Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Зимние Олимпийские игры 2010 в Ванкувере || Winter Olympic games 2010 in Vancouver

Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby dimi » 12 Feb 2010, 01:56

PLushy arrived in Vancouver , his flight has landed two hours ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plush48

OPEN THE THREAD!!!!! He is in Olympics!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ya_hoo_oo:
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 12 Feb 2010, 02:14

Ирина wrote:из аэропорта :-):
....
http://zvezdanews.ru/video/0039317/

Download this video... :mi_ga_et:

2010-02-11 Airport - Plushy departure from Russia (Zvezda news).flv
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ejmyodajzez



dimi wrote:
Ирина wrote:http://www.1tv.ru/newsvideo/160979
[flash=322,288]http://www.1tv.ru/nvideo/160979


what Plushy says in the video??? :smu:sche_nie:

so cute, so happy!
Keep the smile evgeni!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :plush32:

Nothing in that video :hi_hi_hi: - only in "Ria novosti" video said that he will not give anyone a statements during the Olympics - this is his "old", successful tradition, and he does not intention to change something :-):
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 12 Feb 2010, 03:05

http://en.rian.ru/sports/20100211/157845078.html
MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti)

Plushenko after Vancouver gold, ready to face pressure - coach

Evgeni Plushenko is in good shape to win the Olympic gold and is ready to face pressure on the ice and beyond in Vancouver, the coach training the legendary Russian figure skater said on Thursday.

"Zhenya (shortened name of Evgeni) is in the right mood, he is in good physical shape and has his skills. He just needs a little luck," Alexei Mishin said at a Moscow airport before departing for Canada.

Mishin said the Russian figure skating team is "powerful" enough, but winning Olympic prizes will be difficult as a fierce fight will break out on the rink and around it.

"We are prepared to face pressure. I do not expect a warm welcome. The Russian team is very strong, therefore we face a struggle on the skating rink and beyond," Mishin said in an apparent reference to the 2002 Olympic judging controversy involving the Russian and Canadian pairs figure-skaters.

The scandal in Salt Lake City, when a French judge admitted bias in favor of Russia's Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, led to a major scoring overhaul. Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were also awarded gold medals after a furious debate that engulfed the Games for nearly a week.

Plushenko, the 2006 Olympic winner and three-time world champion, denied an interview on Thursday saying it was bad luck. "I do not give interviews before major competitions," he said.

The 27-year-old returned to the ice late last year - after a three-year retirement he himself imposed following his stunning performance in Torino - easily winning an international Moscow cup in October and the Russian national championship in December. He also triumphed at last month's European Championships.

In an earlier interview, Plushenko said he hopes to perform two quadruple jumps in his free skating program in Vancouver.

The other contenders for the men's singles throne include Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, former world champion Brian Joubert from France, and Canadian favorite Patrick Chan.

The Canadian city will host the Winter Games on February 12-28. Figure skating events begin on February 14.
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 12 Feb 2010, 03:11

http://olymp2010.rian.ru/figskating2010 ... 72634.html
11/02/2010 12:02

Плющенко готов замахнуться на золото Ванкувера - тренер фигуриста

МОСКВА, 11 фев - РИА Новости. Удача и мастерство должны помочь российскому фигуристу Евгению Плющенко завоевать золотую медаль XXI зимних Олимпийских игр, которые пройдут 12-28 февраля в Ванкувере, заявил тренер действующего чемпиона Европы Алексей Мишин.

"Настрой у Жени правильный, физическое состояние на высоком уровне, мастерство есть. Хотелось бы еще немного везения, удачи", - сказал Мишин в столичном аэропорту Шереметьево в четверг перед вылетом в столицу Олимпиады.

Сам Плющенко не стал давать журналистам интервью, объяснив свой отказ суеверием.

"У меня примета: я не даю интервью перед серьезными стартами", - сказал он.

