WOMEN & PAIRS PREVIEW for 2024 World Figure Skating Championships |
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- Part One of our World Figure Skating Championships 2024 preview focuses on the deep field of the Women’s event, and the volatile and unpredictable Pairs competition. We also discuss the controversial Ice Dance Rhythm Dance themes for the next two seasons, Audrey Shin’s move to Pairs, and Ilia Malinin’s practice 4T+4A sequence.
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:59 - Ice Dance Announcements
9:00 - Audrey Shin Pairs News
12:38 - Women’s Competition Preview
27:39 - Women’s Podium Predictions
29:10 - Pairs’ Competition Preview
46:25 - Pairs Podium Picks
48:15 - Ilia Malinin's 4T+4A
49:45 - Wrap-Up
The 2024 World Figure Skating Championships are so close we can smell the Montreal bagels - which means it’s a good time for us to start talking about the biggest competition of the year!
In this episode, we’re focusing on the Women’s and Pairs events - which both start on Wednesday, March 20th and promise to serve up some surprises.
Women’s Competition Preview
For all that this field has a few clear standouts, it also has a deep pool of talent standing right behind them ready to step forward.
Kaori Sakamoto - the reigning two time World Champion from Japan - comes in as the favorite, but not an untouchable one. While she’s had a very strong, consistent season and garnered the highest score of any women this year, Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx isn’t far behind.
Loena has two Worlds medals, but neither of them are gold. We expect she’ll be vying for a spot on the podium and - if she can skate cleanly - maybe even in the hunt for the top spot.
Right behind these two powerful medal favorites fighting for gold are two more young Japanese favorites, Mone Chiba and Hana Yoshida, who will definitely be in the hunt. South Korea’s Chaeyeon Kim, Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova, Belgium’s Nina Pinzarrone, and the two American women - Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito - are all also capable of taking a medal.
Not completely out of consideration is last year’s World Silver medalist, Haein Lee from South Korea, who’s had a rough season but is entirely capable of pulling off an upset if she’s at her best.
Considering there’s even more great talent not named above that will be giving their all in Montreal, this has the potential to be the best women’s event we’ve seen since the Beijing Olympics.
Pairs Competition Preview
The pairs discipline has been a bit of a wild ride this season. From super high highs (looks at you, Deanna and Maxine) to fairly disappointing lows (sadly thinking of the US Nationals right now), we’re unsure what to think - but definitely hoping for a big, bold battle for the podium here.
If they are at even close to their best, Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps will be the class of this field. Whether that translates to gold or not will likely be based on how clean they are and how strong teams like Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase & Nikita Volodin and reigning World Champs, Japan’s Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara skate.
Italy also has two powerful, if inconsistent, teams that could definitely be in the medal mix in newly crowned European champions, Lucrezia Beccari & Matteo Guarise and last year’s World bronze medalists, Sarah Conti & Niccolo Macii.
Also in the conversation, 2024 World Junior Champions from Georgia, Anastasiia Metelkina & Luka Berulava may have faltered at their past two competitions, but are not to be underestimated.
And don’t discount last year’s fifth place finishers, Emily Chan & Spencer Akira Howe from the US. We haven’t seen them much this season due to a injury, but what we did see was noteworthy enough to keep an eye on them for a top 5 finish again.
There’s at least five other teams that could pull off an upset based on what we’ve seen this season, so we recommend to expect the unexpected in this discipline in Montreal.
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as someone who started watching Ice Dance this season, I actually enjoyed the 80s theme there were many programs I really enjoyed when the pics were more creative and not the same three songs. If this change got me into ice dance I would believe more normies would tune in to watch ice dance with this new dance party theme because it's music they are familiar with and love.
Yes, overall we think the 80s theme is a lot of fun! And *anything* to diversify the kinds of music the skaters use is a good thing. In a world full of great music, picking the same songs over and over just doesn't help the sport. Part of what should make FS marketable to new audiences is its connection to music. Setting RD themes-however flawed-designed to appeal to wider viewership is an understandable move.
Thoroughly enjoyed part 1 and preview of the preview for part 2!🤣 Can't wait for next week. I think you guys put out a brilliant, sparkling episode. At this point, I almost don't even care who makes the podium, it's just gonna be so exciting to see them get there! (But I did thoroughly enjoy your predictions and wishlists.😊)
✨ We have so many favorite skaters at this point, there are dozens of podium combinations that would make us happy! ✨
Audrey Shin as a pair skater, I am here for it. Plus, American Pairs need new blood. I am concerned about keeping three spots for Worlds in Pairs for the US.
