Olympic Figure Skating for Dummies Vol III: Women
Wondering which women are in contention for a medal in Sochi? Wonder no longer!
The top contenders
Yuna Kim -- South Korea
After winning gold in Vancouver in 2010, Yuna has largely been absent from the competitive scene. A superstar in Korea, she has had plenty of other things to keep her busy. She did return to international competition last year at Worlds in March, where she was the class of the field and easily won her second world title. She planned to compete on the Grand Prix circuit this past fall, but was injured. She now seems fit and ready to be only the third woman in history to defend her Olympic gold (following Sonja Henie and Katarina Witt).
Yuna's comeback has honestly felt more like something she's doing for her country than for herself. I hope in Sochi we'll see the joy in her skating. After Vancouver she and coach Brian Orser had a messy breakup, and she is now with her childhood coaches back in Korea. As I mentioned, she is a massive celebrity in Korea, and another Olympic gold would certainly cement her status. But I'm not sure she still has the fire in her belly to win. Regardless, if she skates her best she will almost undoubtedly be on top of the podium.
Mao Asada -- Japan
Speaking of superstars, Mao is a legend in Japan. She is incredibly popular, and there is a lot of pressure on her to deliver. A two-time world champion, Mao took the silver in Vancouver. She and Yuna have had a long rivalry, but Yuna has come out on top decisively. After Vancouver, Mao reworked her jump technique and had some difficult seasons of competition. In 2011, she was at the Grand Prix Final when her mother's liver disease took a turn for the worse. Mao withdrew from the competition, but her mother sadly died while she was enroute back to Japan.
Mao is the currently the only woman in the world to do the triple Axel. It's a live by the sword, die by the sword situation. She knows she needs this jump to have a shot at beating Yuna, so she's going for it -- one in the short, two in the long. No matter what happens with the scores, I'm rooting for her to have two great skates and end her career on a high note.
Julia Lipnitskaia -- Russia
Earlier in the season, I predicted Julia would win the bronze medal. But after the team event in Sochi, she certainly positioned herself as a contender for gold. At only 15, Julia is part of the resurgence in Russian women's skating, although she and her cohorts are still girls. In Julia's first senior season last year, she struggled with a concussion and mixed results, and wasn't really in the conversation as to which two women would make the Olympic team.
But she won Skate Canada in October, took silver at the Grand Prix Final in December, and won Europeans in January. And as she proved in the Sochi team event, she is a steely and confident competitor, skating with intensity that belies her age. She's a very serious young lady, and has made that style really work for her. She's not going to be beaming to the rafters while she does her spiral sequence, but she has become more expressive in her somber approach. For me, what sets Julia apart most of all are her spins and incredible flexibility. Her jumps are small, which isn't surprising given how tiny she is. Where she really excels are the spins and spirals, and she has great speed and attack. Watching her, you feel no tentativeness at all. That determination could land her on top of the podium if veterans Kim and Asada falter -- and maybe even if they don't.
The strong contenders
Carolina Kostner -- Italy
Carolina is exquisite. A former world champion, she has a class and maturity that sets her apart from most of the field. Her previous two Olympic appearances were disastrous, and after 2010 I honestly thought she should just retire. But she kept going due to her passion for skating, and I'm so glad she did. She has speed and fluid grace, and a musicality that is a joy to watch. I'd love to see her on the podium in her likely final season.
Adelina Sotnikova -- Russia
17-year-old Adelina is another of the young Russian women who have taken skating by storm the last couple of years. She and Julia have been trading wins, with Adelina taking Russian Nationals by a narrow margin, and the silver at Europeans behind Julia. While I feel Julia has the momentum, Adelina cannot be counted out.
Kanako Murakami -- Japan
Kanako was fourth at Worlds in March, and decisively won Four Continents in January, although over a weak field. Still, she scored the third-best pre-Olympic score this season, and should not be underestimated. She has two strong programs this year, and has improved her artistry. She was second at Japanese Nationals, edging out Mao Asada. Murakami could be a dark horse in Sochi.