"Его позиция сформировалась много лет назад, - пояснил Мишин. - Он давно стал звездой фигурного катания. Его задача не говорить, а кататься".

Вместе с тем тренер отметил хорошую готовность сборной России по фигурному катанию и выразил надежду, что россияне смогут достойно выступить на Олимпиаде.

"В начале сезона я смотрел пессимистически на готовность сборной России. Но работа, которая была проделана региональными спорткомитетами и федерациями была настолько большой, что моя позиция изменилась. Сейчас сборная России выглядит очень мощно", - отметил Мишин.

Однако добраться до пьедестала почета, по его мнению, будет непросто, поскольку борьба за медали развернется не только на льду, но и за его пределами.

"Мы готовы к тому, что будет определенное давление, прессинг. Не думаю, что нас встретят с распростертыми объятиями. Российская команда очень сильная, поэтому нам предстоит очень сложная борьба не только на арене, но и за ее пределами", - сказал именитый тренер.
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 12 Feb 2010, 05:43

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-feature ... 08208.html
Feb 11, 1:58p By Matt Stroup

International stars set to shine in Vancouver
Crosby, Heil and Plushenko among those facing gold-medal pressure


Beyond the 216 athletes competing for the U.S. in Vancouver, there are upwards of 2,500 athletes representing more than 80 nations worldwide at the XXI Olympic Winter Games. Here's a look at 10 prominent international stars to watch:
...

Yevgeny Plushenko, Russia, Figure Skating:
Retired for three years after his Olympic gold in Torino, Plushenko returned to competition this season and promptly recaptured the European title. The 27-year-old sports car enthusiast has achieved true A-list status in Russia - his wedding, streamed live on the Internet, featured guests such as former WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev, Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Svetlana Khorkina and a handful of Russian music stars. Plushenko has also made a name for himself politically in his home nation, serving on the St. Petersburg parliament and playing a role in the development of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

---------------------------------------------

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-feature ... +questions
Feb 11, 11:40a By Matt Stroup

Vonn, White and the 10 key Olympic questions

Answers will be abundant after the first few days of competition in Vancouver, but until then, there are more than a few questions to be asked about the upcoming edition of the Olympic Winter Games. Here are 10 of the most pressing:
....

Can Yevgeny Plushenko extend the Russian men's figure skating dynasty?
Competitors from Russia and the former Soviet Union have won the last five Olympic gold medals in the men's singles event, a streak that appeared to be in jeopardy when Plushenko retired following his gold medal in Torino. However, Plushenko returned to action this season after a three-year absence, claiming the European title to re-establish himself as the favorite for gold in 2010.

----------------------------------------------------

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?s ... &type=lgns
By Elvis Stojko, Yahoo! Sports 1 hour, 31 minutes ago

Five to watch: Men’s figure skating

Men’s figure skating will be one exciting event in Vancouver, where it really can be anybody’s game if one contender does well and another falters. Also, the jumps have to be completed, so the quadruple will be a factor.

Some would disagree with that last comment.

The naysayers believe the quadruple does not need to be included to succeed at these Olympics. However, this is a sport where the element of risk is needed. Boring is the program without the challenge. If you want to pull the “artistry” card, then go watch a show.

Artistry can mean different things to different people, and many skaters in the men’s event who have more strength and power with masculine movement have been criticized for not being artistic enough. So to level the playing field, they say, “Fine, I will add harder jumps to get the points.”

The bigger issue is that artistry in the men’s event has been defined by the judges and the people in the system. They think classical music with effeminate movement is artistic, so as soon as a male skater finishes off a movement with elegant hand gestures – bam! – they are considered artistic.

I can appreciate the talent in all skaters. But to gain more viewers – namely from the male audience – skaters need to add more power and underlying strength. I can relate to that; effeminate movement I cannot.

Here are my five to watch in the men’s competition.

