2016 Cup of China: Men & Pairs Preview
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Can you believe the Grand Prix is almost finished? The second-last event, Cup of China, will take place in Beijing this week! Here’s our preview of the men’s and pairs fields.
MEN
In a field where more than half of the competitors have a realistic shot at the podium, Cup of China might be the most unpredictable men’s event yet. 3-time World Champion and 2016 Skate Canada Champion Patrick Chan enters as the favorite, but recent technical upgrades to his programs have put a question mark on his consistency. Behind him are a slew of contenders vying for the podium, from China’s crowd favorite Boyang Jin, the young quadruple jump prodigy, to Russia’s Sergei Voronov, a veteran who’s here to show that he’s still alive and kicking. USA’s Max Aaron will be looking for strong performances to boost his confidence against an increasingly deep US men’s field, while Maxim Kovtun of Russia and Han Yan of China will both be hoping for redemption after messy performances at their first Grand Prix events. Many skaters in this field have the talent and ability to stand at the top; few have the consistency, and all of them have something to prove. Who will stand on the podium at the penultimate Grand Prix event of the season? Your guess is as good as ours.
PATRICK CHAN
Representing: Canada
Age: 25
ISU Personal bests: SP 98.52, FS 203.99, total 295.27
ISU Season’s best: 266.95
Notable titles: 2014 Olympic Silver Medalist, 3-time World Champion, 2-time Grand Prix Final Champion, 3-time Four Continents champion, 8-time Canadian National Champion
Programs: SP - Dear Prudence/Blackbird; FS - A Journey
After winning Skate Canada against Yuzuru Hanyu - albeit with mistakes from both skaters - veteran Patrick Chan looks on track to qualify for the Grand Prix Final for the 8th time in his career with another podium finish at Cup of China. He will mainly be looking for solid performances, avoiding the pops that took a hard hit to his free skate score at his last competition, and to get more mileage on the quadruple salchow, which he has added to his free skate for the first time. With three quads in his free skate (two toeloops and a salchow), Patrick’s technical content has never been higher, and he’s no doubt determined to show that in today’s high-difficulty world of men’s skating, he’s not out of the running yet. Patrick’s high component scores will give him a large cushion over everyone else in this field, but with young jumping prodigy Boyang Jin and other strong skaters waiting in the wings, he’ll have to avoid making too many major errors in order to win and build his momentum going into the Grand Prix Final.
BOYANG JIN
Representing: China
Age: 19
ISU Personal bests: SP 98.45, FS 191.38, total 289.83
ISU Season’s best: 245.08
Notable titles: 2016 World Bronze Medalist, 2016 4CC Silver Medalist, 2015 Junior World Silver Medalist
Programs: SP - Spiderman, FS - La Strada
Although he was one of the favorites to win his first Grand Prix event, Boyang ended in a disappointing 5th place after falling on both of his quad attempts in the short program, leaving him in a hole too deep to climb out of even after a decent free skate. Best known for his quads, especially his enormous quad lutz (a jump few other skaters have even attempted, much less landed), Boyang boasts one of the highest potential base values in the men’s field with six quad attempts across two programs, but with high difficulty comes high risk and high potential for mistakes, as Skate America showed. Boyang will need to win Cup of China in order to qualify for the Grand Prix Final, a tall order against Patrick Chan, but not impossible if he can land all of his jumps. Most importantly, he’ll be looking for a bit of redemption for Skate America in front of a home crowd. Boyang has also been working hard to improve his artistry and presentation, and solid skates at home could give him a boost in program component scores, an area that has historically been his weakness.
Besides his quads, Boyang is loved by fans for his weird/entertaining exhibition programs, his livestreams, and his off-ice personality.