Ashley Wagner -- USA
After controversially being named to the Olympic team, Ashley has had to face a firestorm of criticism and scrutiny. She had a strong skate in the team event, and I'm rooting for her to silence the critics and nail her programs in the women's event. She won bronze at the Grand Prix Final in December and has had consistent results the past two seasons. She was always a long shot for the Sochi podium, but it's possible. Meanwhile, Mirai Nagasu was 10th at Four Continents in January in a weak field, arguably proving that the US federation made the right call by putting Ashley on the team. Ashley's funny and smart and ballsy, and is one of the few athletes who has spoken out strongly against Russia's anti-LGBT policies.
Gracie Gold -- USA
With her pretty face and soundbite-perfect name, Gracie is tailor made for the Olympics. But she also has the talent to back it up. She had a tough season, with a troublesome short program that was widely hated and an uncertain coaching situation. The US federation really wanted her to go to legendary coach Frank Carroll, but he couldn't commit until Evan Lysacek withdrew. The writing was on the wall for Evan in the fall with his injuries, so Frank did take on Gracie. And boy does it show! Her expression and artistry has really improved. She's a longshot for the bronze, but at this point it's really all about the experience for her. Her career is just getting started.
Akiko Suzuki
At 28, Akiko is the oldest competitor in the women's event. Akiko was out of competition for two years prior to 2010 due to a serious struggle with anorexia. She says that her love for skating helped her recover. She won the bronze at Worlds in 2012, and this season won Japanese Nationals for the first time, beating Mao Asada and a tough field. That will likely be the highlight of her final season, but I hope she has two solid skates in Sochi. She was a little shaky in the team event, but has a slight chance at the bronze with two perfect skates.
Kaetlyn Osmond -- Canada
Kaetlyn (why do parents saddle their kids with creative spellings?) is not a podium contender barring something very unexpected, but she is one to watch for the future. She was eighth at her first Worlds in March (fourth after the short program), and had two solid skates in the team event in Sochi. She had two injuries in the fall, and it was looking uncertain as to whether she'd be able to defend her Canadian title in January. The Olympics are her first international competition this season, and she's skating strong and confident. Kaetlyn loves to compete, and I look forward to seeing her grow and improve.
All right, those are my pics for women to watch. What do you think?
The top contenders
Yuna Kim -- South Korea
After winning gold in Vancouver in 2010, Yuna has largely been absent from the competitive scene. A superstar in Korea, she has had plenty of other things to keep her busy. She did return to international competition last year at Worlds in March, where she was the class of the field and easily won her second world title. She planned to compete on the Grand Prix circuit this past fall, but was injured. She now seems fit and ready to be only the third woman in history to defend her Olympic gold (following Sonja Henie and Katarina Witt).
Yuna's comeback has honestly felt more like something she's doing for her country than for herself. I hope in Sochi we'll see the joy in her skating. After Vancouver she and coach Brian Orser had a messy breakup, and she is now with her childhood coaches back in Korea. As I mentioned, she is a massive celebrity in Korea, and another Olympic gold would certainly cement her status. But I'm not sure she still has the fire in her belly to win. Regardless, if she skates her best she will almost undoubtedly be on top of the podium.
Mao Asada -- Japan
Speaking of superstars, Mao is a legend in Japan. She is incredibly popular, and there is a lot of pressure on her to deliver. A two-time world champion, Mao took the silver in Vancouver. She and Yuna have had a long rivalry, but Yuna has come out on top decisively. After Vancouver, Mao reworked her jump technique and had some difficult seasons of competition. In 2011, she was at the Grand Prix Final when her mother's liver disease took a turn for the worse. Mao withdrew from the competition, but her mother sadly died while she was enroute back to Japan.
Mao is the currently the only woman in the world to do the triple Axel. It's a live by the sword, die by the sword situation. She knows she needs this jump to have a shot at beating Yuna, so she's going for it -- one in the short, two in the long. No matter what happens with the scores, I'm rooting for her to have two great skates and end her career on a high note.
Julia Lipnitskaia -- Russia
Earlier in the season, I predicted Julia would win the bronze medal. But after the team event in Sochi, she certainly positioned herself as a contender for gold. At only 15, Julia is part of the resurgence in Russian women's skating, although she and her cohorts are still girls. In Julia's first senior season last year, she struggled with a concussion and mixed results, and wasn't really in the conversation as to which two women would make the Olympic team.
