Advertisement

Figure skating's Grand Prix: Who to watch at the finals

By Emily Pacenti
American skater Nathan Chen, shown here at the world figure-skating championship in Helsinki, Finland, in April, is the man to beat at this year's Grand Prix Finals. File Photo by Markku Ojala/EPA
1 of 6 | American skater Nathan Chen, shown here at the world figure-skating championship in Helsinki, Finland, in April, is the man to beat at this year's Grand Prix Finals. File Photo by Markku Ojala/EPA

Dec. 6 (UPI) -- This week in Nagoya, Japan, some of the world's top figure skaters will compete in one of the last big contests in the runup to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

While plenty of longtime fan favorites will take the ice for the Grand Prix Finals, many more have been sidelined by injuries or other mishaps, making space on the roster for some skaters who didn't make it last year.

Advertisement

Men's competition

Some of the top names in men's figure skating will be absent from the finals after a series of injuries and other pitfalls. This is the first year since 2009 that three American men have gone to the finals. That year, all three of those men made the Olympic team. The full roster of last year's men's finalists consisted of Yuzuru Hanyu, Patrick Chan, Javier Fernandez, Shoma Uno, Nathan Chen and Adam Rippon. Those first three names are missing from this year's Grand Prix Finals line-up.

Advertisement

Here's who's in:

Nathan Chen

The man to beat at this year's finals, American Nathan Chen has the largest quad arsenal of any male skater on the circuit. Earlier this year, he became the first skater in history to land all possible quadruple jumps in competition, excluding the never-before-landed quadruple axel. He's come out on top of current Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, both at last season's Four Continents Championships and at his first Grand Prix assignment, the Rostelecom Cup in October. At last year's finals, he took the silver. This season, Chen is upping his artistry while maintaining his athleticism. Perhaps next to Uno of Japan, he is the top contender to win.

Shoma Uno

Chen's biggest competition is Shoma Uno, a 19-year-old skater from Japan who took bronze at last year's finals. The Worlds silver medalist has been one of the most consistent skaters this season, winning the gold at Skate Canada and silver at the Internationaux De France. The first skater to ever land a quadruple flip, Uno has a real shot at topping the final podium with two strong classical programs set to Vivaldi's "Winter" and the figure-skating staple Alfano and Puccini's "Turandot."

Adam Rippon

Advertisement

A fan favorite, American Adam Rippon skates to music unique from the rest of his competition with a club tune short program and a free skate set to Coldplay. While he embraces modern artistry, he's no less of an athlete than his competitors. At late November's Skate America, he dislocated his shoulder after falling on a quadruple lutz. Rather than call off his free skate, he popped the shoulder back into place and continued his program to win silver overall. He is also one of few male skaters to incorporate a layback spin and is fighting for his first Olympic spot this season.

Mikhail Kolyada

In one of the many surprises of the 2017-18 season, Mikhail Kolyada of Russia took gold at the Cup of China after winning bronze at the Rostelecom. His Elvis Presley-themed free skate is reminiscent of Javier Fernandez, one of the top skaters missing this year's finals due to a poor showing in China, where Kolyada took gold. The race for who will be Russia's next top male skater is on after the retirement of Evgeni Plushenko. Kolyada is a serious contender.

Sergei Voronov

Another unexpected qualifier, 30-year-old Sergei Voronov is the oldest of the men's finalists. He took gold at NHK Trophy and bronze at Skate America. Although his quad arsenal isn't as expansive as some of his competitors in the finals, the Russian's consistent quadruple toe loop is enough to make him competitive.

Advertisement

Jason Brown

Perhaps the luckiest skater participating this year, American Jason Brown was the first alternate for the finals. He took silver at Skate Canada, giving him a promising shot at qualifying for Nagoya, but mistakes in his free skate at the NHK Trophy lead to a fourth-place finish. His place as the first alternate ended up being his ticket to one of the six coveted spots after Boyang Jin of China dropped out of the competition due to injury.

Alternates & notable absentees

The most conspicuous absence this year is Yuzuru Hanyu, who won the Grand Prix Finals the past four years in a row. He suffered an injury during practice before the NHK Trophy that lead to his withdrawal. Without completion of that second Grand Prix assignment, he was not eligible for this year's finals.