MAX AARON
Representing: USA
Age: 24
ISU Personal bests: SP 87.03, FS 172.86, total 258.95
ISU Season’s best: 235.58
Notable titles: 2013 US National Champion, 2016 US National Silver Medalist, 2015 Skate America Champion
Programs: SP - Nessun Dorma (from Turandot); FS - The Lion King
Fighting against domestic rivals in an increasingly competitive US men’s field, Max got his Grand Prix season off to an uninspiring start with a 5th-place finish at Rostelecom Cup. With his relatively low component scores, Max often has to rely on his strong jumps to make international podiums. Consistent skates at Cup of China could win him a medal and improve his standing heading into US Nationals, but in this unpredictable field, he could just as easily finish off the podium again. Max has worked with new choreographers in an effort to improve his artistry, with mixed results.
SERGEI VORONOV
Representing: Russia
Age: 29
ISU Personal bests: SP 90.33, FS 167.04, total 252.55
ISU Season’s best: 245.28
Notable titles: 2014 Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, 2-time European Medalist
Programs: SP - The Skin I Live In; FS - Exogenesis Symphony Part 3
One of the oldest skaters still competing in the men’s field, Sergei has been around the block and back. His career peak arguably came in 2014, when he qualified for the Grand Prix Final for the first time and won the bronze medal there. Inconsistency last season kept him off of Russia’s World team, but he’s made a strong comeback so far this season, winning the Ondrej Nepela Memorial and placing a solid 4th at Skate America. If he can continue to produce good performances, a medal at Cup of China is within reach. In order to give himself another shot at the Grand Prix Final, Sergei would have to place at least second at this competition, but any medal would help his standing and confidence heading into Russian Nationals as he fights to regain a spot on the World team.
Sergei shares a coach with fellow Russian singles skaters Elena Radionova and Maxim Kovtun. He is the most well known for his 2014-15 season free program, aptly nicknamed The Sergei Voronov Experience™.
HAN YAN
Representing: China
Age: 20
ISU Personal bests: SP 90.14, FS 181.98, total 271.55
ISU Season’s best: 209.11
Notable titles: 3-time Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2012 World Junior Champion, 2-time Chinese National Champion
Programs: SP - I’ll Take Care of You; FS - Romeo & Juliet
A young skater with the jump quality and skating skills to be one of the best in the world when he’s on, Han’s inconsistency has nevertheless always been his biggest enemy, preventing him from living up to his potential. After failing to qualify for the free skate at 2016 Worlds and his disastrous 10th place finish at Skate Canada, his first Grand Prix of the season, Han is likely in sore need of a confidence boost. Skating in front of a home crowd at Cup of China could be a double-edged sword; audience support could either help him or worsen the pressure he already feels. Good performances at this competition could land him in the top half of the standings or even on the podium, depending on how other skaters perform, but the main thing Han will be looking for as he moves forward is an improvement over his last event.
Off-ice, Han is well known for taking a lot of selfies and posting them on his Weibo account. He has two cats and loves them dearly. For more background information on Han, check out our 2016 Skate Canada preview.
Other skaters to watch:
Maxim Kovtun (RUS): 2-time European Medalist, 3-time Russian National Champion. Attempts 5 quads in total and has podium potential, but consistency is key. Placed 7th at Skate America after bombing the short program, but pulled up with a strong free skate. For more information, check out our 2016 Skate America preview.
Michal Brezina (CZE): 2013 European Bronze Medalist. Infamous in the past for always placing 4th at competitions, a position he reprised at 2016 Skate Canada after resurging from seasons of inconsistency. Could place in the top half at Cup of China if he continues to skate well.
Daniel Samohin (ISR): 2016 Junior World Champion. Placed 5th at Skate Canada, his senior Grand Prix debut. Known for his in-character bows after programs and his quads, but also his inconsistency. Could place pretty much anywhere at Cup of China. Will be looking for strong performances to help his outlook going into Nationals, where he will fight Alexei Bychenko for Israel’s lone Worlds spot.
