Who’s Who of the 2017 Grand Prix Series, Part 3: Men
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The third part of our Grand Prix previews will cover the talent-packed discipline of men’s singles!
The last two seasons have brought about a technical revolution in men’s skating the likes of which have never been seen since the advent of triple jumps. Although the men have been attempting quadruple jumps for many years, up until the 2015-16 season, most skaters included 1 quad in the short program and 1 or 2 in the free program, and most attempts were limited to the toeloop and salchow jumps. Everything changed when Chinese teenager Boyang Jin brought a catalytic spark to men’s skating in his senior debut season, making waves with his consistent quad lutz and 6 quad attempts across two programs. Reigning Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan then increased his own base value, smashing world records into the ground, and it was all history from there.
The last two seasons have seen the successful completion of the world’s first quad flip, quad loop, and quad lutz and quad flip combinations. The top men of the field now include 2 quads in the short program and 3-6 quads in the free program. The ripple effect has spread throughout the entire men’s field, with more and more skaters attempting the harder quad loop, flip, and lutz, and continually increasing the quantity of quad jumps in their programs. While there are very real concerns about the direction men’s skating is taking and the long-term effects of so many quad jumps on skaters’ health, there is no doubt right now that men’s skating is in a uniquely exciting position. With at least 6 skaters vying for the Olympic podium and potential dark horses waiting in the wings, every competition this season promises to be a thrillingly unpredictable battle.
YUZURU HANYU
Representing: Japan
Age: 22
ISU Personal bests: SP 112.72, FS 223.20, total 330.43
ISU Season’s best: 268.24
Notable titles: 2014 Olympic Champion, 2014 & 2017 World Champion, 2-time World Silver Medalist, 4-time Grand Prix Final Champion, 4-time Japanese National Champion
Programs: SP - Ballade No.1 (Chopin); FS - Seimei
Grand Prix events: Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, loop, lutz (in practice; intends to include in programs); 2 in SP, 5 in FS
At the age of 22, Yuzuru Hanyu will already go down as one of the greatest skaters of his generation, and possibly in all of history. Yuzuru won his first World medal in 2012 at the tender age of 17, capturing the hearts of the audience with a dramatic free skate to “Romeo + Juliet”. Seeking a better training environment where he could polish his basic skating, he made a coaching change to Brian Orser in Canada prior to the 2012-13 season, and gradually positioned himself as the top Japanese man on the basis of his strong technical skills. His unexpected win over reigning 3-time World Champion Patrick Chan at the 2014 Sochi Olympics propelled Yuzuru into superstardom, but it wasn’t until the last Olympic cycle that his maturity truly began to shine. After a rough 2014-15 season where he suffered a bizarre series of accidents, injuries, and illnesses, Yuzuru came roaring back in the 2015-16 season with his best set of programs to date. Partially inspired by Boyang Jin’s revolutionary technical content, Yuzuru increased his own quad count and skated flawless performances at both 2015 NHK Trophy and the 2015 Grand Prix Final, blowing away the previous world records and completely changing the landscape of men’s skating. Struggling through an injury at 2016 Worlds, Yuzuru finished second to training mate Javier Fernandez for the second year in a row, but more records followed in the 2016-17 season: Yuzuru became the first skater to land a clean quad loop in competition, and after two years of silver medals, he won his second world title at the 2017 World Championships with a record-breaking free skate. Over the course of his career, Yuzuru has broken the SP world record 7 times, the FS world record 3 times, and the combined total record 2 times. He currently holds all 3 world records in men’s skating. He is also the first man from Asia to win multiple World titles, as well as the Olympic title.
Yuzuru is known for his all-around skating and strong technical ability, especially his jumps and spins. He is one of a few men to perform the Biellmann spin, and the layback ina bauer has also become a signature move for him. The triple axel is his signature jump, but all of his jumps have a high degree of quality. He is capable of performing difficult transitions and gaining high Grades of Execution on all of his elements. With a combination of high base values, quality elements, and high PCS, Yuzuru is simply unbeatable when he’s clean. However, his placements will ultimately come down to his own consistency, which is nowhere near bulletproof. He has also chosen to reprise both of his programs from the 2015-16 season, raising eyebrows in some corners. Hampered by knee pain, Yuzuru set a new world record in the short program at Autumn Classic International, his first competition of the season, but completely collapsed in the free skate to finish second behind Javier Fernandez. He will start his Grand Prix season early at Rostelecom Cup, the first event of the series, where he will face fiery young quadster Nathan Chen of the USA and Mikhail Kolyada of Russia. At NHK Trophy, Yuzuru will go up against a familiar face, Canada’s Patrick Chan. As long as he can avoid disasters, Yuzuru will likely qualify for the Grand Prix Final, where he will have a chance to defend his title and become the first man in the world to win the competition 5 times.