Patrick Chan placed fourth after a poor free skate at Skate Canada. Knowing his chances at finals were slim after that, he decided to withdraw from the NHK Trophy, forfeiting a chance at the finals, as well.

One of many skaters plagued by injuries this year, Boyang Jin skated on two sprained ankles at November's Skate America. While he took fourth overall, his silver at Cup of China was enough to qualify him for finals. However, the injury forced him to withdraw. His place is filled by first alternate Brown.

Advertisement

Javier Fernandez is also absent from the finals due to a poor performance at Cup of China. He came back to place first at Internationaux De France, making him an alternate for the Grand Prix Finals, but he won't be skating unless someone else withdraws.

Women's competition

The women's Grand Prix series has been plagued by injuries and mistakes, as well. American Gracie Gold withdrew from all Grand Prix assignments this season to seek treatment for anxiety and an eating disorder. Russian Yulia Lipnitskaya retired for similar reasons. Last year's ladies' finalists were Evgenia Medvedeva, Anna Pogorilaya, Elena Radionova, Kaetlyn Osmond, Maria Sotskova and Satoko Miyahara. Like the men's roster, three of those names are absent from this year's final competition, including Evgenia, the top ranked in the world, who had to withdraw from the finals due to injury.

Here's who will be there:

Alina Zagitova of Russia performs her free skate program at the Audi Cup in Beijing on November 4. Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA-EFE

Alina Zagitova

The new skater to beat is Evgenia's 15-year-old teammate Alina Zagitova, who is competing in her first senior skating season. She's taken gold at every single competition she's entered this year. With over 150 points for her free skate at Internationaux De France, she's a favorite for the final podium. If the young skater stays consistent, she may very well break her teammate's two-year win streak in the future. The two Russians share a coach in Eteri Tutberidze.

Advertisement

Kaetlyn Osmond

A presence in the finals for the past two years, Kaetlyn Osmond is one of the strongest female skaters out of Canada. At age 21, this is her sixth competitive senior season. It's possible her upward momentum will continue after she took sixth place in 2015 finals and fourth in 2016. With consistency, a higher placement is possible for Osmond, but the pool is competitive. She is one of many skaters who will be performing to "Swan Lake." Presentation may be a large factor.

Carolina Kostner

A seasoned competitor, 30-year-old Carolina Kostner of Italy has competed in the Grand Prix Finals four times in her career. She's been absent from the past three seasons' finals, making this an important comeback. She doesn't have the most competitive base value, but wins with her sophisticated programs' consistency and artistry. She has earned two silver medals in this year's Grand Prix series -- the Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy.

Maria Sotskova

At 17, Maria Sotskova of Russia is in her second senior season and her second time qualifying for the Grand Prix Finals. She took two silver medals home this Grand Prix season, one at Skate Canada and one at Internationaux De France. She has one of three "Swan Lake" programs, next to Alina and Osmond. The Tchaikovsky inflation may make it difficult for some of their presentations to stand out, but Maria has proven to be a consistent skater this year. She started the season with a gold medal in the challenger series.

Advertisement

Wakaba Higuchi

With only two spots for Japanese ladies in the Olympics, the field is overflowing with competition. Wakaba Higuchi is one of two to qualify for the Grand Prix Finals, giving her a strong chance at making the Olympics if she also performs well at nationals. At 16, this is her second senior season and her first time qualifying for the Grand Prix Finals as a senior. She's one of the most enjoyable skaters to watch with a short program set to "Gypsy Dance" and a free skate to Adele's "Skyfall." Should she perform well in Nagoya, she may bolster her chances for Pyeongchang.

Satoko Miyahara

The skater to take Evgenia's place, first alternate Satoko Miyahara is coming off a slew of intense injuries. She fractured her left hip in January, injured her left foot in July, and suffered hip inflammation in September. Her coach, Mie Hamada, says she only started to jump again this October. Bone density issues have followed the skater throughout her career, but known for her work ethic, Miyahara, 19, is fighting through. Pining for one of those two coveted Olympic spots, her performance at the finals and upcoming Japanese nationals carry heavy pressure.

