I don't think a more depleted field makes for a terrible, meaningless Worlds. It's still damn good skating going on! But you also can't stop people from being disappointed their favorites won't be participating and thus having different kinds of feelings attached to these particular Worlds. Especially with now not even having any defending Champions due to injury (3) or retirement (1). 

I was hoping the Averbukh interview was him exaggerating but sadly he was not and Zhenya was really feeling more pain after the Olympics.  So many people skating with unhealed injuries... just rest and recover and come back strong next season, please, Yuzu, Zhenya, Sui. 

29 minutes ago, xeyra said:

Especially with now not even having any defending Champions due to injury (3) or retirement (1). 

Actually, four years ago no reigning Worlds champions defended their title, either. Unfortunately, rather the norm!

It's sad in a way that three World Champions favorite for gold at the Olympics were skating injured (Zhenya, Yuzu, Sui) but only one of them actually managed to win it so he has something to help sort out feelings of missing out an opportunity for gold. Zhenya must be so frustrated. 

3 minutes ago, Winnie_20 said:

Actually, four years ago no reigning Worlds champions defended their title, either. Unfortunately, rather the norm!

 

I actually just realized that! (I wasn't around in 2014). I think only 5 Olympic medalists across all disciplines made it to Worlds then? So I guess it is the norm. 

 

Were the ones missing out on Worlds also injured or was it more a question of burnout/retirements?

I was fine with all the withdrawals so far, but now I am very disappointed that Zhenya is not there. After the Olympics I really wanted her to defend her title especially after the disastrous season she had. I also really wanted to see her free program live  

 

Get well soon, Zhenya.  I hope she recovers and comes back strong next season  

1 hour ago, xeyra said:

Were the ones missing out on Worlds also injured or was it more a question of burnout/retirements?

I think (? It’s been a while!)

 

Patrick Chan: not motivated (Olys silver)

Kim Yuna: retired (Olys silver)

Volosozhar/Trankov: dunno but probably not motovated after their Olys gold

Davis/White: retired (Olys gold)

I'm disappointed that I won't be able to see Zhenya, but I'm even more sad that she's still injured . I can't help but wonder if she could have won over Alina had she not been injured. 

 

I want next season to be extra awesome to compensate for this cursed season! 

2 hours ago, Winnie_20 said:

I think (? It’s been a while!)

 

Patrick Chan: not motivated (Olys silver)

Kim Yuna: retired (Olys silver)

Volosozhar/Trankov: dunno but probably not motovated after their Olys gold

Davis/White: retired (Olys gold)

V/T have had a child so maybe they were ready to get on with other aspects of their lives.

3 hours ago, Winnie_20 said:

Actually, four years ago no reigning Worlds champions defended their title, either. Unfortunately, rather the norm!

 

It rarely happens that the world champion before the Olympic season defens their title a year later. I think the last time it happened was Lambiel in 2005 and 2006. 

42 minutes ago, sallycinnamon said:

 

It rarely happens that the world champion before the Olympic season defens their title a year later. I think the last time it happened was Lambiel in 2005 and 2006. 

I didn’t realize it was that long ago, but it makes a lot of sense: if they were that good to win Worlds and then stay in that great shape to win Olys 11 months later, too (or even medal at Olys)..., they deserve a break!

On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 5:43 PM, Murieleirum said:

Saying that the World Championships is not going to be exciting "for you personally" because your favourite or a lot of your favourites are out is acceptable and understandable. It's different to be fans of the sport, and to be fans of the athlete. It's not necessary to be a fan of both. 

But saying that a competition will be boring in absolute because your favourites or even 'most defending champions/big names' won't be there it's insulting. The athletes who are going there spent years and years and hours and hours every day busting their asses because they love what they do and they want to give good performances when they're competing. The performances change every competition, and the respect for ALL the skaters is a MUST if you are a decent person. 

So, don't follow if you don't want to, you are free to do so. But skating does not exist only for one or two athletes. 

 

In Milan there's going to be hundreds of empty seats, I fear. If it were me, I'd give those seats for free to locals. Say what you will about occasional skating fans who don't know names of the athletes and don't know the sport; but I think most of them would watch the competition unbiased, and might actually enjoy it even if some are missing - because they wouldn't even know who's missing. 

 

 

I don't know. You can't force interest if it just isn't there. For instance, even with the best in the field, I just have zero interest in Ice Dancing and don't watch it. If the reason you even got into the sport is to support certain favorites, I don't think you can expect people to follow regardless if their favorites isn't there.