Random off-ice facts: Yuzuru always has a Winnie the Pooh tissue box with him at competitions; it was a gift from his parents. He has several rituals before competing, including crossing himself to check his axis. He enjoys collecting high-end earphones.
JAVIER FERNANDEZ
Representing: Spain
Age: 26
ISU Personal bests: SP 109.05, FS 216.41, total 314.93
ISU Season’s best: 279.07
Notable titles: 2016 & 2015 World Champion, 2-time World Bronze Medalist, 5-time European Champion, 2-time Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist
Programs: SP - Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin); FS - The Man of La Mancha
Grand Prix events: Cup of China, Internationaux de France
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, loop (in practice; does not intend to include in programs); 2 in SP, 3 in FS
Javier’s story is a classic rags-to-riches one: Hailing from Spain, a country without a strong background in figure skating, Javier first debuted on the international stage in the 2006-07 season. He finished 28th at the 2007 European Championships and 35th at the World Championships, failing to qualify for the free skate. Under the tutelage of Russian coach Nikolai Morozov, Javier gradually rose up the ranks, but it wasn’t until a coaching change to Brian Orser in Canada before the 2011-12 season that Javier broke through as a top skater. What followed was a series of many “firsts” for Spanish skating - Javier was the first Spanish skater to win a World medal in 2013 and the first Spanish World Champion in 2015, a position he repeated the following year at the 2016 World Championships. Javier backs up his charming on-ice personality with solid technical content; he began attempting 3 quads in his free skate long before the current quad boom began, and when he’s on, his jumps can gain huge Grades of Execution. However, in the face of Yuzuru Hanyu and younger competitors adding quad after quad to their arsenal, Javier has elected to stick with what he’s good at, a strategy that has served him well so far this season: he won both Autumn Classic and Japan Open against Yuzuru Hanyu, Nathan Chen, and Shoma Uno. On the other hand, with his lower base values, consistency will be absolutely crucial for Javier as he aims to become Spain’s first Olympic medalist at the Winter Olympics next February. Heading into his third Olympic season, Javier has strongly hinted that he may retire afterwards. He will begin his Grand Prix run at Cup of China, where he will face home favorite Boyang Jin; at Internationaux de France, Javier will go up against reigning World silver medalist Shoma Uno.
Random off-ice facts: Javier has a cat named Effie. He is friendly with Canadian skater Patrick Chan.
PATRICK CHAN
Representing: Canada
Age: 26
ISU Personal bests: SP 102.13, FS 203.99, total 295.27
ISU Season’s best: N/A
Notable titles: 2014 Olympic Silver Medalist, 3-time World Champion, 2-time Grand Prix Final Champion, 3-time Four Continents champion, 9-time Canadian National Champion
Programs: SP - Dust in the Wind; FS - Hallelujah
Grand Prix events: Skate Canada, NHK Trophy
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow; 2 in SP, 3 in FS
The oldest of the top 6 men, Patrick has stated in no uncertain terms that this will be his last season as a competitive skater. His long and decorated career has included a string of World medals, 3 of them gold, as well as an Olympic silver medal in 2014. Patrick was instrumental in raising the technical level of men’s skating in the 2010-2014 Olympic cycle; his quads, along with his complex, transition-filled programs and spotless skating skills made him the man to beat in those four years. Heading into the 2013-14 Olympic season as the favorite for gold, Patrick’s odds were shaken when he lost the Grand Prix Final to Yuzuru Hanyu, and he eventually lost the Olympic title as well after a nervy, error-filled free skate. Patrick then took a break and pursued other goals during the 2014-15 season. He returned to competition in 2015-16 to a very different field - the quad boom was getting underway, and Patrick, previously the technical standard in men’s skating, found himself trailing behind in base value. But old dogs can still learn new tricks. In the 2016-17 season, Patrick successfully added the quad salchow to his free skate. Although he had an up-and-down season and didn’t medal at the Grand Prix Final or ISU Championships, he skated some of the most difficult programs of his career while showcasing the maturity and skating quality that only a veteran can have.