Evgeni Plushenko

Being the reigning Olympic champion, the Russian faces quite a bit of pressure, but as the most consistent skater by far, he is the one to beat.

His ability to lay it down when it counts is what makes him difficult to beat under pressure. He has an arsenal of top-notch jumps, including the quadruple-toe-loop, triple-toe-loop combination in both short and long programs. Because of its high risk, not many of the men are doing this combination in the short program, though that could change at the Olympics. We’ll see who will risk it to get the points.

While the boldness and consistency of Plushenko’s jumps are his strength, his spins don’t compare to some of his competitors’, and his overall step sequences sometimes seem a little out of control. Still, the overall power is there. The step sequences don’t seem as intricate as some other skaters’, but his personality really comes through, and that connects him with the audience and judges. Another advantage is Plushenko’s dynamics and change-up of movement throughout the program – that keeps his programs from getting stale.

Plushenko has had a strong season with Cup of Russia, Russian Nationals and European Championships, and he will carry that confidence into the Games. I don’t think he’s peaked yet, and that’s a positive. A negative factor is a knee problem that should be fine if his knee holds up during his training before crunchtime. If it doesn’t, he could be skating on his heels a bit and not at his full speed.

Prediction: Plushenko is the favorite, and to beat him you have to knock him out – simply skating well won’t cut it. He’ll take home the gold.

Evan Lysacek

The reigning world champion has kept himself quite composed. Some people may think his loss at the U.S. Championships was a disappointment, but I think it’s an advantage.

Building for the Olympics is key. You never leave your best performance at a smaller competition. He tried the quadruple toe loop and missed it. To me, that showed guts, knowing he will need at least one to take down Plushenko.

A quadruple jump changes the whole dynamics of the program and is not simply added at the last minute. Lysacek has done it in the past, and getting it out there under pressure is the only way. Doing it in practice means nothing. The experience of attempting one under pressure will give you confidence the next time.

Lysacek’s jumps are quite good, but he must keep them clean since they don’t have the explosive height or power of some other men’s. His long line works to his advantage, but his arm movement can become busy, and his flailing with no connection to music can look messy.

This can get overdone throughout the program. And sometimes his movements and approach to the program become soft and lack impact. His spins are solid and positions are good. (The reason I haven’t talked much about spins is that I don’t like the new system, and all the changing of edges and weird positions kill the speed and clean look of the spin.)

With his height (6-foot-2) and long legs, the depth of his edges works to his advantage – but again, the flailing, nondescript arms can be a problem.

Prediction: A solid performance with the quad in the long and a clean short program could place him in second, but some skaters will have to underperform for him to medal.

Brian Joubert

He’s Mr. Almost But Not Quite. Other than his win at worlds in 2007, Joubert has been knocking at the door, but then when there is an opening, he misses the opportunity completely. The problem: He simply wants it too much.

The last few seasons have been up and down for the Frenchman, but I feel it’s all coming together for him. Joubert has been building toward Olympic success with some big jumps, including two quadruples in the long program and one in the short. If he hits them, he can win gold.

Joubert’s triple axel is his weak link, and he must focus to keep it in line. His spins are average, but he is using the system to his advantage. A lot of the weird positions the system asks of these skaters are unnatural, and Joubert, being a natural jumper, has a more explosive body that lends itself to expand-and-contract movement rather than long, stretched-out movements. This makes his spins tougher, but with the overall movement, he still has a more exciting program.

Some people may say Joubert is rough around the edges, but I prefer to call it real and organic skating without the fluff. One thing Joubert needs to stop doing is showing how disappointed he is after a bad skate. Skating around circles with a down attitude after the performance still affects the energy of the judges. Head up, Joubert!

Prediction: With his experience, Joubert could upset the lot and pull out a second-place finish and even push Plushenko for the top spot. He just needs to keep calm and continue to attack. But I don’t see him medaling.

