The first big competition of the season has finally come to an end, and boy, was it an intense one. The Top 6 men of the Grand Prix series went out and gave it their all, with polarizing results. If anything, the entire men’s event was not a clean one overall, with mistakes made and points left off the table. In the end, Nathan Chen took home the GPF title, becoming the competition’s new champion since being dominated by Yuzuru Hanyu since 2013.
The pairs field has gotten more exciting and more unpredictable this season, the teams leveling up in order to get the momentum they desire for the Olympics. Perhaps the highlight of the event was Aliona Savchenko / Bruno Massot winning the title with a record-breaking free skate. If this is the level of skating we’ve seen in Nagoya is exciting enough, then we can’t wait to see what happens in Pyeongchang.
The ladies’ event has always been relatively predictable, until this season. With gold medal-favorite Evgenia Medvedeva out of the Final due to injury, everyone wants a shot at the top spot on the podium. Both Wakaba Higuchi and Alina Zagitova make their senior Grand Prix Final debuts, while Carolina Kostner returns after five years. Meanwhile, Kaetlyn Osmond, Satoko Miyahara, and Maria Sotsokova are back again, aiming for better finishes than last year’s Final.
The men’s event in the Grand Prix series has been unpredictable thus far, if the field of qualifiers is anything to go by. First of all, we’re missing Yuzuru Hanyu, Patrick Chan, and Javier Fernandez, who we’re used to seeing in the Final for the past few years. While this field still promises excitement, the results could either be an intense competition or a complete disaster. There’s no middle ground.
We’ve seen the pairs event become more and more exciting in the Grand Prix series, and there’s no doubt that it will be more exciting, now that we’ll be seeing the six best teams in the circuit compete in the Final. But with excitement comes unpredictability. Most of these teams have earned personal and season’s best during the GP series, and there’s no telling who’s going to be on top of that podium, but we’ll do our best to guess.
Continue reading “[Preview] Grand Prix Final 2017/18 – Pairs”
The pairs event in the Grand Prix Final was a surprise in itself. The frontrunners of the event placed lower than expected, while a podium favorite rose up to win their first GPF title. Some teams did well, well enough to be on the podium, while others weren’t so lucky.
The ladies’ event wasn’t as dramatic as the men’s or as unpredictable as pairs, but it also had its fair share of excitement. To almost no one’s surprise, another world record was broken, and the podium comprised of former World medalists. Is this a sign of what the 2017 World podium will be like? Or will there be more surprises as the season goes? The most important question of all: will anyone ever figure out how to stop Evgenia Medvedeva before the 2018 Olympics?
The men’s event has proven to be unpredictable these past few years, and this year’s Grand Prix Final is no exception. To everyone’s surprise, the three skaters with World titles in their belts faltered in the free skate, while the younger skaters with one to two years of skating in the senior ranks rose up to the challenge. Will this be a sign of things to come in the next half of the season? We’ll never know, but the road to Worlds in Helsinki is starting to get interesting.
Following the withdrawal of Aliona Savchenko / Bruno Massot, this year’s Grand Prix Final will be a little unpredictable for pairs. While we have one shoo-in for the title, any team from the remaining five can grab the remaining two spots.
Continue reading “[Preview] Grand Prix Final 2016-17: Pairs”
The time has come for the most important competition of the season, according to everyone’s favorite skating anime. This year’s field features four World medalists, a senior debuting, and the first Canadian to qualify since Joannie Rochette in 2009. This is going to be one hell of a bloodbath, and may the best lady win.
Continue reading “[Preview] Grand Prix Final 2016-17: Ladies”
You Only Lutz Once 