Patrick is known for his skating skills, which have often been praised as the best in the men’s field, as well as his technically pristine 4T3T combination. Although he trails behind the quadsters in base value, he is a polished, complete skater who is able to gain high Grades of Execution for his elements - though the triple axel has remained his nemesis jump for many years. For his last season as a competitive skater, he has chosen quiet, introverted pieces of music. Due to breaking in new boots, he has not competed at any pre-Grand Prix events and will make his season debut at Skate Canada, where he will face Shoma Uno. He will go up against Yuzuru Hanyu at NHK Trophy. Despite his age, Patrick is still challenging himself technically, and will likely attempt two quads in his short program this season. It’s hard to predict how he’ll perform on the Grand Prix, but one should never count Patrick out.
Random off-ice facts: Patrick speaks and understands French. He is a sports car enthusiast and has his own line of ice wine and sparkling wine with Canada’s Flat Rock Cellars.
SHOMA UNO
Representing: Japan
Age: 19
ISU Personal bests: SP 104.87, FS 214.97, total 319.84
ISU Season’s best: 319.84
Notable titles: 2017 World Silver Medalist, 2017 Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2-time Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, 2016 Japanese National Champion
Programs: SP - Four Seasons: Winter; FS - Turandot
Grand Prix events: Skate Canada, Internationaux de France
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz (in practice; may include in programs); 2 in SP, 5 in FS
For those who have watched Shoma since his junior days, it’s likely that none would have expected him to achieve all of his current success. Although he turned heads with his musicality and performance ability from a young age, Shoma struggled to get a triple axel for many years, and managed only middling success on the junior international scene due to his low technical content. A breakthrough came in the 2014-15 season, when Shoma temporarily abandoned the triple axel and acquired a quad toeloop instead. With the pressure off, he overcame his mental block with the triple axel, eventually making it one of his most reliable jumps. Shoma shot to the top of the junior standings and debuted as a senior in the 2015-16 season as the reigning Junior World Champion. A nearly-clean free skate won him a bronze medal at his first Grand Prix Final in 2015. Although there were hopes for him to podium at his Worlds debut, a few costly mistakes left Shoma in 7th. He channeled his frustration into action, landing the world’s first quad flip in competition at the 2016 Team Challenge Cup only a month later. Shoma had a superb 2016-17 season, medaling at every competition he entered, including silver at the 2017 World Championships, where he finished only 2 points behind Yuzuru Hanyu. He attempted the quad flip throughout the season, and also added the quad loop to his free program halfway through the season.
Shoma is known for his skating skills, cantilever, and intense presence on the ice. Although he has room to improve in all areas, especially in adding more difficult transitions to his programs, he is a strong all-around skater with the base value and PCS to aim for major podiums. This season, his coaches decided to bring back his “Turandot” free skate from the 2015-16 season. Shoma began his season with a runaway win at Lombardia Trophy, setting new personal best scores in all segments and landing five quads in his free skate, including the quad salchow, a new jump for him. However, he made several errors in his free skate at Japan Open, finishing behind Javier Fernandez and Nathan Chen. Shoma will need to adjust to his new 5-quad free skate layout and produce dependable results if he hopes to win. He will face off against Patrick Chan at Skate Canada, and Javier Fernandez at Internationaux de France.
Random off-ice facts: Shoma looks up to 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalist and World Champion Daisuke Takahashi, citing him as a model for artistic expression. He began figure skating at age 5 because he wanted to do the same sport as Mao Asada, who trained at the same rink and often played with him. His coaches have also coached Midori Ito, Kanako Murakami, and Mao Asada in her junior years. Shoma hates vegetables, loves meat and rice, and is a hardcore gamer in his spare time.
BOYANG JIN
Representing: China
Age: 20
ISU Personal bests: SP 98.64, FS 204.94, total 303.58
ISU Season’s best: 252.60
Notable titles: 2016 & 2017 World Bronze Medalist, 2016 Four Continents Silver Medalist, 4-time Chinese National Champion
Programs: SP - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; FS - Star Wars
Grand Prix events: Cup of China, Skate America
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, lutz, loop (in practice; intentions unknown); 2 in SP, 4 in FS
Nicknamed “Mars Boy” by Chinese fans, Boyang’s jumps are truly out of this world. As a junior skater, he was performing 3-quad free skates during a time when even most senior skaters didn’t consider attempting so many. Boyang’s unprecedented jump content was one spark that set off the quad revolution. Debuting as a senior along with Shoma Uno in the 2015-16 season, Boyang made waves in the skating world by landing the first-ever 4Lz3T combination, as well as the first clean (positive GOE) quad lutz in international competition. His quad lutz wasn’t just a one-hit wonder, either - he landed it throughout the season, along with another quad in his short program and 3 other quads in his free program. He was the first skater to land four clean quads in a free skate in international competition, a feat he accomplished at the 2016 Four Continents Championships. Despite somewhat messy performances, he won a bronze medal at his first senior World Championships in 2016 behind Javier Fernandez and Yuzuru Hanyu. On the flip side, Boyang had a noticeably large gap between his TES and PCS, and during his second senior season, he took pains to address his weaknesses. His fun and energetic “Spiderman” short program in the 2016-17 season got the crowd going wherever he went, showing off his developing skills as a performer. His jumps were less reliable during the 2016-17 season, but Boyang peaked where it mattered most, producing two clean programs at the 2017 World Championships to win his second World bronze medal in a row.