Alexander Petrov (RUS): 2016 Russian National Bronze Medalist, 2014 Junior Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist. On his second season as a senior. Known for consistent performances, but lack of a quad makes it difficult for him to win medals at high-level competitions. Placed 7th at Skate Canada and could surprise for a high placement at Cup of China depending on how others perform. Coached by the famous Alexei Mishin, alongside Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.
PAIRS
China is well known for its legendary pairs teams, having developed into a pairs powerhouse in the last two decades, and this is arguably the marquee event of the competition. However, the spotlight this week will be on two Chinese pairs for a somewhat different reason. Two teams, Xiaoyu Yu/Hao Zhang and Cheng Peng/Yang Jin, used to skate with each other’s partners only a season ago, but were made to split and switch partners by the Chinese federation in a gamble to create more successful teams. This decision has already generated heated controversy and debate among skating fans. Yu/Zhang, having already won a silver medal at their first Grand Prix event, look primed to take another medal - and possibly the title - at Cup of China, securing a spot for themselves at the Grand Prix Final. Peng/Jin will make their competitive debut together at this competition, while Xuehan Wang and Lei Wang, another top Chinese team, will also look to get their season off to a good start. Canadians Lubov Iliushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch are also very much in the hunt for a medal and a spot at the Grand Prix Final, while the veteran Russian team Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov will be hoping for solid performances on their comeback from injury.
XIAOYU YU / HAO ZHANG
Representing: China
Age: 20/32
ISU Personal bests: SP 69.43, FS 132.65, total 202.08
ISU Season’s best: 202.08
Notable titles: 2016 Skate Canada Silver Medalists
Programs: SP - Eternal Flame, FS - Cavatina, Larghetto amoroso
Despite teaming up only this year under tense circumstances (the Chinese Skating Association forcibly split Xiaoyu from her former partner, Yang Jin, and paired her up with Hao Zhang because they believed the old partnerships weren’t successful enough), Yu/Zhang have quickly gelled together technically. Typical of most Chinese pair teams, they have an excellent triple twist and throw jumps, capable of garnering huge Grades of Execution. At their first competition together, Skate Canada, they skated two nearly clean programs, broke the 200-point barrier, and won the silver medal. They now enter Cup of China as the slight favorites to win, based on their performances at Skate Canada. However, one data point is not enough to constitute a trend, and it remains to be seen if Yu/Zhang can replicate or improve on their Skate Canada performances. Although they are a technically strong team, they still have a ways to go in developing an emotional connection, and the partners’ complicated history may prove to be a barrier in that respect.
LUBOV ILIUSHECHKINA / DYLAN MOSCOVITCH
Representing: Canada
Ages: 25/32
ISU Personal bests: SP 68.17, FS 131.35, total 199.52
ISU Season’s best: 190.22
Notable titles: 2-time Canadian National Medalists
Programs: SP - Tango Jalousie; FS - When You Say You Love Me
Bronze medalists at Skate Canada behind Yu/Zhang, Iliushechkina/Moscovitch will be hoping for at least a silver medal at Cup of China in order to have a chance at qualifying for their first Grand Prix Final. Although they are an enjoyable team to watch, with a strong chemistry between partners and interesting lift positions and transitions, they are often hampered by mistakes on their jumping elements. Landing their jumps will be key if they hope to win another medal and further establish themselves as one of the top pairs teams on the Grand Prix.
YUKO KAVAGUTI / ALEXANDER SMIRNOV
Representing: Russia
Ages: 34/32
ISU Personal bests: SP 76.02, FS 143.55, total 216.00
ISU Season’s best: 185.42
Notable titles: 2-time European Champions, 2010 & 2009 World Bronze Medalists, 2015 & 2011 Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalists, 3-time Russian National Champions
Programs: SP - All Alone; FS - Clair de Lune
The winners of Cup of China last season, Kavaguti/Smirnov enter this year as underdogs, having missed the second half of the 2015-16 season and several months of the off season due to Yuko’s injury and subsequent surgery. One of the oldest and most experienced teams in the pairs’ field, Kavaguti/Smirnov are known for their intricate choreography and maturity as a team, but as their 5th-place finish at Skate Canada showed, they are not back up to their usual level yet when it comes to technical elements. Solid performances could get them onto the Cup of China podium, but they would have to be much stronger than at Skate Canada in order to win, and too many mistakes could see them slip out of medal contention again.
