Who can beat Zagitova at worlds 2019?

Who can beat Zagitova at worlds 2019?

  • Kihira

    Votes: 148 71.2%
  • Medvedeva

    Votes: 24 11.5%
  • Miyahara

    Votes: 10 4.8%
  • Tuktamysheva

    Votes: 10 4.8%
  • Samodurova

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Konstantinova

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sakamoto

    Votes: 2 1.0%
  • Tennell

    Votes: 2 1.0%
  • A Canadian lady

    Votes: 3 1.4%
  • Nobody. Zagitova is the only one who can beat her.

    Votes: 9 4.3%

  • Total voters
    208
  • Poll closed .

Finsta

Well-Known Member
Messages
338
Maybe injury being downplayed now. It would not been mentioned if not serious. I feel Alina will have less pressure to have the undefeated season after this loss and she will skate more free. If injury heals.
 

Madison25

Active Member
Messages
126
Maybe injury being downplayed now. It would not been mentioned if not serious. I feel Alina will have less pressure to have the undefeated season after this loss and she will skate more free. If injury heals.
It was mentioned just to give you some ''meat'' to write the comments you write now and to find excuses for Zagitova's loss.
 

Finsta

Well-Known Member
Messages
338
I only posted factual from competition and not more. We will have to wait for worlds to find out results. No attacking or fighting. My opinion is Alina will be champion. Your champion Kihara. Best clean skate that night wins. Maybe it will be Tukt. I would not mind.
 

Madison25

Active Member
Messages
126
It was mentioned just to give you some ''meat'' to write the comments you write now and to find excuses for Zagitova's loss.
I only posted factual from competition and not more. We will have to wait for worlds to find out results. No attacking or fighting. My opinion is Alina will be champion. Your champion Kihara. Best clean skate that night wins. Maybe it will be Tukt. I would not mind.
I didn't say that Kihira will win Worlds, although I would be happy for her if this would be the case... There are still 3 months up then, many things can change. Plus Rika's programs are more difficult and therefore more risky.
 

bardtoob

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,559
I am curious what would happen at Russian Nationals if Sofia, Liza, and Janny are clean while Alina does decent but not clean.

I do not dispute Alina's current rankings, but she appear more vulnerable.
 

Spun Silver

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,130
I didn't say that Kihira will win Worlds, although I would be happy for her if this would be the case... There are still 3 months up then, many things can change. Plus Rika's programs are more difficult and therefore more risky.
Plus, we've seen Rika in the new-senior, no-pressure phase. How will she react to being talked about as a potential world champ in her first season in seniors? So far she seems unflappable but it's not easy being the favorite, as Alina could tell her.
 

Vash01

Fan of Yuzuru, T&M, P&C
Messages
55,381
I am curious what would happen at Russian Nationals if Sofia, Liza, and Janny are clean while Alina does decent but not clean.

I do not dispute Alina's current rankings, but she appear more vulnerable.


I don't think Zhenya is ready for a clean performance yet. She is still in the adjustment phase.Sofia and Liza have been consistent so far, and they could receive the benefit of the doubt if they make small mistakes. Alina has her worlds 2019 spot locked up, as the reigning OGM winner. She will not be dropped even if she has 3-4 mistakes (not necessarily falls). She does seem more vulnerable as you pointed out but her spot for worlds is safe.

The most likely world team will be Alina, Liza, and either Sofia or Zhenya if the latter has a decent outing.
 

bardtoob

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,559
I don't think Zhenya is ready for a clean performance yet. She is still in the adjustment phase.Sofia and Liza have been consistent so far, and they could receive the benefit of the doubt if they make small mistakes. Alina has her worlds 2019 spot locked up, as the reigning OGM winner. She will not be dropped even if she has 3-4 mistakes (not necessarily falls). She does seem more vulnerable as you pointed out but her spot for worlds is safe.

The most likely world team will be Alina, Liza, and either Sofia or Zhenya if the latter has a decent outing.

Far enough.
 

babayaga

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,335
It was mentioned just to give you some ''meat'' to write the comments you write now and to find excuses for Zagitova's loss.
I personally don't think Alina lost due to this injury, and I am a fan. Alina lost because Rika was better, I really like Rika's skating. To me, the information about the injury explained Alina's terrified look at the starting pose and her mistake in the combo. I am glad she was able to collect herself after that and did not fall apart like we've seen before. I really liked the energy during the second half of the program. I hope Alina survives the growth challenges, I would really enjoy her competing with Rika (and others) in the years to come.
 

babayaga

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,335
I'm surprised but happy that judges didn't give better PCS to Zagitova compared to Kihira. Now, I'm waiting for Miyahara to receive same PCS (or higher), her skating is so smooth !
I am afraid Satoko's low PCS and called under-rotations are due to Rika being the new star. I think Satoko will slowly loose her status in the Japanese team, even as number 2. Kaori's skating skills and jumps are stellar, she may well take second spot from Satoko at the upcoming Nationals already. With Mihara and Higuchi improving, Satoko unfortunately may be on her way out of the Japanese team altogether.
 

Wyliefan

Ubering juniors against my will
Messages
43,981
I don't think it's time to ring the alarm bells just yet. Satoko was 5th at last year's GPF and came back to win Japanese nationals; I'm pretty sure she can still pull off a top 3 there. She's one of the hardest-working women in skating and she knows exactly what she needs to keep working on. She's not done yet, not by a long shot. :)
 

babayaga

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,335
I don't think it's time to ring the alarm bells just yet. Satoko was 5th at last year's GPF and came back to win Japanese nationals; I'm pretty sure she can still pull off a top 3 there. She's one of the hardest-working women in skating and she knows exactly what she needs to keep working on. She's not done yet, not by a long shot. :)
I hope you are correct. It will be interesting to watch how things will work out between Japanese and Russian older and younger skaters this season.
 

