admit.
2006- A podium of Cohen, Slutskaya, Arakawa as expected. With Slutskaya's age, illess, and Olympic history her not winning wasnt a shock.
2010- The expected podium.

It's so easy to 'predict' after an event has already taken place and medals have been awarded.

[judgejudy27]

It's so easy to 'predict' after an event has already taken place and medals have been awarded.

True, but the Olympics from 92 onwards I was strongly following skating and felt that way before each. Did you not? The top 2 favorites who were supposed to fight for the gold finished as the top 2 at all of the 90s and 2000s Olympics, except for Hughes in 2002.

[shine]

Besides her 3lz/3toe, nothing aobut her skating is so well and above the rest of the skaters, really. The PCS she received at NWR for the way she skated was a joke. But even when she was at her prime her presentation just never seemed convincing to me. She ticked most of the PCS boxes I guess, but everything just feels like an exercise. There are a several skaters who, IMO, are better SKATERS than she is. I don't see why if she fails to land her money combination jumps, someone like, say, Suzuki shouldn't beat her on a good day.

[Vash01]

I agree with most about the lack of stretching and lines in Yu na's skating, but there are things that she does really well. 1)strong jumper; fully rotates her jumps, correct edges, 2) she has a lot of nuances in her skating- it could be a turn of a head, or an angle, or a body movement that works with the music (I disagree with those who say that she does not skate to the music), and 3(most important) she is mentally tough. I was very impressed with how she handled the pressure of the Olympics in 2010 and delivered two clean performances.

It seems under COP they judges care little about lines and extensions, layback position, spirals, etc. So it works in her favor overall, with the strong points I mentioned.