So much to talk about, and the Opening Ceremonies aren’t even underway…
First off: TERRY GANNON IS BACK!
If you’re able to tune in to Universal Sports (a sub-channel of NBC) in your area, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for several TV personalities last seen together on ESPN/ABC in 2008. Gannon, Peter Carruthers, Paul Wylie—they’re all on-screen again, and were joined by Kristi Yamaguchi as they talked up skating like they did back in the day :-) I’m not 100% positive yet, but I believe they will be hosting the daily figure skating show (called, apropos enough, Figure Skating) on Universal at 2PM Eastern throughout the Games. How this show will differ from the marvelous Olympic Ice that ran on USA Network back in Torino, I’m not sure…
But did I mention that Terry Gannon was back!! I checked in with him earlier today and he confirmed that he and “those guys” (as he called them) will be on everyday. “Great to be back in skating!” he added.
Next up: TWITTERWATCH!
I must admit that I’ve grown rather fond of tracking the skating world via Twitter… particularly as this Olympic journey progresses for some of them… so much so that I’m making notes of favorite “tweets” day by day. Here are some from the last 7-10 days back in January (some still during Nationals)… comments from me in italics.
From Jeremy Abbott (singles)…-- Lunch with "The bosses"! Lets make a business plan and get this company launched on an international level! (I'm the business) lol
-- I need to work on my interview skills! Could I possibly say "Um", "like", and "you know" any more?! You know? Lol
First off: TERRY GANNON IS BACK!
If you’re able to tune in to Universal Sports (a sub-channel of NBC) in your area, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for several TV personalities last seen together on ESPN/ABC in 2008. Gannon, Peter Carruthers, Paul Wylie—they’re all on-screen again, and were joined by Kristi Yamaguchi as they talked up skating like they did back in the day :-) I’m not 100% positive yet, but I believe they will be hosting the daily figure skating show (called, apropos enough, Figure Skating) on Universal at 2PM Eastern throughout the Games. How this show will differ from the marvelous Olympic Ice that ran on USA Network back in Torino, I’m not sure…
But did I mention that Terry Gannon was back!! I checked in with him earlier today and he confirmed that he and “those guys” (as he called them) will be on everyday. “Great to be back in skating!” he added.
Next up: TWITTERWATCH!
I must admit that I’ve grown rather fond of tracking the skating world via Twitter… particularly as this Olympic journey progresses for some of them… so much so that I’m making notes of favorite “tweets” day by day. Here are some from the last 7-10 days back in January (some still during Nationals)… comments from me in italics.
From Jeremy Abbott (singles)…-- Lunch with "The bosses"! Lets make a business plan and get this company launched on an international level! (I'm the business) lol
-- I need to work on my interview skills! Could I possibly say "Um", "like", and "you know" any more?! You know? Lol
From Johnny Weir (singles)… Back to Spokane tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to bringing my Poker Face to the Northwest. Lost training days for USFSA=3. (Note: that last part is a subtle dig about U.S. Figure Skating’s decision to spread Nationals over two weekends this year.)
From Ben Agosto (ice dance)…first thing to work on when I get home... practice drawing starting orders :) (NOTE: is the implication that they’d have scored higher if they’d drawn a better order?)
From Rachael Flatt (singles) shortly after winning Nationals: In total disbelief right now, but SOO happy!!! Off to get a litte (ok hardly any) sleep, but I am going to be a OLYMPIAN!! SO cool!
From Scott Hamilton (commentator) shortly after CALLING Nationals: Didn't have my A Game tonight, but 3 amazing Skaters did! Rachel, Mirai & Ashley should all be going to Vancouver! Congrats Mirai & Rachel!
From Tanith Belbin (ice dance): NBC promo shoot this a.m in snowy Spokane!Still on cloud 9 with the best Oly team I could imagine for USA!So proud/excited
From Abbott on 1/27: Quick poll... One more costume to keep with the tradition? Or keep it at 5 like the Olympic Rings? Lol (Note: he’s worn different ensembles for this season’s free skate every time he competes—even I made some suggestions late last year, since he seemed unable to make up his mind!)