Vash01

Fan of Yuzuru, T&M, P&C
Messages
55,381
I am afraid Satoko's low PCS and called under-rotations are due to Rika being the new star. I think Satoko will slowly loose her status in the Japanese team, even as number 2. Kaori's skating skills and jumps are stellar, she may well take second spot from Satoko at the upcoming Nationals already. With Mihara and Higuchi improving, Satoko unfortunately may be on her way out of the Japanese team altogether.

I think Satoko is already losing her status, for the reasons you mentioned. She is only 20, and that is sad. With the exception of Kihira, none of the senior Japanese ladies are consistent. Katrina is beautiful when she is on, but she has had some poor skates. Higuchi is even more inconsistent. Mi hara (autocorrect refuses to let me type her name correctly) is still untested. IMO it may be too risky for the Japanese fed to prematurely write off Miyahara. She is one of the most reliable skaters today.
 

whiteskates

Well-Known Member
Messages
453
Rika Kihira is very good and may very well win Worlds but I was a bit dissapointed in her free skate music. I found it difficult and and a bit boring. Am I the only one?
 

Spun Silver

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,130
Rika Kihira is very good and may very well win Worlds but I was a bit dissapointed in her free skate music. I found it difficult and and a bit boring. Am I the only one?
I quite liked it, especially after the sugary Claire de Lune. The music (Jennifer Thomas, A Beautiful Storm) didn't make a strong impression on me, but it was a more modern and mature program, and she handled it well. I was relieved she didn't pick R&J or Carmen!
 

kwanatic

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,759
I am afraid Satoko's low PCS and called under-rotations are due to Rika being the new star. I think Satoko will slowly loose her status in the Japanese team, even as number 2. Kaori's skating skills and jumps are stellar, she may well take second spot from Satoko at the upcoming Nationals already. With Mihara and Higuchi improving, Satoko unfortunately may be on her way out of the Japanese team altogether.

I definitely disagree there. The URs took Satoko out of the running here but she's still clearly ahead of the rest of the pack.

If you check Satoko's TES at the end of her FS performance she'd earned 75.25 which is right on the mark of what she earned at SA for a clean skate (75.00 TES total). Had she rotated all of her jumps her PCS would have likely been around the SA/NHK mark (70-71); they were lower here due to the mistakes. Now add in a clean SP (73-74) and she has a total scoring potential of 218-220. 218+ would have placed her 3rd at the GPF. Satoko has scored 219+ twice this year (SA & NHK); no one else in the Japanese field (aside from Rika) has earned scores anywhere near to that.

Kaori's highest score is 213+; Mai's is 209+; Mako Yamashita's is 203+; and Higuchi has been injured this season (181+). Rika is the new #1 but Satoko is still the clear #2 by a long shot over the rest of the field. There is a significant PCS gap between Satoko and the rest and that makes a huge difference.

Satoko's issue has always been URs. She needs to get back to the form she had at the beginning of the season to minimize those mistakes. Rika aside, none of the other Japanese competitors can beat Satoko unless she beats herself first. If she's clean/close to clean at nationals they won't be able to touch her.
 

Erin

Banned Member
Messages
10,472
Rika Kihira is very good and may very well win Worlds but I was a bit dissapointed in her free skate music. I found it difficult and and a bit boring. Am I the only one?

Not me. I agree the free skate music is difficult and I don't know if I would like it if the program wasn't so good, but I think that program is choreographed so beautifully and perfectly to the music that I'm pulled in every time. That first step sequence in particular is amazing.

The short program, OTOH, is pretty generic. And her packaging in that program (the dress, the hair ribbon) does her no favours.
 

Fiero425

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,302
Rika Kihira is very good and may very well win Worlds but I was a bit dissapointed in her free skate music. I found it difficult and and a bit boring. Am I the only one?

Watching GP Final now with the Ladies' SP! Zagitova so mirrors Tara Lipinski meteoric rise just in time to snatch MK's thunder with GP Final & Worlds Golds before Olympic glory the following season! Never really looked into why she didn't return! Kihira to maybe steal AZ's thunder! Anyway, I can't remember such dominance overall with the Russians! As an American we always seemed to represent, but the pickin's have been thin for a while on the Ladies' side of things! The MEN more dominant with plenty of talent pushing the elites! The Ladies just can't compete very well on the Int'l stage! Now this is a lame "LAYMAN's observations where I haven't paid that much attn. to figure skating since the days of Plushenko! I haven't kept up as much so Zagitova coming out of the blue was a bit of a culture shock since US women's only real claim to fame now is Nagasu's 3-axil completion in the team event of the Olympics! Am I wrong? Tennell got a Bronze on the GP, but more shock is she held off Evgenia Medvedeva! :rolleyes: :COP: :oksana1: :sarah1: :sasha1:
 

Finsta

Well-Known Member
Messages
338
Zagitova is much better skater than Lipinski was, but the comparison is similar. This has tended to happen Olympic year. The favorite ladies skater not winning seems the norm. I wonder who is waiting to take the gold at next Olympics. I do not see shock in Tennell beating Medvedeva in this rebuilding, new coach, injuries, new style year for Medvedeva. I would see shock if Tennell beat Zagitova this season.
 

Colonel Green

Well-Known Member
Messages
13,930
Plus, we've seen Rika in the new-senior, no-pressure phase. How will she react to being talked about as a potential world champ in her first season in seniors? So far she seems unflappable but it's not easy being the favorite, as Alina could tell her.
I mean, we just saw her under pressure at the Grand Prix Final, where she went in with everybody saying she could beat Zagitova in a straight fight (as opposed to having Zagitova beat herself, as in Milan). And she did, in form about as good as her best previous competitions.
 

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