Advertisement

Notable absentees & alternates

The No. 1 woman to beat was Evgenia, 17, the current world record holder for highest score in ladies' short program, free skate and total combined score. She has not placed lower than first since 2015 where she took silver at Rostelecom Cup. Considered to be previously untouchable, Evgenia suffered a fracture in her foot. She at first insisted she would participate in finals regardless of injury, but the fracture was deemed too severe for competition and she will use the time to recover before the Olympics. However, the International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that Russia is barred from the 2018 Winter Games. Evgenia may still be able to participate under a neutral flag.

The new first alternate after Miyahara's call to replace Evgenia is another Japanese skater, Kaori Sakamoto. The 17-year-old is in her first senior season and while she took fifth at Rostelecom Cup, she was the silver medalist at Skate America.

American Ashley Wagner, who has participated in the Grand Prix Finals four times, had to withdraw mid-free skate at Skate America due to an ankle infection.

And Russian 18-year-old Elena Radionova, who has participated in the last four Grand Prix Finals, did not qualify this year.

Advertisement

Pairs competition

In the pairs competition, there's a whole new roster of finalists since last year. Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany withdrew last year due to injury, but they've qualified again for this season's finals.

Here's the roster:

Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China perform at the Audi Cup of China in Beijing on November 4. Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA-EFE

Wenjing Sui / Cong Han

Skating to familiar music, "Hallelujah" and "Turandot," Wenjing Sui and Cong Han are the top qualifiers for this year's finals. They took the gold medal at their first Grand Prix event in their home country at the Cup of China and won again at their second assignment, the NHK Trophy in Japan. This will be the pair's first Grand Prix Finals since 2014, when they earned a bronze medal. The pair withdrew from last year's Grand Prix series and withdrew from the 2015 finals due to Sui's injury that required surgery on both legs. The pair returned last season and are the current world champions.

Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov

Advertisement

A familiar pair of names, Evgenia Tarasova, 22, and Vladimir Morozov, 25, took gold at both of their Grand Prix assignments this season. They won in their home country of Russia at the Rostelecom Cup and again at Internationaux De France. The pair take a more traditional approach in their free skate, set to a classical piano piece, but light up the ice with a jazzy routine in their free skate set to "Candyman" by Christina Aguilera. The pair is one of few that incorporates a quadruple twist into their routines. It's a competitive field for the Russian pairs, but Tarasova and Morozov are some of the strongest contenders.

Aliona Savchenko / Bruno Massot

It's the comeback year for the only German pair in the finals, Aliona Savchenko, 33, and Bruno Massot, 28. The pair qualified for their first Grand Prix Finals last year, but had to withdraw due to an ankle injury sustained by Savchenko at Tropheé De France. The two have a history of overcoming obstacles, with Massot skating through a back injury at November's Skate America, where they won gold. Recently, Massot, who is originally from France, also had to complete the process of becoming a German citizen so the two could compete at the Olympics. He gained citizenship just before Skate America.

Advertisement

Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford

The rock-'n'-roll pair, Meagan Duhamel, 31, and Eric Radford, 32, are fan favorites. Despite an uncharacteristic seventh-place finish at last season's World Championships, the pair has been on the final podium for the last three years and competitors there for the past six. They qualified for the finals this year with a gold medal at Skate Canada and bronze at Skate America.

Known for their unique music selections, this year they're skating to a cover of U2's "With Or Without You" for their short program and a mashup of three songs by Brit-rock band Muse in the free skate, a program they've used before. They're one of the most entertaining pairs to watch with challenging jump elements, such as side-by-side triple lutzes and a quadruple throw salchow.

Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov

The second Russian pair to qualify for this year's finals, Ksenia Stolbova, 25, and Fedor Klimov, 27, were silver medalists at the 2014 Olympics. They withdrew from last year's Grand Prix series, but won gold at the event in 2015. The first pair to ever land a triple toe-triple toe-double toe combination, Stolbova and Klimov are strong contenders, having won two silver medals -- at NHK Trophy and Rostelecom Cup -- this Grand Prix season. While they don't have any exceptionally difficult elements (in comparison to other finalists), the Russian pair have shown strength and consistency throughout the season.

