2016 Skate Canada: Ladies & Pairs Preview
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The Grand Prix Series continues with Skate Canada this week! This preview will cover the ladies and pairs competitors.
LADIES
The ladies’ event at Skate Canada is certain to be a bloodbath, with several talented and decorated skaters who have the potential to stand on the podium. At the head of the race, 2016 World Champion Evgenia Medvedeva and 2016 Four Continents Champion Satoko Miyahara will be facing off at their first Grand Prix event of the season. Also in the mix is Canadian homegirl Kaetlyn Osmond, who is sure to receive the adoration of the home crowd, and Mirai Nagasu, a fan favorite who had a breakthrough last season and currently holds the highest short program score of the season. 2-time Four Continents medalist Rika Hongo has also shown herself to be a strong skater with the potential to medal at Grand Prix events, and the 2015 World Champion, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, will be looking to claw her way back to the top after a disappointing 2015-16 season that had many calling her a one-season wonder. With so many strong skaters nipping at each others’ heels, one slight mistake could be the difference between a medal or disappointment.
EVGENIA MEDVEDEVA
Representing: Russia
Age: 16
ISU personal bests: SP 74.58, FS 150.10, total 223.86
Notable titles: 2016 World Champion, 2016 European Champion, 2016 Russian National Champion, 2015 Grand Prix Final Champion, 2015 World Junior Champion
Programs: SP - River Flows in You/The Winter; FS - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close/Piano Lesson with Grandma
Breaking onto the senior stage last season, Evgenia won almost everything there is to win in skating during her meteoric rise to the top. On her warpath of victory, she picked up the titles of World Champion, European Champion, Russian National Champion, and Grand Prix Final Champion. At the 2016 World Championships, Evgenia set a new world record for the ladies’ free skate score, breaking Yuna Kim’s record from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Evgenia’s strengths lie in her unique expressiveness as well as her strong technical skills. She has the ability to tack a triple toeloop onto any jump - she has landed a 3S-3T-3T-3T combinations before in practice. Evgenia is also known for her distinctive “tano” jumps, where she jumps with one arm above her head. She opened her 2016-17 season at the Japan Open, where she debuted her free skate to a first place finish. A consistent skater who rarely falters, Evgenia is the favorite to win at Skate Canada. Her performance at Japan Open confirmed that she isn’t just a one-season wonder, but to win outright at Skate Canada, Evgenia will need to deliver the solid performances she is known for.
Off-ice, Evgenia is known for her bubbly and friendly personality, oftentimes cheering fervently for fellow skaters and their accomplishments. She is a big fan of anime (especially Sailor Moon), and even has an exhibition program set to the Sailor Moon opening theme. Fans often throw her Sailor Moon goods after her performances, much to Evgenia’s delight. Evgenia is currently watching Yuri on Ice and she recently got into K-pop (her favorite group is EXO and her bias is Sehun). She is close friends with Wakaba Higuchi, the 2016 World Junior Bronze Medalist, and they are very cute together on social media. She also loves the BBC TV show Sherlock. Evgenia is known as “Zhenya” or “Medo-chan” by her fans.
Warning: Evgenia’s free skate program may be triggering for those who have been directly affected by the 9/11 incident.
SATOKO MIYAHARA
Representing: Japan
Age: 18
ISU personal bests: SP 72.48, FS 142.43, total 214.91
Notable titles: 2015 World Silver Medalist, 2016 Four Continents Champion, 2015 Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist, 2-time Japanese National Champion
Programs: SP - Musetta’s Waltz (from La Boheme); FS - The Planets/Star Wars
The reigning queen of Asia and Japan’s top ladies skater, Satoko is currently first in the world rankings due to her strong showings at competitions for the past two seasons. She is an extremely consistent skater who rarely makes major mistakes. After winning a surprise silver medal at the 2015 World Championships, she delivered stellar performances last season to win the 2016 Four Continents Championships and the silver medal at the 2015 Grand Prix Final, but was buried in the deep field at the 2016 World Championships despite skating nearly-clean programs. Satoko naturally rotates clockwise and was a clockwise jumper at a young age, but had to relearn to jump in a counterclockwise direction, contributing to her smaller jumps that are often a point of debate among skating fans. She has suffered from underrotation calls in the past, but has made strides to improve the height and quality of her jumps. Satoko is known for her interesting choreography and her skating has a wonderfully subtle and musical quality that captivates her fans, but it can sometimes be hidden to the judges under the more explosive styles of other skaters. Wanting to push past her image as a quiet skater, Satoko is bringing the drama this season with her cosmic-themed free skate set to Star Wars and The Planets. She can also spin in both directions, and often incorporates this unique element in her programs.