Patrick Chan

At 19, the world silver medalist is the youngster in this bunch, but he handles himself as if he has been there for years. The big question is whether he can handle the pressure of being in his home country for the Games. We shall see.

Chan has the ability to medal, but he has to keep his big jumps – triple axel and triple-axel combination – consistent. Since he’s said he won’t try a quadruple jump, he’ll need a flawless performance if the competition hits its big jumps.

Overall, Chan’s jumps are strong, but they aren’t as powerful as some other skaters’. Consistency will be key in the combination jump of triple axel/triple toe loop in the long program. He will need two triple-triple combinations in the long program, along with a clean short program, to win gold.

His spins are solid and fast with good positions. His overall footwork is strong, and he has a good sense of line and awareness of his body. But sometimes Chan’s programs seem too busy and lack a connection to the music. There is a lot of sameness, and it loses the excitement. That’s why nailing the big jumps is so crucial for him.

Prediction: Chan will finish third – but if the others have trouble on the big jumps, he could place higher on the fact he played it safe. Still, aren’t the Olympics about giving everything you got?

Daisuke Takahashi

It’s great to see Takahashi back in action after being off the circuit with a knee injury. His musicality is top-notch, and his presentation is fantastic. I talk about the need for dynamics in a program, and this Japanese skater has it all the way – although at times his finishing off of a movement can come off a bit too soft and lacks the underlying masculine strength. But I’m splitting hairs here.

Takahashi’s jumps are strong, and they have great loft. The quadruple toe loop, a factor in this competition, isn’t as consistent as it could be, owing to his time off for knee surgery. But my hat’s off to him. He works all aspects of his skating: spins, the quad, and all the connecting pieces.

His personality also really shines through, more than any other skater’s in the field – though he can get a little wild with movement and lose his focus for the jumps, and the program can unravel with a stream of mistakes. He will need all his jump weapons to make it happen, and if he can keep his focus and include the quadruple toe loop, he can take it all.

Prediction: Second place with an absolute shot at first. He is most unique, but to take the top spot, he needs to land the jumps and knock out Plushenko.

Takahiko Kozuka

He may not be one of my top picks to medal, but I love to watch this skater, also from Japan. His edges and ease of skating are by far my favorites.

Strong jumps with good solid spins and skating skills make Kozuka very competitive. He has a gentleman’s style that is awesome to watch – without all the flamboyant “look at me” fluff and overly feminine finished-off movements that plague some male skaters.

Style and class are what I see in Kozuka. The only thing holding him back from the top spots is getting the jumps done under pressure, with a quad to knock them all out.
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby Ирина » 12 Feb 2010, 15:48

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..."Российский фигурист Евгений Плющенко добился уникального достижения. Он выступил на четвертых Олимпийских играх - и выиграл четвертую медаль,став двукратным олимпийским чемпионом! "...
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby Ирина » 12 Feb 2010, 23:03

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..."Российский фигурист Евгений Плющенко добился уникального достижения. Он выступил на четвертых Олимпийских играх - и выиграл четвертую медаль,став двукратным олимпийским чемпионом! "...
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 13 Feb 2010, 09:48

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... atsNewsTop
12.02.2010

Vancouver 2010: Soap Opera Digest :plush46:

Long before "Survivor," the television Olympics was a reality show, more about dramatic storylines than sports, aimed at a broad and heavily female audience, not just sports-crazed guys. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan brought this effort to its apogee. Who could ever top it?

Following a bruising battle over the Tonight Show, NBC hopes its viewers will still tune into the Olympics. NBC's image is in dire need of redemption, MarketWatch's Jon Friedman tells the News Hub panel.

But every Olympic year, TV tries. This year presents challenges. There is no cute American figure skater in a sequin-studded leotard with a serious chance at a big medal. :-) Vancouver won't be able to compete with the backdrop of Beijing. Winter is always tough for American viewers, with its hours of skeleton, curling and biathlon. But NBC, whose longtime sports chief Dick Ebersol helped ABC legend Roone Arledge write the playbook for the up-close-and-personal style, is hopeful. "My mantra is storytelling," says executive producer David Neal. "The sport becomes secondary to the athlete."