Advertisement

Xiayu Yu / Hao Zhang

This season marks Xiayu Yu and Hao Zhang's second year together as pair skaters. While discrepancies in their specified ages -- she's believed to be in her 20s and he in his 30s -- have caused issues in the past, the pair is off to a strong start this season. They've made the podium of every event they've competed in with a victory at the Cup of Nice and second place in both of their Grand Prix assignments -- the Cup of China and Skate America. They are among those skating to "Swan Lake."

Notable absentees & alternates

French pair and first alternates Vanessa James, 30, and Morgan Ciprés, 24, are another team known for skating to popular music. This year, their short program is set to "Make It Rain," by Ed Sheeran and their free skate is to "Say Something," which features Christina Aguilera.

Ice dance competition

Another field half-filled with Americans, the ice dancing roster is the most consistent of the four figure-skating disciplines in the Grand Prix Finals. Five of the qualifiers for this season qualified last season, as well. The only change is the Italian team of Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte, who made the final cut this year over Russians Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev. At last year's finals, Brobova and Soloviev made the finals while the Italian team sat at third alternate. This year, Cappellini and Lanotte made the finals with the Russian team barely missing out as first alternates.

Advertisement

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete in Beijing on November 4. Photo by Roman Pilipey/ EPA-EFE

Gabriella Papadakis / Guillaume Cizeron

The only athletes representing France in any discipline at the finals this season, Gabriella Papadakis, 22, and Guillaume Cizeron, 23, are this year's top qualifiers. They're on a straight gold medal streak this season and haven't missed the podium at a single event since 2014. They take two different presentation approaches with both programs, skating to Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and "Thinking Out Loud," for their short program while their free skate is soundtracked by Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." They're not the only ice dancers to win gold at both Grand Prix assignments, but they're certainly a favorite for the top of the podium.

Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir

Tessa Virtue, 28, and Scott Moir, 30, are on a gold streak as well with three victories so far this season, including both Grand Prix assignments at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy. The only medals below gold earned by the team have been a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics and 2013 Grand Prix Finals. The three-time world champions have perhaps one of the most solid shots to win their fourth gold medal of the season at the finals. Their short program music incorporates the Rolling Stones and the Eagles and their free skate is set to music from "Moulin Rouge."

Advertisement

Maia and Alex Shibutani

American favorites and sibling power team Maia Shibutani, 23, and Alex Shibutani, 26, also won both of their Grand Prix events, first at Rostelecom Cup and again at Skate America. The Worlds bronze medalists and 2014 Olympic participants are strong contenders with a light-hearted mambo short program and an emotional free skate set to Coldplay's "Paradise." The two have been skating together for about as long as an ice dance team can, giving them great chemistry on the ice and a competitive edge.

Madison Chock / Evan Bates

The second American team to qualify are the first to do so without a gold streak. Madison Chock, 25, and Evan Bates, 28, won silver medals at their Grand Prix events, the Cup of China and Internationaux De France. Their short program salsa routine may not be the most unique in the field, but their artistry is especially showcased in their free skate set to a mix including John Lennon's "Imagine." They also competed at the 2014 Olympics, placing just one spot above the Shibutanis. This year will be their fourth Grand Prix Final in a row and while they've never won, they've been on the podium at every final they've attended.

Advertisement

Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue

Americans Madison Hubbell, 26, and Zachary Donohue, 26, may have placed ninth at last year's World Championships, but they have medaled twice in this Grand Prix series. They won silver at NHK Trophy and bronze at Skate Canada. Even with those positive results, it's still going to be tough for them to overcome the three teams who qualified with all gold. However, with consistency, anything is possible, especially in a season so far plagued by injuries and other mishaps.

Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte

The only newcomers to the finals this year over last year's roster were the final team to qualify. Cappellini, 30, and Lanotte, 32, missed out on the final competition last year and sat at third alternate, but moved up enough this season to gain that sixth spot in finals. They earned one silver and one bronze this Grand Prix series, but are seasoned competitors with two Olympics under their belt and over 10 years competing together. Their experience is an advantage.

Notable alternates & absentees

The one ice dancing team missing this year from last season's qualifiers, Russians Bobrova, 27, and Soloviev, 28 are first alternates. Their absence is a slight gap in their careers, only their second season out of eight to miss the Grand Prix Finals.

Advertisement

The finals begin Thursday and runs through Sunday.

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games start in February in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Latest Headlines