But she won Skate Canada in October, took silver at the Grand Prix Final in December, and won Europeans in January. And as she proved in the Sochi team event, she is a steely and confident competitor, skating with intensity that belies her age. She's a very serious young lady, and has made that style really work for her. She's not going to be beaming to the rafters while she does her spiral sequence, but she has become more expressive in her somber approach. For me, what sets Julia apart most of all are her spins and incredible flexibility. Her jumps are small, which isn't surprising given how tiny she is. Where she really excels are the spins and spirals, and she has great speed and attack. Watching her, you feel no tentativeness at all. That determination could land her on top of the podium if veterans Kim and Asada falter -- and maybe even if they don't.
The strong contenders
Carolina Kostner -- Italy
Carolina is exquisite. A former world champion, she has a class and maturity that sets her apart from most of the field. Her previous two Olympic appearances were disastrous, and after 2010 I honestly thought she should just retire. But she kept going due to her passion for skating, and I'm so glad she did. She has speed and fluid grace, and a musicality that is a joy to watch. I'd love to see her on the podium in her likely final season.
Adelina Sotnikova -- Russia
17-year-old Adelina is another of the young Russian women who have taken skating by storm the last couple of years. She and Julia have been trading wins, with Adelina taking Russian Nationals by a narrow margin, and the silver at Europeans behind Julia. While I feel Julia has the momentum, Adelina cannot be counted out.
Kanako Murakami -- Japan
Kanako was fourth at Worlds in March, and decisively won Four Continents in January, although over a weak field. Still, she scored the third-best pre-Olympic score this season, and should not be underestimated. She has two strong programs this year, and has improved her artistry. She was second at Japanese Nationals, edging out Mao Asada. Murakami could be a dark horse in Sochi.
Ashley Wagner -- USA
After controversially being named to the Olympic team, Ashley has had to face a firestorm of criticism and scrutiny. She had a strong skate in the team event, and I'm rooting for her to silence the critics and nail her programs in the women's event. She won bronze at the Grand Prix Final in December and has had consistent results the past two seasons. She was always a long shot for the Sochi podium, but it's possible. Meanwhile, Mirai Nagasu was 10th at Four Continents in January in a weak field, arguably proving that the US federation made the right call by putting Ashley on the team. Ashley's funny and smart and ballsy, and is one of the few athletes who has spoken out strongly against Russia's anti-LGBT policies.
Gracie Gold -- USA
With her pretty face and soundbite-perfect name, Gracie is tailor made for the Olympics. But she also has the talent to back it up. She had a tough season, with a troublesome short program that was widely hated and an uncertain coaching situation. The US federation really wanted her to go to legendary coach Frank Carroll, but he couldn't commit until Evan Lysacek withdrew. The writing was on the wall for Evan in the fall with his injuries, so Frank did take on Gracie. And boy does it show! Her expression and artistry has really improved. She's a longshot for the bronze, but at this point it's really all about the experience for her. Her career is just getting started.
Akiko Suzuki
At 28, Akiko is the oldest competitor in the women's event. Akiko was out of competition for two years prior to 2010 due to a serious struggle with anorexia. She says that her love for skating helped her recover. She won the bronze at Worlds in 2012, and this season won Japanese Nationals for the first time, beating Mao Asada and a tough field. That will likely be the highlight of her final season, but I hope she has two solid skates in Sochi. She was a little shaky in the team event, but has a slight chance at the bronze with two perfect skates.
Kaetlyn Osmond -- Canada
Kaetlyn (why do parents saddle their kids with creative spellings?) is not a podium contender barring something very unexpected, but she is one to watch for the future. She was eighth at her first Worlds in March (fourth after the short program), and had two solid skates in the team event in Sochi. She had two injuries in the fall, and it was looking uncertain as to whether she'd be able to defend her Canadian title in January. The Olympics are her first international competition this season, and she's skating strong and confident. Kaetlyn loves to compete, and I look forward to seeing her grow and improve.
All right, those are my pics for women to watch. What do you think?