We share that same concern!
For women I think the podium could be Kaori first, Loena second, for third place there are lots of possibilities I can't decide....
Assuming Kaori and Loena skate up to their potential, that third podium spot is nearly anyone's game!
I think riku and ryuichi still have a chance to be in podium if they have a small mistake. If they skate CLEAN, they could win!!! but same as you guys I’m already happy to see them skate at worlds🥰🥰
also they still have components score advantage
For sure! We know Riku & Ryu have everything it takes to be gold, it's really just a matter of conditioning and confidence, and how the ice treats everyone that week.
I can't wait to hear next week's podcast!
I so appreciate your analysis and thoughts! Excited for Worlds!!
Thank you! We're hyped! (And like we said in the episode, more than a little anxious, too...)
All I hope is that Canada won’t lose their 3 pairs spots, especially with Fiona now! While I don’t expect Deanna and Max to win, I hope they skate well
Fingers crossed!
I'm going to be honest; for the pain; I have no idea because all are capable to be medalled, based if they are healthy and confident in their skills and competed their own both programs cleanly would definitely determine the higher score in both programs: the judging system is subjective artistically but the technical skills are precise. I'm biased, I only routed and cheered for my own country USA!!! 1st Canadian pair 2nd United States of America 3rd Germany 4th Australia 5th Canadian 6th Hungarian/ Georgian/ Japan 9th United States of America 10th Canadian/Italian/United States of America/ Ukrainean for the top 15 ...
but I stand corrected for pairs but I am not 🚭🚫 giving up on our pairs: I heard that Gracie Gold is trying for pairs skating and I hope that they represent USA, but with Gabby Iszo and that her partner decided to represent Canada and Gabby Iszo decided to represent Canada instead and her partner got another partner and Gabby decided to retire; if she waited for The Colorado Pair Group/ Association to found her an partner to represent United States, she might have been at US National Championship but the cart before the horse and cause her to retire... NOW, the women:1st Japan 2nd Japan 3rd United States of America/ Belgium/ Korean skaters 4th Sweden/ Korean/ United States of America/Canadian/ Georgian/ French skaters; but I stand corrected!!! Everyone believes that Japanese Kario S should win hands down and 2nd place and 3rd place up to grab, so I stand corrected!!!! I am biased and I am routing for Isabeau Levito because she has no pressure now and she has a good coach to keep her focus and she is still our raising star, but the pressure is on Amber Glenn as US National Champion and hopefully she can pull it together to execute her technical program well and execute her free program but they can't change their free program technical elements so the judging system is still subjective and precise with technical skills component. Elle Klam had a slight concussion during the Grand Prix and I thought 🤔 that she improved and Four Continents, Klam and O'Shea medalled for 3rd place so I am not counting them out to be in the top 10 at least and I believe that Plazas and Fernandez would be after the top 10 hopefully and what I want to win and medalled for Worlds is USA all the way!!! By the way, Worlds Juniors Synchronized Skating Championship: 1st Canada, 2nd Finland 3rd United States of America 4th United States of America 5th Finland 6th Canada 7th Sweden 8th Italy 9th Switzerland 10th Japan of 2024 : I thought 🤔 that I shared this with you guys!!! But I found out that the technical short program had to be near perfection and no mistakes or wobbly in each element for the grade of execution and rather each team would take a risk to obtain a good score or faltered and everyone had to be Synchronized and that was a challenge like pairs and ice dance contenders, but I am hoping that we medalled in each discipline for the USA because they are capable, and like the other countries, they are our best to compete Internationally!!!! Let's face it; our former pair team retired and now they are coaching for seniors and Junior's pair teams; the US junior pairs MEDALLED 2nd and 3rd; and they are new teams so anything is possible!!!! Food for thought; junior competition and senior competition are different in rules and regulations and those rules and regulations vary so the Georgian team is good but also the Australian team that was juniors and Grand Prix winners in 2022-23, and just as good as the Georgian pair team, so that would be an impressive competition in itself: but I expect the Canadians to medal in their own HOUSE so I am not counting them out in each discipline as I am not 🚭🚫 counting the USA out either... Canada is our beloved and nemesis neighbor so it is going to be exciting and competitive skating from all the countries as it was in World Championship of Track and Field and the United States of America had received twenty medals for their effort and performance individually and collectively in Scotland so I am not 🚭🚫 giving up hope for the AMERICANS who are against all odds: GO USA all the way!!!! 😅😅😂
Do you think that both Amber and Isabeau need to have a good showing in order to keep their standing in the USA? This is due to Josephine Lee , Sarah Everheart, and the return of Alissa Liu.