A look at some of the made-for-TV moments....

Cold War Rivalry

Image

Relations are somewhat warmer now, and the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" is a memory, but nothing drums up Olympic prime-time ratings quite like an America vs. Russia rivalry on ice. After taking the gold in 2006, Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko, above, is back and has declared himself the best in the world. Will American figure skater Evan Lysacek prove otherwise? "It's like a two-week miniseries," Mr. Neal says. ...

-------------------------------------------------------------

... translation... :hi_hi_hi:

http://www.inopressa.ru/article/12Feb20 ... ouver.html
12 февраля 2010 г. Эми Чозик | The Wall Street Journal

Ванкувер-2010: хроника мыльной оперы

Олимпийские игры уже давно превратились из спортивного состязания в реалити-шоу, ориентированное не только на мужчин, помешанных на спорте, но и на широкую женскую аудиторию, пишет The Wall Street Journal.
"Для меня главное - рассказать, - утверждает исполнительный продюсер телеканала NBC Дэвид Нил. - Спорт становится второстепенным для спортсмена".

Корреспондент The Wall Street Journal Эми Чозик предлагает публике обратить внимание на некоторые зрелищные моменты.
....

Отношения с Россией теперь теплее, и "Чудо на льду" 1980 года осталось только в воспоминаниях, но ничто так не повышает олимпийские рейтинги в прайм-тайм, как соперничество Америки с Россией на льду. Завоевав золото в 2006 году, российский фигурист Евгений Плющенко вернулся и объявил себя лучшим в мире. Докажет ли американец Эван Лисачек обратное? "Это как двухнедельный сериал", - утверждает Нил.
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 13 Feb 2010, 10:08

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61B2EK20100212
Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:09pm By Pritha Sarkar

PREVIEW-Olympics-Figure skating-Plushenko the 'mane' man to beat

VANCOUVER, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A "flying mane of blond hair" will be out to intimidate 29 of the world's top figure skaters as Yevgeny Plushenko begins his pursuit of a rare double at the Vancouver Olympics.

The fact that no man has won successive Olympic titles in almost six decades is not lost on the Russian showman, who has come out of a 3-1/2 year retirement to attempt a feat that even greats such as Alexei Yagudin did not pursue. (greater! :-) - Plushy already have 2 medals from the Olympics ::yaz-yk: )

Before Plushenko even caught a glimpse of his main rivals or tested his blades on the bright white rink inside the Pacific Coliseum, he tried to gain a psychological advantage by playing mind games with his competition. :hi_hi_hi:

The 27-year-old Turin gold medallist suggested judges could still manipulate the scoring system and that a champion with his reputation could benefit from such a situation.

If that was not enough, he also declared he had the upper hand because, unlike his North American counterparts, he had the ability to impress the judges with his show-stopping quad jumps.

It led to self-styled "American diva" Johnny Weir, the 2008 world bronze medallist, to quip: "I've been around for too long to be intimidated by a quad or a flying mane of blond hair." ;;-)))

His compatriot Evan Lysacek, one of four world champions in the field along with Plushenko, Switzerland's Stephane Lambiel and Frenchman Brian Joubert, was more circumspect and wanted to concentrate on his own strengths rather then panicking about his inability to pull off the high-scoring quads.
"This just happens to be a jump that is too dangerous for me to do it. It's a big risk factor for me," said Lysacek, who won the world title without attempting the high-risk manoeuvre.

The last woman to pull off the double, Germany's Katarina Witt, was backing Plushenko to follow in her footsteps.

"There is a big buzz about the men's competition especially with Yevgeny Plushenko coming back and just showing how strong he was at the Europeans," the 1984 and 1988 Olympic champion told Reuters.