Satoko began her competitive season at the 2016 U.S International Figure Skating Classic, winning the gold medal with clean performances. She faced off against Evgenia Medvedeva at the 2016 Japan Open, where both delivered clean performances of their free skates; Satoko placed second in front of the home crowd. At Skate Canada, Satoko has a chance to win should she deliver the consistent programs she is known for, but she will need to avoid edge calls and underrotations and might ultimately need to depend on the performances of other skaters (namely, Evgenia) to win the gold.
Satoko is often called “Tiny Queen” by her fans, standing at only 150 cm (4 feet 9 inches). She is friendly with her fellow Japanese skaters, including Rika Hongo and Shoma Uno. Satoko is proficient in English, having spent part of her childhood there (she first learned to skate in Texas).
KAETLYN OSMOND
Representing: Canada
Age: 20
ISU personal bests: SP 64.73, FS 122.54, total 187.27
Notable titles: 2-time Canadian National Champion, 2012 Skate Canada Champion
Programs: SP - Sous le ciel de Paris/Milord; FS - La Boheme
Kaetlyn made a splash on the senior stage when she won 2012 Skate Canada, her senior Grand Prix debut, and placed 9th at the 2013 World Championships on home turf. However, hindered by injury in the past few seasons, Kaetlyn has been far from her best form. Last season, she had a lackluster Grand Prix run, and a third place finish at the 2016 Canadian Championships left her off of Canada’s World team. Kaetlyn is known for her transitions and energetic personality on the ice, and often receives high program component scores. She started her 2016-17 season at the 2016 Finlandia Trophy, where she narrowly won the gold medal. To potentially medal at Skate Canada and please the home audience, Kaetlyn will need to match her high PCS with a solid jump layout and avoid popping jumps, which she is sometimes prone to doing.
Kaetlyn hails from Marystown, Newfoundland, and has a rink and street there named after her. She was the first skater not from Quebec to win the Canadian national title in 10 years.
MIRAI NAGASU
Representing: USA
Age: 23
ISU personal bests: SP 73.40, FS 129.68, total 193.86
Notable titles: 2016 Four Continents Silver Medalist, 2011 Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2008 US National Champion
Programs: SP - Nocturne No.20 in C-sharp Minor; FS - The Winner Takes It All
Mirai burst onto the scene in 2008, winning the senior US National title before she was even old enough to compete as a senior internationally. Her stellar performances at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics netted her a fourth-place finish and the hearts of viewers worldwide, and she placed first in the short program at 2010 Worlds in her first appearance at that competition. Mirai looked poised to live up to her name (“future” in Japanese), but her struggles with consistency and jumps in the years afterward saw her lose the support of the judges, the US skating federation, and some of her fans. Many thought that she had lost her spark and love for skating, and she was left off the 2014 Olympic team despite finishing third at Nationals that year. Despite numerous heartbreaks and setbacks, Mirai refused to let her story end there - she found a supportive coach in Tom Zakrajsek, and worked hard in retooling her jumps and consistency to solid results last season. Mirai had a stellar breakthrough when she made the podium at the 2016 US Nationals and won a silver medal at the 2016 Four Continents Championships. She was able to return to the World Championships for the first time in six years, and her stunning short program performance to Demons at 2016 Worlds brought the home audience to its feet and many skating fans to tears. Throughout her journey, Mirai has faced challenges that could have been career-ending for many skaters, but she persevered and steadily fought her way back into the ranks of the world’s top ladies.
