2017 Grand Prix Final Preview: Pairs
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Here’s the second part of our Grand Prix Final preview, covering the pairs discipline!
Compared to the withdrawal-ridden singles disciplines, most of the world’s top pairs will participate in the Grand Prix Final this season (knock on wood). With teams firing on all cylinders and ready to go, the Grand Prix series brought us numerous unpredictable, high-level matchups, and a new world record courtesy of reigning World Champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China. So tough is the pairs field today that even with 210+ scores at both of their Grand Prix events, reigning European bronze medalists Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres just barely missed out on the Final. As the Grand Prix Final is the last international competition where teams from all continents can meet before the 2018 Winter Olympics, the results this week may give us a hint at podiums to come - though the number one lesson to remember from skating is to never take any result for granted.
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WENJING SUI / CONG HAN
Representing: China
Ages: 22/25
ISU Personal bests: SP 81.23, FS 155.10, total 234.53
ISU Season’s best: 234.53
Notable titles: 2017 World Champions, 2015 & 2016 World Silver Medalists, 4-time Four Continents Champions, 2-time Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalists
Programs: SP - Hallelujah; FS - Turandot
Grand Prix events: Cup of China (1st), NHK Trophy (1st)
Since returning to competition in the second half of the 2016-17 season after surgery on both of her feet, Wenjing Sui and her partner, Cong Han, have been better than ever. After capturing their first World title at the 2017 World Championships - bringing many audience members to tears in the process - Sui/Han have continued to build their resume with increasingly confident performances. They won both of their Grand Prix events this season by a wide margin, and at NHK Trophy, broke the free skate world record set by Sochi Olympic Champions Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov in 2013. Sui/Han now enter the Grand Prix Final as the favorites for the title, having set the highest season’s best score in the pairs’ field so far. Their greatest strengths are their emotional chemistry, quad twist, and high-quality elements (especially their throw jumps), which are capable of garnering huge Grades of Execution; their main weaknesses are their side-by-side triple salchows and tendency to lose levels on spins. Although they have a good chance of winning their first Grand Prix Final title in Nagoya, many other talented teams are close behind and Sui/Han will need to be as clean as possible in order to continue their golden streak.
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EVGENIA TARASOVA / VLADIMIR MOROZOV
Representing: Russia
Ages: 22/24
ISU Personal bests: SP 80.82, FS 147.37, total 227.58
ISU Season’s best: 224.25
Notable titles: 2017 World Bronze Medalists, 2017 European Champions, 2016 Grand Prix Final Champions, 3-time Russian National Medalists
Programs: SP - Piano Concerto No.2 (Rachmaninoff); FS - Candyman
Grand Prix events: Rostelecom Cup (1st), Internationaux de France (1st)
Reigning Grand Prix Final Champions and 2017 World Bronze Medalists, Tarasova/Morozov are a powerful and technically proficient team who have gradually established themselves as Russia’s no.1 pair. However, after a runaway victory at Rostelecom Cup over teammates Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov, Tarasova/Morozov made uncharacteristic mistakes in the free skate at Internationaux de France and squeaked by into a second gold medal on the Grand Prix series. Tarasova/Morozov are known for GOE-worthy elements across the board, and they have also improved the consistency of their quad twist this season. Clean performances at the Final could see them on the podium, but in this field, there is little margin for error.