"He's in incredible shape, he's an incredible athlete, very artistic skater out there on the ice and I bet he has a great chance to go again for the gold.".... :plush45:
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Re: Женя накануне Олимпиады|| Plushy before Olympics

Postby cekoni » 13 Feb 2010, 14:30

http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _gold.html
Published February 12, 2010 by: Nancy Miller

Evgeni Plushenko Will Win Repeat Gold in Figure Skating at Vancouver Olympics

Evan Lysacek of U.S.-- A Good Bet for Silver Medal


The start of the men's Olympic figure skating competition in Vancouver is only days away, and the contest promises to be gripping and competitive. As the men take the ice for their practice sessions in Vancouver, the one prediction I can make with confidence is that Russian comeback artist Evgeni Plushenko is on course to capture back-to-back gold medals in the men's singles competition. If he does so, he will be the first since Dick Button accomplished this feat in 1948 and 1952.

The men's short program competition will take place on Tuesday, February 16 and will be televised on NBC during the 8:00 pm to midnight block along with several other events. The men's free skate will take place on Thursday, February 18, also televised from 8:00 pm to midnight on NBC. If the coverage is like that of past years, you can count on the most exciting figure skating to take place right at the end of the time block.

Many Potential Medalists

While Plushenko is out in front of the pack, there are many other strong contenders in a large second tier.


The three U.S. men—Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, and Johnny Weir—finished in alphabetical order at the recent U.S. National Championships in Spokane. All are current or former U.S. champions, all are seasoned competitors with multiple titles and international experience. Lysacek sits at the top of the icenetwork.com men's rankings; he is both the 2009 World Champion and Grand Prix Finals Champion. But he was beaten, fair and square, by Jeremy Abbott at Nationals just about a month ago. Weir is a perennial favorite internationally, also with a long resume.

The silver medalist from Torino is also attempting a comeback: Swiss star Stephane Lambiel. Another big name from Torino reappearing in Vancouver is Brian Joubert of France, who placed a disappointing sixth in 2006 and is coming back to set matters right. When you add to that talented mix some exciting up-and-comers from Japan and Canada, and resurgent veterans from Italy and the Czech Republic, it will be an Olympics to remember.
.....

Nonetheless, the focus of this article is the men's field, which is rich with superstars and near-superstars. As someone who has followed men's skating with great interest for a long time, I predict below who will stand on the podium on February 18 in Vancouver.

Gold Medal Prediction: Evgeni Plushenko

Frankly, I believe that unless he becomes newly injured or ill within the days prior to the Olympics, Plushenko will win.
:plush45: :plush47:

Evgeni Plushenko has to be viewed as the heavy favorite to repeat his win from Torino. Although this will be his third Olympics, he is still young and vigorous at 27. He silenced any doubters about his comeback with winning performances at the Rostelcom Cup (formerly Cup of Russia) Grand Prix competition in October, the Russian National Championships, and, most recently, the European championships. Prior to fall 2009, he had been away from competitive skating since early 2006.

His performance package includes effortless-appearing quadruple jumps and jump combinations, Russian-style artistry, snappy panache and audience connection, strong traditional music, and artful choreography. He skates his free program to "Tango Amore," composed and performed by Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton—a frequent Plushenko collaborator.

He is a natural athlete and performer in a way that none of the other current top men are. His natural propensity to own the ice and command attention has been further honed during years of show skating since his retirement in 2006. At the same time, his technical credentials remain impeccable, in part because he is being coached (again) by legendary coach Alexei Mishin who aided the careers of past Russian men who took gold.

