US Olympic Figure Skating 2014: Predicting Team's Results for Remaining Events
Team USA started a little slow during the team competition; however, solid skating from 18-year-old Gracie Gold and the duo of Charlie White and Meryl Davis propelled the United States to the podium, as the team earned a bronze medal.
Now, with three individual events remaining, the United States has solid chances to reach the podium once again. We will get another dose of Gold in the ladies' free-skating event, White and Davis will continue to ride their hot streak during the ice dancing, and Jason Brown will battle a tough field in the men's competition.
After all, earning medals in these events will be crucial for Team USA, which remains near the top in the medal count:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Let's take a closer look at the remaining events, break down the top athletes in every competition and predict the United States' chances of reaching the podium in each one.
Men's Short Program and Free Skate
On Thursday, the men will compete in the short program on their way to qualify for Friday's free skate. The United States' top performers in this competition are Jason Brown and Jeremy Abbott.
During the team competition, Abbott skated in the men's short program with disastrous results. He fell during his first quadruple jump and failed to reach full rotation on numerous attempts afterward.
He looked uncomfortable throughout his routine, and it showed up in the final score. He finished in seventh place with a score of just 65.65.
After his performance, he expressed his frustration during an interview with Liz Clarke of The Washington Post: "I'm torn apart that I couldn't do this for my team and my teammates. I love being a part of Team USA, and I'm so honored to be skating with the kids I'm skating with. They really have become like family over the last couple weeks, and I really wanted to pull out a win."
It seems unlikely that he will be able to recover from his early struggles.
Brown may give the United States a better chance here. The 19-year-old skater is able to produce crisp spins and skates with such a high amount of energy and enthusiasm.
He looked good during the team men's free skate; however, it will be difficult for him to surpass skating powerhouses such as Evgeni Plushenko, Kevin Reynolds and Patrick Chan. These top skaters will have to produce some major hiccups during their routines in order for Brown to reach the podium.
That does not seem likely.
Predictions
Brown: Fifth Place
Abbott: Seventh Place
Ice Dance Short Dance and Free Dance
This is most likely the United States' best shot at reaching the podium—and perhaps earning a gold medal. The duo of Charlie White and Meryl Davis was virtually flawless during the team competition.
During the short dance, they easily topped the field, earning a score of 75.98. That was a full three points over Canadian rivals Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
The American duo kept it up during the free-dance portion of the team event, as they dazzled judges with their precise twizzles and unequaled chemistry, earning another first-place finish with a final score of 114.34.
Again, they were able to dominate the Canadians, besting the duo by almost a full seven points.
White spoke about his chemistry with Davis—they have now been skating with each other for 17 years—during an interview with Eun Kyung Kim of Today.com: "We know each other so well it's not always the verbal cues that mean the most. We've gone through so much together, and so many of our experiences have been so meaningful in terms of life in general."
The duo will now look to continue to rely on its chemistry and brilliant technique to reach the podium in the individual event. They will continue to be tested by Canada's Virtue and Moir as well as Russia's Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov.
Despite the strong competition, Davis and White are the favorites here.
Prediction
White and Davis: Gold Medal
Ladies' Short Program and Free Skate
Ladies' figure skating has become one of the most highly anticipated events in Sochi. This is due to the brilliant performances by teenage athletes such as Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia and the United States' Gracie Gold.
Gold and teammate Ashley Wagner will participate in this event; however, Gold has the best chance to reach the podium.
Wagner performed admirably in the team ladies' short program, finishing in fourth place with a score of 63.10. Nevertheless, her score did not allow her to finish anywhere near the top performers, as Lipnitskaia took first place with a score of 72.90.
Gold replaced Wagner in the team ladies' free skate and flourished. She scored a 129.38—a personal best—and finished second to Lipnitskaia, who continued her hot streak with a score of 141.51.
During an interview with Bonnie D. Ford of ESPN.com, Gold shared her thoughts on skating twice in a short duration on such a big stage: "I thought at first maybe it would be a little bit tiring, but there are days where I do two—or, if I don't skate very well, three—long programs in a day. So if I can't handle two longs with a 10-day (break) in between, I have more training to do."
Even though she is only 18, she is highly motivated and driven. She is a fierce competitor and will be eyeing the gold medal when the ladies' individual event rolls around.
Still, she will have to surpass Lipnitskaia—who appears to be in a league of her own—if she is to earn the medal that shares her name. That will be much easier said than done for this up-and-coming athlete.
Predictions
Gold: Silver Medal
Wagner: Fifth Place
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