CHENG PENG / YANG JIN
Representing: China
Ages: 19/22
ISU Personal bests: N/A
ISU Season’s best: N/A
Notable titles: N/A
Programs: SP - My Drags; FS - I Will Wait For You (from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg)
The other half of the Chinese pairs partner swap, Peng/Jin will be making their Grand Prix debut together at Cup of China. Before the Chinese Skating Association forcibly rearranged their teams (believing that the old partnerships were not successful enough), Cheng Peng skated with Hao Zhang as his second partner after his first partner, Dan Zhang, retired. She was 15 and had previously been a junior when they were teamed up in 2012; he was 27. With Hao Zhang, she participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics, won the silver medal at 2015 Four Continents, and placed 4th at 2015 Worlds. However, many errors on her side-by-side jumps last season, along with Hao Zhang’s shoulder injury, left Peng/Zhang languishing in the standings. They finished 12th at 2016 Worlds after Cheng crashed into the boards on a scary fall in their short program.
Yang Jin had skated with Xiaoyu Yu since 2008, and until they were split up, Yu/Jin were one of the longest-lived teams in the pairs’ field. They were successful together on the junior level, winning two Junior World Championship titles and qualifying for the Grand Prix Final two years in a row after moving up to seniors. With Xiaoyu, he was also the 2016 Four Continents Bronze Medalist. However, despite Xiaoyu’s protests, Yu/Jin were split up during the 2016 off season. Xiaoyu was paired with Hao Zhang, and Yang Jin was paired with Cheng Peng.
Peng/Jin have not received as much media coverage in China as Yu/Zhang, so it is more difficult to tell where they’re at in terms of preparation. At a domestic competition in September, they performed a clean free skate (including clean side-by-side jumps from Cheng, historically one of her biggest weaknesses) and their elements appeared to be solid. Clean performances at Cup of China could net them a place in the top half of the standings, but it remains to be seen how they will fare at their first international competition together - and how the judges will treat them when it comes to program component scores.
XUEHAN WANG / LEI WANG
Representing: China
Ages: 18/28
ISU Personal bests: SP 69.36, FS 118.72, total 186.76
ISU Season’s best: N/A
Notable titles: 2014 Cup of China Bronze Medalists, 2014 Trophee Eric Bompard Bronze Medalists
Programs: SP - Steppin’ Out With My Baby; FS - Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Wang/Wang teamed up in 2012; Lei previously skated with a different partner, while Xuehan switched over from singles skating. On their first full Grand Prix season together in 2014, they won two bronze medals. Perpetually the third-ranked team in China the last two seasons, Wang/Wang are nevertheless a charming and delightful team to watch, best known for Xuehan’s sparkling personality on the ice. Although they are strong in all other elements, especially their triple twist, their main weakness is Xuehan’s side-by-side jumps, which she rarely lands cleanly in the free skate. Cup of China will be their season debut. Clean programs could place them into the top half of the standings, but their final placement will likely depend on other skaters’ performances and the consistency of their jumping elements. Xuehan was also injured during the off season, which may or may not affect their performances here.
Other skaters to watch:
Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise (ITA): 2016 Italian National Champions. Placed 6th at Skate Canada.
Mari Vartmann/Ruben Blommaert (GER): 2016 Nebelhorn Trophy & Finlandia Trophy Bronze Medalists. Teamed up in 2015. This is their first Grand Prix of the season. Last season they placed 6th at Cup of China.