A fan favorite, Mirai is known for her lovely expression on ice, her fierce determination, and her spins and spirals, which are among the best in the world. She began her 2016-17 season with a bronze medal at Lombardia Trophy and a gold medal at the 2016 Autumn Classic, where she received the highest short program score yet this season. At Skate Canada, Mirai will need to repeat her magic in the short program and improve on her free skate to potentially medal. She will also need to watch out for underrotation calls, which she has been prone to receiving in the past.
Mirai loves her dogs and often posts about them on her social media. She is currently a student at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and is studying and competing at the same time. Mirai is very friendly to her fans, often liking and acknowledging gifts, fanart, and fan-edits. Her parents run a sushi restaurant called Restaurant Kiyosuzu in Arcadia, California. She is also fond of chocolate.
RIKA HONGO
Representing: Japan
Age: 20
ISU personal bests: SP 69.89, FS 129.97, total 199.15
Notable titles: 2-time Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2014 Japanese National Silver Medalist
Programs: SP - O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana); FS - Lawrence of Arabia
Rika’s senior career took off after an unexpected win at the 2014 Rostelecom Cup in her senior debut season. She had solid results in the 2014-15 season, finishing on the podium at Japanese Nationals and Four Continents, and placed 6th at 2015 Worlds. Last season, Rika’s consistency slipped a bit and she barely missed making the Grand Prix Final, but she took the bronze medal at the 2016 Four Continents Championships and had strong performances at 2016 Worlds, where her energetic Riverdance free skate captivated the Boston audience, eliciting loud cheers. At both her appearances at the World Championships, Rika placed within the top ten. Her strengths lie in her exuberance and joy while skating, as well as her interesting programs. Rika could use more refinement to her skating and she has not-inconsiderable problems with her posture, but she is currently being advised by the retired, fan favorite 2012 World Bronze Medalist, Akiko Suzuki, who has helped Rika improve her musicality and carriage. When Rika is on, she has the firepower needed to take medals - but when she’s off, her issues with consistency and underrotations can take her off of the podium. At Skate Canada, Rika will need to have clean jumps to have a chance at a medal. With a slew of younger girls in Japan coming up right behind her, she will have to deliver here to assert herself as one of Japan’s top ladies.
Off-ice, Rika is a sweet and gracious girl, and her bright personality and good sense of humor shine through her lovely smile. Rika is close friends with other Japanese skaters, in particular Satoko Miyahara, Sota Yamamoto, and Kanako Murakami. She is half-Japanese and half-British. Rika’s idol is 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist Shizuka Arakawa.
ELIZAVETA TUKTAMYSHEVA
Representing: Russia
Age: 19
ISU personal bests: SP 77.62, FS 141.38, total 210.40
Notable titles: 2015 World Champion, 2015 European Champion, 2014 Grand Prix Final Champion, 2013 Russian National Champion
Programs: SP - Piano Concerto No. 23 (Mozart); FS - Cleopatra
During the 2014-15 season, Elizaveta was the “it” girl, winning almost every competition she entered during her comeback from puberty struggles. In the list of her accolades are the title of 2015 World Champion, 2015 European Champion, and 2014 Grand Prix Final Champion. However, she had a slew of rough outings last season as she tried to replicate her terrific results from the year before. At the 2016 Russian National Championships, Elizaveta fell to a distant 8th place, and as a result, was left off of Russia’s World team. Known by her nickname “Liza,” Elizaveta is one of the few female skaters who has landed a triple axel in competition, and at the 2015 World Championships, she became the first female skater to land four triple jumps in a short program. Liza is a student of the famous Alexei Mishin, and she is known for her strong jump technique and distinctive(/polarizing) style on ice. She began her season at the 2016 Nebelhorn Trophy, where she won the silver medal, but had a disappointing showing at the 2016 Finlandia Trophy where she ended up in 4th place. Liza has the potential to medal at or even win Skate Canada, but far from top form and no longer the it girl of Russian figure skating, she will have to deliver solid performances to have a chance of medaling. In Russia, where the ladies field is packed with young, upcoming ingenues, Liza will also be looking to reassert herself as one of Russia’s top ladies.
