Everyone can figure out who will run away with the Rostelecom Cup title. Evgenia Medvedeva had showed no signs of stopping her reign, never finishing off the podium for the past few years. The question will be who is going to take silver and bronze.
GOLD: Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS)
Can anyone stop Evgenia Medvedeva? At this point, no. The seventeen-year-old started her season by winning Ondrej Nepela Trophy and debuting a new free skate in Japan Open. She looks as solid as ever, and there’s no doubt she will continue her winning streak in Moscow.
SILVER: Carolina Kostner (ITA)
Many may dismiss Kostner as a podium favorite, given that she hasn’t brought back her usual jumps since her comeback last season. For us, however, it will be her components that will keep her on the top half of the field. As long as she skates cleanly, we’re sure she will get that spot on the podium.
BRONZE: Elena Radionova (RUS)
Radionova started the season with a bronze-medal finish in Ondrej Nepela Trophy. Her consistency seems to be wavering once more, but she’s gone through last season with shaky consistency yet still managed to get on the podium in Grand Prix competitions. Still, she will need to skate lights out given this field.
FOURTH: Wakaba Higuchi (JPN)
We’ve seen Higuchi make huge strides in improvement in technique and artistry since her senior debut. After finishing eleventh at Worlds, she started the season with a silver medal in Lombardia Trophy, out to prove that she has one of those two Olympic spots in sight. We think she has a shot at a podium spot, but it will all depend on her performance, especially with PCS concerned.
FIFTH: Elizabet Tursynbaeva (KAZ)
Starting the season with a career-high ninth place from last season’s Worlds, Tursynbaeva then went on to win the bronze medal in Autumn Classic International. Her performance in Grand Prix competitions tend to be lukewarm, either finishing in the middle or in the bottom half. It will all depend on the edges on her lutz and flip.
SIXTH: Kaori Sakamoto (JPN)
The World junior bronze medalist will make her senior Grand Prix debut this week. Sakamoto won the Asian Open Trophy and placed fourth in the U.S. International Classic. She has solid jumps and will surely make an impression in Rostelecom Cup, though a podium finish is still out of the possibility.
SEVENTH: Mirai Nagasu (USA)
“Triple axel” are two words that everyone will be anticipating on Nagasu. She hasn’t landed a fully clean one in competition yet, but the rotations are there. But whether or she attempts a triple axel this competition, a podium finish will be possible if she gets full rotation on all her jumps.
EIGHTH: Mariah Bell (USA)
We remember Bell’s magical free skate that earned her a silver medal in Skate America. Since then, though, the rest of the competitions have become quite a struggle. She will look forward to bring that magic back this week.
NINTH: Nichole Schott (GER)
Schoot had recently placed fourth in Cup of Nice. She will be making her senior Grand Prix debut here, where she will look forward to prove that she will be Germany’s representative for the Olympics.
TENTH: Mae Berenice Meite (FRA)
Meite was France’s representative in Sochi, but has since struggled for the past three seasons. A good showing this week will be a confidence booster for her and might help her chances on a second round in the Olympics.
ELEVENTH: Valeriia Mikhailova (RUS)
The last we have seen of Mikhailova internationally as in the Junior Grand Prix circuit two years ago. She may not have the technical content like teammates Medvedeva and Radionova, but she will look forward to impress on home ice.
TWELFTH: Anastasia Galustyan (ARM)
Galustyan hasn’t had a good start to the season, placing nineteenth in Lombardia Trophy but rebounding with an eighth-place finish in Nebelhorn Trophy. It will difficult to go against this field of ladies.
You Only Lutz Once 