The US is definitely counting hard on Amber and Isabeau at this Worlds-if they don't deliver in that tough field and we lose spots for the next Worlds (which is a terrible, unfair system) the conversation is definitely gonna get more complicated.
The USFS & NBC are deeply invested in the Isabeau-as-queen narrative. Don't see that altering much unless: 1) she really goes downhill next season, 2) Amber podiums at Worlds but Isabeau does poorly, and/or 3) if Alysa comes back strong and starts swiping all the podiums.
Joey is so promising, but only seems to shine at nationals. The rest of her season, including that low finish at Junior Worlds, doesn't speak to consistency yet. Sarah could become the bigger threat, if her artistry grows alongside her powerful jumps.
We were happy to see the conversation change this season as everybody started to take Amber more seriously. The US needs to stop putting 90% of its focus on a single skater like Isabeau, and diversify that attention and support.
I think Pairs will be Minerva and Nikita's - they've got their poor performance 'blip' at the Europeans out their system - their rate of improvement this season will carry them over the line.
I think Deanna puts far too much pressure on Maxime and he'll make mistakes.
H/V are definitely serious gold threats. We haven't seen them since Euros so don't know how their training has been going. But you're correct, if they've shaken off that one poor event, the gold is within their reach. You might be right about Deanna-her hyper competitiveness could be a liability in that regard.
I am concerned that if Isabeau continues down the path she is on, she will not make the Olympic Team in 2026.
We're really hoping that this break between US Nat's and Worlds has given her time to regroup, retrain, and fix some issues. Pretty much everyone expected her jump technique to fail eventually. They've got 2 years to repair it, or that Olympic dream could indeed vanish.
There's only one Chinese pairs team at Worlds this year - Peng/Wang should finish in the top 10 if they can land the jumps - and then China would have two entries next season.
Ah, we pulled the entries list from the ISU website and didn't notice that Zhang/Wang were listed as substitute entries.
The guy talking in this video is clueless about Isabeau Levito. She had a big growth spurt, and she was petrified about losing her crown at Nationals (she went on the defensive not attacking), but sometimes skaters have to crash at a major competition (like Michelle Kwan did at 1996 Nationals), in order for everything to fall into perspective. But for this guy to basically discount Isabeau was a mistake, as she’s now the 2024 Worlds silver medalist, and is a FAR BETTER ARTIST on the ice compared to everyone else in that field. Never underestimate this 17 yr old prodigy.
"this guy" 🤣 We did totally underestimate Isabeau, and we're so excited for her silver medal win here (and for us to be wrong)! We based our prediction on her last several showings, which-you'd have to admit-weren't so great. Even she looked pretty surprised at how well she performed.
As for "far better artist" and your other comments about Kaori and Loena's artistry, it's clear you have a subjective favorite and that's great, but you won't find us agreeing with you there. Kaori and Loena both bring something different and beautiful to the sport, and there's a good reason that Kaori is the decorated, dominate beloved skater she is - and it's not just jumps.
Trennt Michaud meeshow not meeshad
You're correct, we'll try and get that right going forward.
I appreciate your enthusiasm. But lets get real other than maybe the men there is not the best depth. These pair teams going for gold would be lucky to be top 5 if the Russians were here and if it wasn't for the act China and Canada aren't great in pairs this is not a great time in pairs skating. No amazing twists. No super hard jumps or single combo jumps. NO C level throws. No jaw dropping programs. We don't have a wow dance team and these ladies do not have the tech or programs of greats!
You're so much fun. How "deep" is the best depth?
We’ve talked *a lot* this season about our concerns with the pairs discipline overall. We're grateful there are some teams to be excited about at Worlds - but agree that we’re missing much of the technical firepower of the past.
Looking at the women’s event, there's certainly a gap between the top women and the rest of the field. But since there are many competitors on a similar level (even if they are not the highest scoring) we’re hoping to see a good competition. Also, points aren't the only thing we watch this sport for! They are tons of amazing skaters who we love watching, even if they aren't world class technically.
In terms of the dance, agree to disagree - we’re big Chock and Bates fans, and are genuinely excited to see a lot of these teams. Especially younger teams like Canada’s Lajoie and Lagha, that we feel could be the big teams of the future.
Kaori and Loena, while I admire the jumps, the artistry is just not there. Kaori’s scores are too high because she’s capitalized and benefited from the Russian ban. If this were figure jumping instead of skating, Kaori wins easy, but it is skating, and 17 yr old Isabeau Levito was the only skater who brought a full package performance.