2018 Olympic Predictions

[Muleski]

Thank you, @Andrew......

Who's the best medal shot among them?

 

[Andrew]

@Muleski I'd have to say Bobby Brown, But I personally could care less about the US team, So I don't follow them often.

 

[Muleski]

@Swede, I think the actual team event depends on who actually skis in it. Not just who's on the team. I am really liking the Swiss {let alone the younger Swiss.....check out World Jr.'s results!} Agree that the Austrian women are not at their normal level, but they seem to just show up! I like your team. Norwegians just get into "team" things, as they act like a real team. Darkhorse? Maybe the Slovenians?

Not expecting team USA to be a factor, sadly.

 

[James]

What exactly is the team event? Why is everyone dismissive of the combined and not the team event?

I think it's lame there's no big air ski, or half pipe skiing. Snow boarding is so...2000's.
I suppose it has to do with the skiing aerials. Now there's an event I think should be eliminiated. It's gymnastics. Some of those people can barely turn.

 

[Bart Parnell]

I like watching the other Winter events too, although my expertise is at the retail consumer level and I might as well be from Texas for all I know of things. But I hear the US has some competitive Nordic skiers....

Just can’t watch curling, eh.

@James you’re right, both the team and combined alpine events are worthless. Probably won’t watch them.

 

[Muleski]

Agree, have never endorsed the team event.....at all. Why? The best skiers rarely are skiing it either.

Kids reminds me of somethings as stupid as the Kombi event, when that was recently part of the slate even at U16 Nationals. Not "Combined".....Kombi. A run with a combination of GS gates and GS size turns as well as SL. So....so....dumb.

 

[James]

Curling did well here on tv for Vancouver and Sochi I think. It's so bizarre it's kind of interesting.

I hope the announcer for xcountry is back. In Sochi he was amazing. You would have thought they were racing to save the planet.

 

[Muleski]

Have you guys after been to a real curling club and hung around with that crowd? Not to be missed. A whole different "sports" culture.

 

[scott43]

Hate to say it but wow I couldn't' care less about the Olympics. I kinda figured I'd be less enthusiastic than normal..but we're talking didn't even move the needle. I just flipped on the TV, saw an Olympic program and didn't even flinch. Just me or will the ratings tank this year??

 

[James]

Hate to say it but wow I couldn't' care less about the Olympics. ... Just me or will the ratings tank this year??

Well we don't know if your a live or dead canary...yet.

Meanwhile,
Curling...
Quick guide to the "sport".

^ Nearly 1.9 million views. Everyone in Canada...except @scott43 !

 

[Karen_skier2.0]

I'm going to make the shift to freestyle aerial and mogul predictions. (I can't be the only one on these boards interested in these.)

Moguls

Women

The American woman are so talented that 2 ladies have stood on the podium and 2 are nipping at their heels!
I watched all of the ladies WC footage again this weekend and have tried to be objective with my rankings assuming that everyone has their best runs.

Jaelin Kauf (USA) 17 yr old, 1st Olympics, ranked 1st in WC with 2 Golds and 2 Silvers
Britteny Cox (AUS) 3x Olympian. She has been a major fixture on the podium for the last 2 seasons and could see her with any color medal
Andi Naude (CAN) 1st Olympics. While the Dufour-Lapoine sisters have garnered so much attention for the last 8+ years, she now has been the consistent Canadian on the podium

Darkhorse: Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) Before the last WC, she only saw the podium twice this season and uncharacteristically missed the finals in many of the competitions. However, never count out the Sochi gold medalist.

Americans
Morgan Schild With 2 bronzes this season, don't count her out

Men

Mikael Kingsbury (CAN) Almost invincible--it's his to lose. Silver medalist from Sochi. Has won 6 of the 7 WC this season. Enough said.
Dmitriy Reikherd (KAZ) He's used to standing next to Mik on the podium all season.
Matt Graham (AUS) The Aussies have an incredible ability to rise to the challenge at big events.

Darkhorses
Ikuma Horishima (JPN) The only person to beat Mik this season!
Jae Woo Choi (KOR) Do not count out the 4th ranked mogul skier skiing in front of the home crowd!