Boyang is known for his enormous quad lutz and fun/weird exhibitions. This season, he has opted for a serious short program and a free program to an eclectic selection of music from “Star Wars”. He has continued to polish his skating while retaining the same jump layout, but his PCS remains somewhat lower than the rest of the top men. He absolutely needs to land his jumps in order to compete with them. Boyang started his season at Finlandia Trophy, winning the title by a small margin against Vincent Zhou and Adam Rippon. He will go up against a strong field at Cup of China that includes Javier Fernandez, Vincent Zhou, and Mikhail Kolyada; at Skate America, he will face Nathan Chen and Adam Rippon.
Random off-ice facts: Boyang’s Chinese nickname is Tian Tian. He enjoys electronic music, flying drones, collecting earphones, and following the latest fashion trends. He has multiple pet reptiles. Boyang often livestreams himself doing random things on the Chinese app Inke, and has posted streams from the banquets of skating competitions.
NATHAN CHEN
Representing: USA
Age: 18
ISU Personal bests: SP 103.12, FS 204.34, total 307.46
ISU Season’s best: 275.04
Notable titles: 2017 Four Continents Champion, 2016 Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist, 2017 US National Champion
Programs: SP - Nemesis; FS - Mao’s Last Dancer
Grand Prix events: Rostelecom Cup, Skate America
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz; 2 in SP, 3-7? in FS
Child prodigy Nathan Chen has been on the public radar since his novice years. Learning triples at lightning speed, Nathan delighted audiences with his performances as a kid. Unfortunately, his seasons on the junior international circuit were often cut short by a variety of growth-related injuries. By the 2015-16 season, Nathan had started reinventing his image in a more technical light - at the 2016 US National Championships, he landed 2 quads in his short program and 4 in his free skate (two salchows and two toeloops) to win the bronze medal, and was named to both the Junior and senior World teams. His brilliant debut would be delayed, however; a jump attempt gone awry in the US Nationals gala led to a serious hip injury, for which Nathan required surgery and a lengthy rehab process.
Most skaters probably would’ve taken it easy after that. Nathan Chen is not most skaters. Coming back from injury fresh and ready to go, Nathan promptly added both the quad flip and quad lutz to his arsenal, learning new quads as quickly as he learned his triples. His senior debut in the 2016-17 season took the world by storm; he was the only skater to attempt both the quad lutz and flip in his programs, landed the world’s first 4F3T combination, won silver at the 2016 Grand Prix Final with a first-place free skate that featured 4 clean quads, became the first skater to land 5 clean quads in a free skate en route to winning the 2017 US National Championships, and defeated Yuzuru Hanyu to win the 2017 Four Continents Championships. Pegged as a podium favorite for 2017 Worlds, Nathan unfortunately struggled with skate boot issues in the weeks prior to the competition, and ended up in 6th place overall after a messy free skate - where he nevertheless still attempted 6 quads.
Nathan faced criticism for his quad-focused programs throughout the 2016-17 season, but he has made huge artistic strides this season with a sharp, contemporary short program choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne, and a similarly fascinating free skate by Lori Nichol. On the technical side of things, Nathan has started the season relatively slowly. He attempted only 3 quads in his free skate at his first competition, US International Classic, but in typical Nathan fashion, also landed his first quad loop in the process - making him the only skater in the world so far to have landed 5 different types of quads in competition. He finished behind Javier Fernandez and ahead of Shoma Uno at Japan Open. Nathan’s first Grand Prix event, Rostelecom Cup, will pit him against Yuzuru Hanyu; at Skate America, he will face Boyang Jin. It’s difficult to predict how Nathan will fare on the Grand Prix, just as it’s impossible to predict what his jump layouts will be - he changes his jumps from competition to competition - but Nathan is a sure threat for any podium, and he’s only just starting to gear up for the Olympics in 4 months’ time.
Random off-ice facts: Nathan is the youngest of 5 siblings. He has a background in ballet, and can play piano and guitar. He hopes to study pre-med and business in college. His hair is naturally curly, thank you very much.