 

I'm not really sure what these comments are directed at either. Are you talking about people saying they're not going to watch the WC any more or people actually deciding not to go?

 

I saw the Olympics Ladies FS competitions and was getting really sleepy watching it because I don't really have a vested interest in any of them. There were some I rooted for, but it didn't kill me when they did less than steller. FS events are LONG. Depending on whether there are streams available, it involves getting up or staying up at strange hours to watch. I doubt if you're interested that you would actually make the effort. If you're at the venue it means you are sitting on hard surfaces for up to 4 hours at a time and waiting in long lines for restrooms and crappy concession food. I did it for the Olympics, but my enjoyment of it is markedly different between events I was excited about (Men) versus ones you're not so much.

 

I also don't think I've said WC will be boring because of the lack of champions I don't think. I just don't think I will be as interested to follow play by play versus just looking it up afterwards.

 

edit: I think it's been said in ad nauseum that tickets are non-refundable. Since they're non refundable, it's not like the venue can give away empty seats for tickets that are sold already. Even in the Olympics in sold out events there were empty seats (yes even during Men events some Level A seats remained empty). I think the skaters will be nervous/excited regardless of whether there are empty seats or not.

 

Am I the only one yuzu fan that wnt Shoma to win Worlds so we can get 3 tickets for nxt year? I knw it depends on the other 2 as well but still... 

 

 

I knw some nathan fans rival out yuzu as their equal and so i dnt wnt nathan to win worlds cuz their rival posts kinda drive me crazy

22 minutes ago, cinemacoconut said:

 

Am I the only one yuzu fan that wnt Shoma to win Worlds so we can get 3 tickets for nxt year? I knw it depends on the other 2 as well but still... 

 

 

I knw some nathan fans rival out yuzu as their equal and so i dnt wnt nathan to win worlds cuz their rival posts kinda drive me crazy

 

I would like Shoma to win. Even though his programs this season have been a little bland, I like his skating and I like the idea of the medal staying with Japan. It would suck that YUzu wouldn't be world no.1 but it's also....to be expected since he's missed like 90% of the season. I do have the feeling that Shoma would take a win at Worlds the same way he takes his nationals titles - as if he won in Yuzuru's place and the title doesn't really belong to him, more he's just reserving the title for YUzuru. Which would be sad, because it would be nice for Shoma to have an achievement he felt belonged to him so he could really celebrate how far he's come.

 

My second to win is Boyang. He has a good personality and charisma and at least tries to improve his weak spots.

 

Tbh I don't particularly even want Nathan on the podium. I find his skating dull and this season all he really proved was that he could take good work from great choreographers and reduce it to nothing.  People joke about Boyang having the music skate for him but Nathan relies entirely on the music to give him a personality in the SP and relies heavily on the music to carry him in his FS too. He could do an 8 quad program and I still wouldn't want him to win Worlds. I don't see Nathan as an equal to Yuzuru at all. He's a million steps behind.

1 minute ago, CupidsBow said:

 

I would like Shoma to win. Even though his programs this season have been a little bland, I like his skating and I like the idea of the medal staying with Japan. It would suck that YUzu wouldn't be world no.1 but it's also....to be expected since he's missed like 90% of the season. I do have the feeling that Shoma would take a win at Worlds the same way he takes his nationals titles - as if he won in Yuzuru's place and the title doesn't really belong to him, more he's just reserving the title for YUzuru. Which would be sad, because it would be nice for Shoma to have an achievement he felt belonged to him so he could really celebrate how far he's come.

 

My second to win is Boyang.

 

Tbh I don't particularly even want Nathan on the podium. I find his skating dull and this season all he really proved was that he could take good work from great choreographers and reduce it to nothing.  People joke about Boyang having the music skate for him but Nathan relies entirely on the music to give him a personality in the SP and relies heavily on the music to carry him in his FS too. He could do an 8 quad program and I still wouldn't want him to win Worlds. I don't see Nathan as an equal to Yuzuru at all. He's a million steps behind.

 

 

Yes exactly. I live in Korea and until the olympics korean and sometimes US media hyped nathan waaaaay too much as the quad king and as yuzus equal which made me kind of cringe at over hyping nathan. Hes good but not yuzus equal rival. Javi is yuzus rival. And when Nathan fell on the team event people were still hyping him up... Kind of glad nathan wasnt on the podium not becuz of personal hate but purely becuz by that point i was sick and tired of the media hype around nathan and the forced rivalry articles between nathan and yuzu. I cnt imagine what more hype there will he when nathan wins the world title nxt week..

 

Kind of dreading worlds for that very reason tbh.