And finally, several from Abbott from 1/28-29, around the time he went to NYC to appear on the Today Show:
+ Two weeks out and this Olympic stuff is getting crazy! It certainly is unlike anything else in the world!
+ So, I went to get food and the server had her back to me when I asked a question and she called me mam. Is my voice really that high?!?!
+ The today show was a blast! It's a shame I forever frozen in a block of ice outside NBC studios! (NOTE: he skated his exhibition piece outdoors on an AM that appeared to be quite frosty)
+ Did today show & nightly news. I just need conan and lenno before they r done and I will rule NBC! Muahaha (evil laugh) (Note: maybe Abbott is so deep into his training/prep he missed all the hubbub about Conan leaving NBC??)
+ It just occured to me I'm walking around the airport in full television makeup... Eh whaddaya gonna do about it?!
And finally, what you’ve been waiting for (?!): PAIRS PREDICTIONS!
I was going to save these for Saturday night, but realized what a tight schedule is in store over the next 2 weeks. I need to make room/time for MEN’S PREDICTIONS in 24 hours! Criminy! So, let’s get to it…
Gold Medal: Shen & Zhao (China)
Silver Medal: Savchenko & Szolkowy (Germany)
Bronze Medal: Kavaguti & Smirnov (Russia)
Why? It’s a sentimental choice, but it’s also a realistic one. When I heard two-time Olympic Bronze Medalists Shen/Zhao were returning this year, emotions for me were very mixed. But to see them compete this year is to know that they are in as fine of form as they’ve ever been, and probably much better form than Torino (when a serious injury kept them off the ice almost the entire season). If they skate their best—and they almost always do nowadays—I don’t think anyone else SHOULD beat them. One catch: they are first to skate the Short Program Sunday night. This has not kept them from winning an event in the past… we’ll see what happens here.
Sav/Szol would have been my choice to win, had the Chinese vets stayed away. The 2009 World Champs have been exciting to watch in the past, and this year they took an artistic leap with both programs they’ll perform this week (especially their free skate to “Out of Africa”, which was immediately embraced by audiences when they debuted it late in the fall). But I put them in silver status for two reasons: 1) Savchenko had a serious bout with the flu not very long ago, and that may affect her stamina, particularly in the free skate. 2) As great as they are, I just think the team of Shen/Zhao is better.
Kavaguti/Smirnov gets my vote for bronze, mostly because of their recent win at Europeans… and I can’t imagine an entire pairs podium sans Russian team. But watch out for the Dark Horses in this event, there are several…
Dark Horses: Pang/Tong (China), Zhang/Zhang (China), Mukhortova/Trankov (Russia), Dube/Davison (Canada)
Beware of:
+ The sense of déjà vu you might get in watching Dube/Davison’s free skate; the simplistic neutral-color costumes, plaintive piano chords and love-that-couldn’t-last premise may seem a lot like the theme from 1970’s Love Story that Sale/Pelletier skated to back in Salt Lake City 2002 (when they won their “dual gold” with Russia… but it’s actually a completely different routine, set to… um… the theme from 1973’s The Way We Were.
+ The deep-seated need to call the Irony Police when you see Russian pair Mukhortova/Trankov execute a free skate to the strains of… yes, you guessed it… Love Story.
What About the Americans? It’s not that I’ve forgotten them; it’s just that pairs is our weakest discipline almost every time of late, and no one expects the 22-year medal drought for us to end here. Denney & Barrett (our current National champs) are coming along internationally, but their lack of experience (and, consequently, artistry) will likely keep them out of the running… at least this time. I look for them to finish between 7th and 10th place. Evora & Ladwig, our other team, has more experience but in their case, that’s not particularly good… I think their placement has been pretty average, nothing spectacular. Take note of their lifts, though, if you catch them—I think that’s where they got a lot of their points at Nationals. I’m guessing between 11th and 14th for them.
And now, must get back to watching the Opening Ceremonies! Come back tomorrow for predictions on the Men’s event…
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