Americans
Bradley Wilson and Troy Murphy have each earned a bronze this season.


Aerials

Women
On any given day, there are 8-9 women that could land on the podium. I'm hoping every woman on the podium does triples.

Ashley Caldwell (USA) 3x Olympian, highest DD jump performed (quad twisting triple)
Lydia Lassila (AUS) 5x Olympian, 2x medalist, mother
Xu Mengtao (CHN) 3x Olympian, 1x medalist

Darkhorse: Kiley McKinnon (USA) her doubles are absolutely perfect and she holds a crystal globe


Men
Another one where 10 guys could land on the podium, but these guys are clutch performers. Watching the Deer Valley and Lake Placid finals, no one wavered in the finals and the jumping just got better and better.

I hope conditions are perfect so that these guys can pull out all of the stops. I think it will take quint twisting triple to win. (RIP Speedy)

Anton Kushnir (BLR) 4x Olympian, 1x Gold Medalist
Jia Zongyang (CHN)
Maxim Burov (RUS)

Darkhorse: Mac Bohonnon or Jon Lillis from the US

 

[Swede]

Germans will be my darkie in the team. Slovenians ... good catch.
But yeah, depends on who’s skiing. Some teams take it more serious. But I t h i n k it’s the final alpine event and the last chance to grab an Olympic medal for the skiers, so I suspect we will see the best on respective teams, if they feel fresh.

 

[Franzz]

Curling is so..drunk) like Darts, the more you drink the better you gets and they call it sports..pathetic, I dont say its easy to play its very technical.. like Snooker.. I'm with scott43 on this one. Yep Olympic is a money and corruption fest!

 

[QueueCT]

Agree, have never endorsed the team event.....at all. Why? The best skiers rarely are skiing it either.

Kids reminds me of somethings as stupid as the Kombi event, when that was recently part of the slate even at U16 Nationals. Not "Combined".....Kombi. A run with a combination of GS gates and GS size turns as well as SL. So....so....dumb.

Daughters just skied a Kombi on Sunday ... it was a bit absurd. Don't know if it is standard in Kombi but they built a jump (small) into the course as well. Fortunately it's just for "fun" and not part of post-season qualifying ... though they both did well.

 

[Muleski]

Anybody running a kombi should be embarrassed. Seriously. I recall the last time U was at a big National event with it onnyje program, every single coach {and therefore every single kid and parent} thought it was a joke. "What am I supposed to use for skis?" is just one issue, right?

There were kids there now on the USST, and everybody was shaking their heads, just agreeing that it was a non event. It may have served a purpose for some age groups at some time. But why would you waste time, money and hill space to run one.

In fact it was a big laugh at that event when the poor guy was picked to set the thing. Half brain SL, have brain GS. Oops to much space, oops, no flush........

I'm sure we'll now hear that Hirscher or HK refined their craft in Kombi, then, I'll flip my opinion! Ha!

 

[trailtrimmer]

My prediction is US TV will show way to much figure skating and not enough skiing.

 

[Rudi Riet]

My prediction is US TV will show way to much figure skating and not enough skiing.

Yup. It's always the way. Note that the majority of alpine ski racing will be shown on NBCSports.com - i.e. web-only. The events where Team USA has a "featured athlete" will see a bit more TV time, so the women's DH, GS, and SL, as well as the men's GS, will get time on both mainstream NBC and NBCSN.

The time difference between North America and South Korea makes for interesting live viewing times for those of us on the east side of the Pacific: races taking place live in prime time and late night. It's very convenient (for me, at least).

 

[Muleski]

Not sure if we should have an "another injury update" thread, but for now:

Swiss skier Melanie Meillard is out for the season. Training crash yesterday at the games. Knee.

First Olympics. Not her last. She's part of a very young, very strong Swiss team.

Best of luck with her recovery.

 

[Rudi Riet]

Well damn. That's too bad about Meillard. Luckily she is young, but still - no fun, especially as she's been having a good season to this point.

 

[Michael Kane]

My Prediction....Pain!