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ALIONA SAVCHENKO / BRUNO MASSOT
Representing: Germany
Ages: 33/28
ISU Personal bests: SP 79.84, FS 150.58, total 230.30
ISU Season’s best: 223.13
Notable titles: 2017 World Silver Medalists, 2016 World Bronze Medalists, 2016 & 2017 European Silver Medalists
Programs: SP - Ameksa: Fuego; FS - La terre vue du ciel
Grand Prix events: Skate Canada (2nd), Skate America (1st)
Teaming up in 2014 and first competing together internationally in the 2015-16 season, Savchenko/Massot experienced immediate success, medaling at the last two World Championships in a row. Known for their unique programs and breathtaking lifts and triple twist, Savchenko/Massot are also one of the few teams to attempt the difficult throw triple axel - although with limited success. After placing second to Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford at Skate Canada with costly errors on their side-by-side jumps, Savchenko/Massot bounced back with a first place finish at Skate America. Besides Sui/Han, they are the only other team to hit 150 in the free skate this season. If clean, they have a good chance of landing on the Grand Prix Final podium - maybe even in the top spot. Their results will come down to the consistency of their side-by-side jumps, as well as whether they will attempt the risky throw 3A, or bank on clean jumps with lower base values. The latter strategy worked out well for them at Skate America, where they set their season’s best score.
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MEAGAN DUHAMEL / ERIC RADFORD
Representing: Canada
Ages: 31/32
ISU Personal bests: SP 78.39, FS 153.81, total 231.99
ISU Season’s best: 222.22
Notable titles: 2015 & 2016 World Champions, 2-time World Bronze Medalists, 2-time Four Continents Champions, 2014 Grand Prix Final Champions, 6-time Canadian National Champions
Programs: SP - With or Without You; FS - Muse Medley
Grand Prix events: Skate Canada (1st), Skate America (3rd)
An experienced team with two World titles under their belts, Duhamel/Radford’s results have see-sawed lately due to injuries. They won Skate Canada ahead of Savchenko/Massot with season’s best scores, but several mistakes in the free skate at Skate America brought them down to third place. The only pairs team attempting both a throw quad salchow and side-by-side triple lutzes, Duhamel/Radford’s base value can be impressively high when they’re on, but the riskiness of these elements has occasionally been their downfall in the past. Like almost every other team at the Grand Prix Final, Duhamel/Radford are capable of making the podium, but their performances and final result are very difficult to predict.
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KSENIA STOLBOVA / FEDOR KLIMOV
Representing: Russia
Ages: 25/27
ISU Personal bests: SP 76.15, FS 154.60, total 229.44
ISU Season’s best: 222.74
Notable titles: 2014 Olympic Silver Medalists, 2014 World Silver Medalists, 3-time European Medalists, 2015 Grand Prix Final Champions, 3-time Russian National Champions
Programs: SP - Tango de Besame; FS - Carmen Suite
Grand Prix events: Rostelecom Cup (2nd), NHK Trophy (2nd)
Fighting through ongoing injuries, Stolbova/Klimov started their season with disastrous performances at Finlandia Trophy and Rostelecom Cup, but NHK Trophy proved to be a grateful return to form, where the pair finished second to Sui/Han with season’s best scores. Although the triple twist is one of Stolbova/Klimov’s longtime weaknesses, they are one of the few teams who have completed side-by-side 3T3T combinations. At their best, they are podium threats at any competition, and they will be hoping to continue their upward trend at the Grand Prix Final as they look forward to the Olympic Games.
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XIAOYU YU / HAO ZHANG
Representing: China
Ages: 21/33
ISU Personal bests: SP 75.34, FS 145.53, total 219.20
ISU Season’s best: 219.20
Notable titles: 2016 Grand Prix Final Silver Medalists, 2017 Asian Winter Games Champions
Programs: SP - Swan Lake; FS - Star Wars
Grand Prix events: Cup of China (2nd), Skate America (2nd)
In their second season competing together, Yu/Zhang have continued to solidify their place as China’s no.2 team, placing second at both of their Grand Prix events and qualifying for their second Final in a row. At Skate America, they landed clean side-by-side triple salchows in their free skate for the first time and set new personal best scores to finish between Savchenko/Massot and Duhamel/Radford. Yu/Zhang have impressive twists and throw jumps typical of the Chinese pairs school, and Xiaoyu’s elegant musicality is a highlight of the team. However, side-by-side jumps remain their biggest weakness, and in the packed field of this year’s Grand Prix Final, Yu/Zhang will need to be absolutely perfect to climb onto the podium again.
