2017 European Championships: A Preview
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The European Championships kicks off tomorrow in Ostrava, Czech Republic! Featuring returning legends, newcomers, and established top skaters alike, here’s our preview of the competitors to look out for!
MEN
Four-time and reigning European Champion Javier Fernandez (ESP) is back for a fifth title, and if he can produce the solid performances that nabbed him the first-place qualifier spot at the 2016 Grand Prix Final, he should cruise comfortably to another gold in Ostrava. However, if the mistake-ridden Javi of GPF shows up, the results could be up in the air. Both a strong technician known for his quads and a delightful performer with charisma to spare, Javi has led European men by a wide margin in the last few years, but after his disappointment at GPF he will no doubt want to give better performances this week to regain his momentum leading up to the World Championships, where he will be looking for his third gold medal in a row.
The only man in this field who could potentially challenge Javier if the latter really has an off day, Mikhail Kolyada (RUS) is coming off his first win at the Russian National Championships. After blasting out of nowhere with a 4th-place finish at 2016 Worlds, Mikhail struggled to replicate his success on the Grand Prix this season, but solid performances at Russian Nationals gave another glimpse of his full potential. He’s recently landed beautiful quad lutzes in practice, and although he fell on an attempt at Russian Nationals, he might be successful at the European Championships. If he can skate relatively clean programs, the European silver medal - his first at an ISU Championships - is well within his grasp.
With Javier and Mikhail leading the pack, the third spot on the men’s podium is entirely up for grabs and nearly impossible to predict, given the inconsistent and/or untested nature of the remaining contenders. Maxim Kovtun (RUS) is the reigning European bronze medalist, but persistent inconsistency this season has eroded both his technical score and his reputation in the eyes of the judges. Coming off a bronze medal at Russian Nationals, Maxim will desperately need better performances at Europeans in order to make the World team. Challenging Maxim for both a spot on the Europeans podium and on the Russian World team is 18-year-old Alexander Samarin, silver medalist at the 2016 Junior Grand Prix Final and the senior Russian Nationals. Although his skating quality is weaker than other men in this field, his solid technical content and consistency has already won him several medals on the junior scene this season. Europeans is his debut at an ISU Championships, and if his consistency holds together, he might just walk away with his first medal.
Other contenders for the podium include reigning European silver medalist Alexei Bychenko (ISR), who had one very strong competition this season at Rostelecom Cup, but was inconsistent everywhere else, and Daniel Samohin (ISR), Alexei’s young compatriot who won the 2016 Junior World title. Both men have the technical goods to medal at Europeans depending on how the rest of the field skates, but both men are also prone to inconsistency. In any case, look out for Daniel’s theatrical programs and his infamous in-character bows. Another dark horse for the podium is Czech Republic’s own Michal Brezina, best known for often placing 4th at competitions in the past (the “potato medal”). Michal has seen some hard times in recent seasons, but seems to be getting back on track. If he can give strong performances in front of a home crowd, he might be able to squeeze onto the podium.
Lastly, don’t forget to keep an eye on Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT), the young Latvian Champion and silver medalist at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. Deniss is a charming skater with great skating skills and spins, but suffers from inconsistency in his jumps. He is the first high-level student of the fan-beloved Stephane Lambiel, and they are known for being adorable together in the kiss n’ cry. Deniss will find it hard to get onto the European podium with his lower technical content, but clean performances can still nab him a good placement at this competition.
LADIES
The biggest buzz of the European ladies’ competition is doubtlessly created by the return of 2014 Olympic bronze medalist and 2012 World Champion Carolina Kostner (ITA), who will be making her first appearance at a major competition in two seasons. After a long break, Carolina returned to competition at the Golden Spin of Zagreb back in December, and won the competition with a solid short program that included a triple-triple combination. Although her technical content still wasn’t at its peak during Italian Nationals, it seems to be rising steadily and Carolina easily won that competition for the 8th time. At 29 years of age, Carolina is far and away the oldest competitor in the entire ladies’ field, and her experience shows in her mature, elegant skating. With her top-notch skating skills and stunning artistry, Carolina will likely garner some of the highest Program Component Scores in the field, but whether she can make the European podium will depend on the state of her jumps. Regardless of jumps, however, her skating alone is well worth a watch.
Although Carolina is a returning legend, the favorite to win the gold medal in Ostrava is still firmly Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS), the reigning European Champion, World Champion, and 2-time Grand Prix Final Champion. Still only 17 years old, Evgenia has been unstoppable for the better part of two seasons; no one else has even come close to her scores, and her combination of high technical content and insane consistency has already broken the world records for both the short program and free skate - only the combined total record remains. That record, along with her second European title, might just be another feather in her cap if she can skate two clean programs this week. Evgenia should easily claim the gold at Europeans even if she makes a few minor errors; the only question is how many records she’ll break.
Chasing a spot on the podium is Russia’s 18-year-old Anna Pogorilaya, the reigning European, World, and Grand Prix Final bronze medalist. Always on the periphery of the Russian ladies’ field in the past, her unexpected World bronze medal last season gave Anna the confidence to blossom into a firey performer, and her newfound consistency this season has established her as one of the top ladies in the world. But so cutthroat is the ladies’ field in Russia that any small mistake can spell the difference between a medal or nothing. Struggling with an injury at Russian Nationals, Anna fought through to give a clean free skate, but was pushed off the podium by Maria Sotskova and the not-yet-senior-eligible Alina Zagitova. If she is back at full health and skating like she did on the Grand Prix, however, a medal at Europeans should be within reach.
