Grand Prix Final 2012/2013 @Sochi, Russia

Wow, it looks great!

I hope we won't get any more withdrawals.

What are your guys' podium predictions?

For ladies I think it's going to be:

1. Ashley
2. Mao
3. Akiko

It feels so wrong for me not to pick Mao for first. She shouldn't be loosing to Ashley, and Mao at her best would beat Ashley at her best any day - but that's the thing. Mao is NOT at her best yet. I really hope Mao proves me wrong, but I think it's a safe bet to put Ashley in 1st just for the sake of being right.

What I HOPE it will be:
1. Mao
2. Christina
3. Ashley

For the other disciplines, I don't really have a strong preference for placements.

For guys, it's the safest bet to say Patrick will win. As far as the other two spots though, it could really go any which way. Here is what my best guess is:

1. Patrick
2. Yuzu
3. Taka

Pairs:

1. Volosozhar & Trankov
2. Pang & Tong
3. Kavaguti & Smirnov

well i disagree star, even if Mao isn't at her best, as long as she nails the short and skates even a little better then at COC she will and should win easily. but you know what, at this point i don't care what color her medal will be, just seeing her at the finals is greatest highlight and joy for me.
I am really soo in love with her programs, she brings something to the ice that's irreplaceable.

I just wish that we would get some practice clips or interview, cause what I am afraid of now is the mental issue, i bet she feels she has a lot of pressure to be in her best condition.

and I sometimes really feel guilty when thinking of how much pressure Mao must feel, cause my expectations are like always really high, but it's because i know what Mao is capable of, we all know that Mao would blow this whole field of if she is in condition. I hope and believe in both Mao and Sato's training, and that she is regaining form.

what I'm worried about is the news about Mao trying to add additional speed when doing her jumps, because THAT was clearly what messed some of her jumps in COC, so i really hope that if it's to early, that Mao goes back to do the jumps the way she always does, and then continue her practice on it after the GPF!

Some predictions:

Ladies

Ashley
Mao
Liza

Men

Patrick
Yuzuru
Javier/Daisuke

Mao_Asada_sunrise wrote:

Alokya wrote:

I read on Twitter that Kiira has been sick and has only resumed training this week. I hope this GPF isn't a tale of woe...

Aw!!! Where did you get this?

WorldFigureSkating retweeted something from someone, as did FromTheBoards. It was just something random I saw, but it made me sad - I really love Kiira's skating.

My predictions:

Women
1. Mao (GET YOUR JUMPS TOGETHER, GIRL)
2. Ashley
3. Akiko

Men
1. Yuzuru
2. Patrick Chan
3. Dai
I WANT three Japanese men on the podium, though. Make it happen, boys! Show the ISU that the three-per-country rule is idiotic!

Dance
1. Davis/White (their FD has had better reception than Tessa and Scott's slightly too inappropriate Carmen)
2. Virtue/Moir
3. Pechelat/Bourzat

Pairs
1. Volosozhar/Trankov
2. Pang Qing/Jiang Tong
3. Duhamel/Radford

beat the crap out of everyone Mao

Go Maoo GO Maoooo, arrrg i feel soo excited to see her again!

l-spiralmao wrote:

Some predictions:

Ladies

Ashley
Mao
Liza

Men

Patrick
Yuzuru
Javier/Daisuke

The rest of my predictions (sorry I was in a rush)

Ice Dance

V/M
D/W
P/B

Junior Ladies

Radionova
Wang
Miyahara

Junior Men

Farris
Kovtun
Brown

Junior Ice Dance

S/B
A/E
P/C

Yuzuru arrived around half day earlier than others with 13 hours dalay he said he got used to that (delay)
Akiko, Taka and Dai arrived last night.
Akiko http://www.47news.jp/news/photonews/2012/12/post_20121205094206.php
Taka http://www.47news.jp/news/photonews/2012/12/post_20121205094157.php
Dai http://www.47news.jp/news/photonews/2012/12/post_20121205093956.php

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&rel=j7&k=2012120500458
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20121205-1055764.html
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/sports/news/CK2012120502000261.html

Dai has been in Moscow for couple days and went to Sochi from Moscow
ETA: wrong information I saw somewhere that Mao was with Taka when they were on their way to Russia...don't know where she is or just don't want to be interviewed by media. but she is already in Russia for sure.

Thank you for the pictures shikure!! I hope we can see some pics of Mao and Taka together this week!

apparently...those information that Mao left Japan with taka was wrong
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20121205-1055954.html

Mao just left Japan or maybe ppl saw them moving from Nagoya to Narita together, then only Taka left earlier due to practice schedule.
Not sure if she is going to skip practice or go to practice directly like what she did in Nice.

CharlieaWhite:

Quote :

The view from my room here in Sochi! Soon we'll get to go to the rink.

Arena


Not bad

Ice rink

for the pics, Aysa and shikure!