Liza’s favorite foods are sushi and mussels. She is a fan of the TV shows Sherlock and Game of Thrones, as well as the band Guns N’Roses. She is close friends with her fellow Russian skaters, particularly her rivals Adelina Sotnikova, Julia Lipnitskaia, and Elena Radionova.
Other skaters to watch:
Alaine Chartrand (CAN): 2016 Canadian National Champion. Had ups and downs last season, winning her first national title, but placed a disappointing 17th at Worlds. Struggles with consistency but started her season with a 2nd place finish at the Autumn Classic International. If she skates well at home, Alaine could be highly rewarded.
Yuka Nagai (JPN): 2015 Skate Canada Bronze Medalist. Has good jumps when she’s on, but struggles with consistency and often pops her jumps. Could place well if she lands everything, but it will be difficult to medal again in this deep field.
Nahyun Kim (KOR): 2016 Lombardia Trophy Silver Medalist. Won a surprise medal at Lombardia Trophy and will be looking to make a good showing at her senior Grand Prix series debut.
Dabin Choi (KOR): 4-time South Korean National Medalist. Began her season with a 2nd place finish at the Asian Open Trophy. Skate Canada will also be Dabin’s senior Grand Prix series debut.
PAIRS
Pairs skating has seen significant technical advancement in recent years, and reigning World Champions Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford of Canada are one of the teams at the forefront of the technical revolution. Looking to get their Grand Prix off to a good start, Duhamel/Radford will be skating on home ice alongside their compatriots, Lubov Iliushechkina/Dylan Moscovitch. 2-time European Champions Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov of Russia will make their first Grand Prix appearance after an injury took them out of the 2016 World Championships. Skate Canada will also give us our first look at a newly formed team, Xiaoyu Yu/Hao Zhang of China.
MEAGAN DUHAMEL / ERIC RADFORD
Representing: Canada
Age: 30/31
ISU personal bests: SP 78.18, FS 153.81, total 231.99
Notable titles: 2016 & 2015 World Champions, 2014 Grand Prix Final Champions, 2-time Four Continents Champions, 5-time Canadian National Champions
Programs: SP - Killer; FS - Non, je ne regrette rien
Aside from a silver medal at the 2015 Grand Prix Final, Duhamel/Radford were golden throughout last season, successfully defending their World title at the 2016 World Championships in Boston. They began their season at the 2016 Finlandia Trophy, where they debuted their new programs and won the gold medal with a convincing margin. Duhamel/Radford are known for their strong technical elements - in particular, a throw quad salchow which they have successfully executed in competition multiple times. They are one of the few teams who have landed side-by-side triple lutzes in competition, and have also attempted throw quad lutzes in their free skate. As the reigning World and Canadian champions skating at home, Skate Canada is theirs to lose. However, with other teams being a potential threat for gold, Duhamel/Radford cannot rest on their laurels, and will have to deliver two solid skates to clinch the top spot on the podium.
Meagan is an enthusiastic vegan and Eric composes music in his free time (he composed Patrick Chan’s free program music this season).
YUKO KAVAGUTI / ALEXANDER SMIRNOV
Representing: Russia
Age: 34/32
ISU personal bests: SP 76.02, FS 143.55, total 216.00
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
A veteran team, Kavaguti/Smirnov began competing together in 2006 and have remained, since then, one of the top pairs in not only Russia, but also the world. However, injuries and inconsistencies in their later seasons have made it difficult for them to show their best in competition. Kavaguti/Smirnov are known for their musical and dramatic style. They have performed difficult technical elements in the past (most notably, a quadruple salchow throw.) During the 2015-16 season, they landed two quadruple throws at the Cup of China to win the gold medal, and won the bronze medal at the 2015 Grand Prix Final. However, Yuko later ruptured a tendon in practice, which led the pair to withdraw from both the 2016 European Championships and the 2016 World Championships. They returned to competition for the 2016-17 season at the 2016 Ondrej Nepela Trophy, where they won the silver medal. At Skate America, they could potentially upset the favorites, Duhamel/Radford, but they would have to pull out two fantastic performances (and rely on the other team’s mistakes) to do so. With the deep pairs field in Russia, Kavaguti/Smirnov are looking for a medal here to cement their place as one of the top Russian pairs, but their technical elements may be hindered by Yuko’s recent injuries.