Rounding out Team Russia at Europeans is 16-year-old Maria Sotskova, the 2016 Junior World silver medalist and senior Russian Nationals bronze medalist. This is Maria’s first senior season, and as continuing proof of Russia’s domination in the ladies’ field, she medaled at both of her Grand Prix events and qualified for the Grand Prix Final, where she finished 5th. Her consistency is her strongest asset, but she is sometimes prone to underrotating her jumps, and whether she can make the podium at her first European Championships will likely depend on how harsh the technical panel is, as well as the performances of other skaters.
PAIRS
The gold medals in the other three disciplines at Europeans are, frankly, more or less set, but pairs will present an interesting battle for the title. Injured at 2016 Worlds and missing the first half of the 2016-17 season, 2014 Olympic silver medalists and 2015 Grand Prix Final Champions Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov (RUS) will make their return to ISU competition after barely edging out Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov at Russian Nationals. Stolbova/Klimov are known for their unique programs, high-quality elements (especially their throws, and they have landed side-by-side triple-triple combinations before, a rare sight in pairs skating), and Ksenia’s terrifying imposing presence on the ice. They are capable of some of the highest scores in the world when they’re at their best. However, it remains to be seen whether they can shake off the rust at Europeans and return to their top form.
Coming off a surprise gold medal at the 2016 Grand Prix Final, where they beat reigning World Champions Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford of Canada, Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (RUS) have firmly earned themselves a place as one of the top pairs teams of the season, and will be co-favorites for gold at the European Championships. Tarasova/Morozov have stellar technical elements when they’re on, especially their twists and throws, but will need to be as clean as possible in order to defeat Stolbova/Klimov. Barely a point separated the two teams at Russian Nationals, so the battle at Europeans should be tight.
Injury forced Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot (GER) to withdraw from the 2016 Grand Prix Final, and they’ll be looking for a strong return to competition this week in Ostrava, where they also have a shot at the gold medal. A 5-time World Champion with her previous partner, Robin Szolkowy, Aliona teamed up with Bruno in 2014 and the team enjoyed immediate success last season, winning silver at Europeans and bronze at Worlds. They are known for having possibly the biggest triple twist in the world and have increased their technical content this season, attempting throw triple axels and throw quadruple salchows, but it has taken a toll on Aliona’s body and it is currently unknown which elements they plan to do at Europeans. Strong performances should win them a spot on the podium, but a lot will depend on the state of their jumps.
A team with a good shot at top 5 at Europeans, Natalia Zabiiako/Alexander Enbert (RUS) have enjoyed a breakout season so far, medaling at Rostelecom Cup, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final after Savchenko/Massot withdrew, and placing third at Russian Nationals. They are a solid team with strong technical elements and could potentially medal at Europeans if other teams falter. Also gunning for the top 5 will be France’s Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres, an older team on the cusp of breaking out. Following an emotional free skate at Trophee de France that won them the bronze medal, James/Cipres will be looking for consistent performances at Europeans. They have landed the throw quadruple salchow in practice, and have attempted it a few times in competition.
ICE DANCE
Scoring head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in this field, Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) look to be headed comfortably towards their third European title in a row. An immensely talented young team who won nearly all of the major competitions in skating for the last two seasons, including two World Championships, Papadakis/Cizeron only seem to have met their match with the return of Canada’s legendary Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, who have beaten Papadakis/Cizeron twice so far this season. Europeans will be a place where Papadakis/Cizeron can show what they’ve been working on to refine their programs and technical elements in preparation for the World Championships. Papadakis/Cizeron are known for their elegant programs and styling, both on and off the ice.
Beyond Papadakis/Cizeron’s near-lock for gold, the other medalists at Europeans are a bit harder to predict. Putting in a strong bid are Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev (RUS), an older team who’ve seen an interesting series of setbacks in recent years. After missing the last World Championships due to Ekaterina failing a drug test for meldonium, Bobrova/Soloviev made a strong return to competition this season, setting new personal best scores at Rostelecom Cup, placing 4th at the Grand Prix Final, and winning their sixth Russian National title. They will face stiff competition for the European podium, however, and will need to produce clean skates in order to win themselves another set of medals.
Some of that stiff competition comes in the form of 2014 World Champions Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte (ITA). A veteran team well-known and loved by fans for their charming style and ability to play characters in their programs, Cappellini/Lanotte missed out on the Grand Prix Final this season, but are no strangers to the European podium, having won the gold medal in 2014 and medals of other colors at three other competitions. Clean performances will be vital, however, as Cappellini/Lanotte will fight against a strong Russian contingent for a spot on the podium.
Rounding out the top 5 are two younger Russian teams who also have a shot at the podium, Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin and Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov. Stepanova/Bukin have firmly established themselves as Russia’s no.2 dance team, placing above Sinitsina/Katsalapov at both Cup of China and the Russian National Championships this season. They won the bronze medal at the 2015 European Championships and will be hoping to get back on the podium this year. Sinitsina/Katsalapov have suffered from inconsistency since teaming up in 2014 and have lagged behind Stepanova/Bukin in the standings so far this season. They will need to clean up their performances if they hope to beat their compatriots for a spot on the Russian World team.