Olympics Time Again!
If you remember from 2008, I'm absolutely in love with the Olympics. Things haven't changed. And our first Olympics post of this Olympics is about something my sister Sarah loves, figure skating. Today, we shall analyze the men's possibilities.
First, do the US men have a chance of resolving their medal drought? The US men haven't won a gold medal since Brian Boitano, 1998 in Calgary. And they've been pretty short on all medals since then as well. Do they have a chance this year? The short answer, yes they do. We're coming in with Evan Lysacek, reigning World Champion and the man who beat Lysacek soundly at the Nationals, Jeremy Abbott. Plus Johnny Weir, but I don't have much hope for him. Why? Weir is inconsistent and a diva. That's why. But, back to Abbott and Lysacek. Lysacek is consistent and artistic and well-experienced in international competitions, where Abbott has little experience in international competition (not none, just little). Abbott, however, still beat Lysacek by a good margin at Nationals. Abbott is technically advanced and artistically superior. If you don't believe me on that one, watch his Nationals performances, preferably without commentary. Then realize that not only was that beautiful, but he landed a quad, a triple axel-triple toe combo, and a triple lutz-triple toe-double loop combo in there. And Abbott is the only one on the US team with a quad.
But that doesn't mean he's the only one in the world landing quads. Oh no, that's where Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko is a huge threat to US hopes. He is consistently landing multiple quadruple axels (by the way, Abbott is only landing quadruple toe, less technically valuable than a quadruple axel). France's star skater, Brian Joubert, also has a solid quad, but he is artistically lacking. Canada's hope, Patrick Chan, is strong and on home-turf but just coming off of an injury. And though the Japanese aren't the first picks for the gold, they'll be ones to watch.
My predictions: Plushenko and Abbott are the two to watch. Do I think that Lysacek will come out with a medal? Yes, I do. He is the reigning World Champion and has said that he won't let what happened in Torino happen again (he came out of Torino with no medal, landing in 4th by a few points). He wants his Olympic medal badly, and he's 25 years old. Will he be able to compete in 2014 at the Sochi Russia Winter Olympics? Probably not. Do I think he'll come out with a gold? Not sure, and leaning towards probably not. If it's not him, it's Plushenko or Abbott.
I've put myself out there. If I'm wrong, I apologize, but this is what I think.
First, do the US men have a chance of resolving their medal drought? The US men haven't won a gold medal since Brian Boitano, 1998 in Calgary. And they've been pretty short on all medals since then as well. Do they have a chance this year? The short answer, yes they do. We're coming in with Evan Lysacek, reigning World Champion and the man who beat Lysacek soundly at the Nationals, Jeremy Abbott. Plus Johnny Weir, but I don't have much hope for him. Why? Weir is inconsistent and a diva. That's why. But, back to Abbott and Lysacek. Lysacek is consistent and artistic and well-experienced in international competitions, where Abbott has little experience in international competition (not none, just little). Abbott, however, still beat Lysacek by a good margin at Nationals. Abbott is technically advanced and artistically superior. If you don't believe me on that one, watch his Nationals performances, preferably without commentary. Then realize that not only was that beautiful, but he landed a quad, a triple axel-triple toe combo, and a triple lutz-triple toe-double loop combo in there. And Abbott is the only one on the US team with a quad.
But that doesn't mean he's the only one in the world landing quads. Oh no, that's where Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko is a huge threat to US hopes. He is consistently landing multiple quadruple axels (by the way, Abbott is only landing quadruple toe, less technically valuable than a quadruple axel). France's star skater, Brian Joubert, also has a solid quad, but he is artistically lacking. Canada's hope, Patrick Chan, is strong and on home-turf but just coming off of an injury. And though the Japanese aren't the first picks for the gold, they'll be ones to watch.
My predictions: Plushenko and Abbott are the two to watch. Do I think that Lysacek will come out with a medal? Yes, I do. He is the reigning World Champion and has said that he won't let what happened in Torino happen again (he came out of Torino with no medal, landing in 4th by a few points). He wants his Olympic medal badly, and he's 25 years old. Will he be able to compete in 2014 at the Sochi Russia Winter Olympics? Probably not. Do I think he'll come out with a gold? Not sure, and leaning towards probably not. If it's not him, it's Plushenko or Abbott.
I've put myself out there. If I'm wrong, I apologize, but this is what I think.
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