Thank you for the photos, sikure and polosatik!!!

Kirra

"Back cramps and stomach flu, not a perfect way to get prepared for the GP final,
BUT I survived and now I'm on my way to Sochi! Yes!!! "
5 hours ago

About online viewing of GPF:

ISU provides the following links for online stream --

http://livemanager.eurovision.edgesuite.net/isu/site/index.html

NB: "The ISU Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating will be available on the ISU Skating Channel (due to television right restrictions, the event will not be available in Europe, Canada, USA, Japan, China and Korea)" Also, this does NOT include JGPF!

Enjoy!

According to the dispatch below, it is reported that Mao has a problem with her waist.
So she will not execute 3A and hope it will be better because she will practice not often
as she did in Japan

http://www.google.co.jp/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=2&ved=0CC8QqQIoADAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdaily.co.jp%2Fnewsflash%2Fgeneral%2F2012%2F12%2F05%2F0005578044.shtml&ei=hF2_UO4o0MmsB8_CgPAE&usg=AFQjCNGuVJCLjHH9bgD9DBUlFgjF-TSYEg

Thanks for the pics guys. I saw news saying that all the Japanese skaters except Mao were present at the practise. I think Mao was 'again' the last one arriving I hope her hip won't be a problem for her.

My predictions for men and ladies:

men: Chan,Yuzu, Taka

ladies: Ashley, Akiko, Mao

Mao said that TAT will come and watch ! so good to hear that she has such a great bond with TAT.

Thanks everyone for the news and pics.

ddmm wrote:

I think Mao was 'again' the last one arriving I hope her hip won't be a problem for her.

Oh no, I don't like this, I hope it's nothing serious.

ddmm wrote:

Mao said that TAT will come and watch ! so good to hear that she has such a great bond with TAT.

This is great news! Oh, how cool woud it be if Mao would manage to have a magical performance in the FP and TAT watching it live.

ballerinamao wrote:

beat the crap out of everyone Mao

Go Maoo GO Maoooo, arrrg i feel soo excited to see her again!

THIS! But her hip problem does worry me. If practising 3A has caused this, I'm seriously going to start hating this jump.

Anyway my predictions:

ladies

1. Mao/Ashley (if Mao manages to have a relatively clean skate with minor mistakes, she should win this easily, imo)
2. Ashley/Mao
3. Liza/Akiko

Men
1. Yuzu (I hope he'll beat the crap out of Chan)
2. Chan
3. Dai/Javi
my dream podium for men: 1. Yuzu, 2. Javi, 3. Taka/Dai

Pairs
1. Volosozhar/Trankov (it would take a meltdown of masive proportion for them to not win this)
2. Kavaguti/Smirnov
3. Duhamel/Ratford

Ice dance
1. Davis/White (imo, they have better programs than canadians)
2. Virtue/Moir
3. Pechalat/Bourzat (but I'd love to see Capellini/LaNote in 3rd instead )

Oh no, Mao is injured? I hope it's not serious!

http://samuraiskiy.livejournal.com/602221.html Here you can see more pics of "Grand building" and also Olympic village(if you can call it so for now )

oh no, Mao please no injury, it's probably because she was practicing the 3A, and wanted to include it at the gpf. anyway I pray that it isn't anything serious!

l-spiralmao wrote:

Alokya wrote:

I read on Twitter that Kiira has been sick and has only resumed training this week. I hope this GPF isn't a tale of woe...

Whhhhyyyyyyyyy???????????

Dear skategods:

Whhyyyyy has this GP season been filled with sooooo many injuries??



l-spiralmao

I hope the hip injury is nothing serious too. Also, does Mao have a cold? I see in the one picture she is wearing a mask. I've always heard they don't do anything to prevent you from catching a bug, but they do help prevent a sick person from spreading it.

On a side note: I heard this about the new rink in Sochi: "The smooth, curving lines of the building’s façade are intended to evoke the trajectory of a figure skater performing a triple axel." I'm going to look at this as a lucky sign for Mao. For this competition obviously not, since she can't do the 3A this time. But for the Olympics, how perfect will it be for Mao to skate in a building like that where she's the only woman who can do a 3A?

Star85 wrote:

I hope the hip injury is nothing serious too. Also, does Mao have a cold? I see in the one picture she is wearing a mask. I've always heard they don't do anything to prevent you from catching a bug, but they do help prevent a sick person from spreading it.

On a side note: I heard this about the new rink in Sochi: "The smooth, curving lines of the building’s façade are intended to evoke the trajectory of a figure skater performing a triple axel." I'm going to look at this as a lucky sign for Mao. For this competition obviously not, since she can't do the 3A this time. But for the Olympics, how perfect will it be for Mao to skate in a building like that where she's the only woman who can do a 3A?

she has been the only one who does this jump since she was a junior!