Yuko was born in Japan and previously represented Japan in competition with a different partner, but has been a Russian citizen for several years now.
LUBOV ILIUSHECHKINA / DYLAN MOSCOVITCH
Representing: Canada
Age: 24/32
ISU personal bests: SP 68.17, FS 131.35, total 199.52
Notable titles: 2-time Canadian National Medalists
Programs: SP - Tango Jalousie; FS - When You Say You Love Me
Iliushechkina/Moscovitch are a relatively new team, having paired up in 2014 after Dylan’s successful partnership with Kirsten Moore-Towers ended due to differing goals. Lubov likewise had success on the junior level as a pairs skater for Russia, but was partner-less for a while before meeting Dylan. During the 2015-16 season, Iliushechkina/Moscovitch steadily improved upon their results to finish 7th at the 2016 World Championships with personal best scores. Despite being a newer team, Iliushechkina/Moscovitch have developed good chemistry and are known for their interesting choreography, transitions, lifts, and expressiveness. They began their 2016-17 season at the 2016 Nebelhorn Trophy, where they won the silver medal. Iliushechkina/Moscovitch have the ability to contest for a medal at Skate Canada, bolstered by home crowd support, but they will have to overcome their main weakness - side-by-side jumps - in order to do so.
XIAOYU YU / HAO ZHANG
Representing: China
Age: 20/32
ISU personal bests: N/A
Notable titles: N/A
Programs: SP - Eternal Flame, FS - Cavatina, Larghetto amoroso
Yu/Zhang are a controversial new team who will be starting their competitive career together at Skate Canada. With former partner Yang Jin, Xiaoyu is a two-time World Junior Champion and the 2016 Four Continents Bronze Medalist. Meanwhile, Hao Zhang has had two former partners - with former partner Dan Zhang, he is the 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist and a 4-time World Medalist; with more recent former partner Cheng Peng, he is the 2015 Four Continents Silver Medalist. The formation of this new team has been a hotly debated subject among skating fans, as the Chinese Skating Association made the decision to forcibly break up two existing pairs teams with solid results to create new ones. The decision itself was made as a risky gamble to create a potential gold medal-winning team for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Although Xiaoyu protested the change, she was separated from her former partner Yang Jin, and paired up with Hao Zhang - while Yang Jin and Cheng Peng were paired together. Many fans, especially those who enjoyed Yu/Jin’s style and chemistry as a team, are still protesting against the CSA’s decision. Debuting their programs at a domestic Chinese competition during the off season, Yu/Zhang appear to be a technically competitive team - but only time will tell if they will be able to mesh together artistically, as the circumstances of the team’s formation was fraught with tension. Skate Canada will be our first glimpse of this team both performance-wise and scores-wise, and as a result, their results here are unpredictable. Based on past showings with other partners, Yu/Zhang have the potential to medal at this competition.
Xiaoyu is loved by fans for her subtle musicality and balletic lines. She is a fan of anime, and is currently learning Japanese - at the 2015 NHK Trophy, she could answer interview questions in Japanese and translate questions for her former partner, Yang Jin.
Other skaters to watch:
Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA): 2016 Skate America Silver Medalists. Fresh off a medal last week, Haven and Brandon have dark horse potential at Skate Canada. However, having only a week in between competitions could hurt their performance.
Nicole Della Monica/ Matteo Guarise (ITA): 2016 Italian National Champions. A solid team, they have won medals on the Challenger Series and could potentially place well.
*Vera Bazarova/Andrei Deputat (RUS) have withdrawn with no replacement named.