Even if his chronically ailing knees are aching somewhat in Vancouver, Plushenko may win anyway! He is so strong at delivering his trademark jumps and spins reliably that one can imagine a push-through-the-pain strategy that is actually viable. There is nothing fragile about him—not physically, mentally, or emotionally. :plush41: :hi_hi_hi:

The only potential chink in his armor worth discussing (other than serious injury) is cockiness. :-) His ebullient self-confidence is usually part of his charm, but at times borders on overconfidence. (Gesturing "number 1" before he had even completed his free program at Rostelcom Cup is a case in point.) Because he is so confident, one wonders whether he worked hard enough to develop programs for this competitive season that are sufficiently original and distinct from his past programs. However, if he skates well, all these concerns will be mere footnotes in his glorious competitive history, which extends back to 1996.

Silver Medal Prediction: Evan Lysacek

Evan Lysacek placed second at the recent U.S. Nationals, but of the U.S. men in Vancouver, he has the strongest competitive resume. He is the reigning World Champion and Grand Prix Champion and was the man closest to the podium at the Torino Olympics, placing fourth, while battling stomach flu. Jeremy Abbott and Johnny Weir have also been around the senior men's circuit for a few years, and neither has approached Lysacek for consistency.

Evan Lysacek is the top-rated skater on icenetwork.com's ranking system. He compensates for a lack of natural fluidity on the ice (the strength of his two American rivals) with intensity, effective storytelling, and dramatic cutting and thrusting arm and leg movements in a masculine style. Because he is so intense, 6' 2" tall, and covers the ice completely during his programs, he draws rapt attention from the crowd. His jumping, spinning, and footwork technique are all solid and confidence-inspiring, although he does not have a consistent quad jump in his repertoire.

He won the World Championships in Los Angeles in 2009 without using a quad jump, since his chief rivals had faltered and he presumably judged it more prudent to skate a clean program than to risk the jump. He won on the strength of a very popular and well-constructed program to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," which he skated wearing a skating version of a tuxedo, a look and image that suited him to a "t". His 2010 competitive program is perhaps just a bit more difficult for him to sell: he skates to "Scheherazade" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and he seems to lack the character portrayal element that has served him well in prior free skate programs.

The bottom line: although Evan Lysacek is not a slam dunk for the silver medal (and is a longshot for the gold), I don't see any skater around with a better chance at the number two spot. If he has a solid short program, as he usually does, and a good night for the freeskate, as he did at the World Championships, he can win silver.

Bronze Prediction: Brian Joubert

I am going out on a limb here for sure. Realistically, any one of seven different skaters could potentially land on the podium in the third slot with peak performances at the Olympics. By the way, those skaters are, in no particular order, Jeremy Abbott (U.S.), Johnny Weir (U.S.), Nobinari Oda (Japan), Stephane Lambiel (Switzerland), Patrick Chan (Canada), Tomas Verner (Czech Republic), and, of course, Brian Joubert of France. There are six or eight other skaters who are less credible but still could come through as longshots—highly talented skaters from Japan, France, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Russia, and the Czech Republic.

Given all this uncertainty, why did I pick Joubert? Not only does he hold the number two ranking on icenetwork.com (second to Lysacek), Brian Joubert has everything required to be an Olympic medalist. He has athleticism, strength, style, good costumes, choreography, and music, but he has often floundered because of his quixotic quest for the quad jumps. He brags about his quad jumps and then flubs them in competition. He has the superstar presence (and the fame in his native France), but has not yet made his way to the Olympic podium. I am betting (not with money of course) that he wants this honor so badly that he will either figure out how to nail the quad jumps or how to win without them. But I am much less sure about this than my gold and silver predictions.

Conclusion

In a few days, there will be a very compelling men's figure skating competition in Vancouver. It has often been said that skaters can lose the competition in the short program, but they win it in the free program. It is worth remembering, as you watch the competition, that any of the top five or six short program skaters can win if they ace the free skate. This principle is even more true than ever under the new judging rules that add up points for every jump, spin, and twizzle.

I predict Evgeni Plushenko will win in both the short and long programs, which is a testament to his overall strength as a technical and artistic skater and a crowd-pleasing performer.

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