MIKHAIL KOLYADA
Representing: Russia
Age: 22
ISU Personal bests: SP 95.37, FS 184.04, FS 279.41
ISU Season’s best: 248.50
Notable titles: 2017 European Bronze Medalist, 2017 Russian National Champion
Programs: SP - Piano Concerto No.23 (Mozart); FS - Elvis Presley Medley
Grand Prix events: Rostelecom Cup, Cup of China
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, lutz; 2 in SP, 3 in FS
Popping up out of nowhere in the 2015-16 season, Mikhail surprised everyone by placing 4th at the 2016 World Championships with entertaining, if somewhat kitschy, programs. He had practically no international recognition before that point. Mikhail quickly established himself as one of Russia’s top men in the following season; despite erratic performances on the Grand Prix, he won the 2017 Russian National Championships and placed 3rd at the 2017 European Championships. He ended the 2016-17 season with an 8th-place finish at Worlds and personal best scores at World Team Trophy. Mikhail has attempted the quad lutz since last season and recently landed it for the first time in his free skate at Ondrej Nepela Memorial, where he rallied from a terrible short program to win the competition overall. He has also added the quad salchow to his free skate. However, perhaps one of the most notable things about Mikhail so far is his consistent inconsistency - after a first-place short program at Finlandia Trophy, he blew it in the free skate to finish 4th. With his powerful jumps, Mikhail has dark horse potential written all over him, but in order to compete with the “Big 6”, he needs to actually land his jumps. Starting his Grand Prix season at home at Rostelecom Cup, Mikhail has a decent chance of medaling, or even defeating Yuzuru Hanyu and/or Nathan Chen if they make enough mistakes. At Cup of China, Mikhail will face Javier Fernandez, Boyang Jin, and Vincent Zhou, and will have a chance at the podium again if he can keep it together.
JASON BROWN
Representing: USA
Age: 22
ISU Personal bests: SP 94.32, FS 182.63, total 273.67
ISU Season’s best: 259.88
Notable titles: 2015 US National Champion
Programs: SP - The Room Where It Happens (Hamilton); FS - Inner Love
Grand Prix events: Skate Canada, NHK Trophy
Quad count: Toeloop (never landed cleanly); 1 in SP, 1 in FS
In the current quad-packed men’s field, Jason is a bit of an anomaly - he has never landed a clean quad in competition, but has managed to stay near the top of the field on the strength of his consistency and PCS. Catching the audience’s eye when he was a junior, Jason is a born showman. His energetic “Riverdance” free skate was a fan favorite during the 2013-14 Olympic season, and he won an unexpected spot on the Sochi Olympic team, ultimately placing 9th at the Olympics. Jason won the US National Championships the following season, and placed a career-best 4th at the 2015 World Championships. Injury took him out of the second half of the 2015-16 season. Although he was still struggling with an injury, he placed 7th at the 2017 World Championships, about the best result he could hope for behind the “Big 6”. Jason is known for his flexibility, spirals, and spins, for which he can gain high Grades of Execution; however, without a quad, it’s unlikely he will be able to challenge the very top. He finished miles behind Shoma Uno at his first competition of the season, Lombardia Trophy. If he can produce clean or nearly-clean programs, however, he has a shot at medals on the Grand Prix series. For Jason, the Grand Prix is less about qualifying for the Final, and more about establishing himself as a strong contender for the US Olympic team.
VINCENT ZHOU
Representing: USA
Age: 16 (17 when the GP starts)
ISU Personal bests: SP 80.53, FS 179.24, total 258.11
ISU Season’s best: 250.01
Notable titles: 2017 Junior World Champion, 2017 US National Silver Medalist
Programs: SP - Chasing Cars; FS - Moulin Rouge
Grand Prix events: Cup of China, Internationaux de France
Quad count: Toeloop, salchow, flip, lutz; 2 in SP, 4-5 in FS
One of the new generation of talented quadsters, Vincent is definitely one to watch this season and in the future. Another child prodigy who learned jumps at an incredibly quick rate, Vincent won the 2013 US Junior National title over Nathan Chen, but was forced to miss the next two seasons due to a serious knee injury. He made his junior international debut in the 2015-16 season, placing 4th at the Junior Grand Prix Final and 5th at 2016 Junior Worlds. In the 2016-17 season, Vincent won the silver medal at US Nationals behind Nathan Chen with impressive performances in both programs. He followed up two months later with the 2017 Junior World title, landing 3 quads, including a quad lutz, in his free program. At his senior debut at 2017 Finlandia Trophy, Vincent landed 4 quads in the free skate to win that segment of the competition and finish second overall behind Boyang Jin. Not yet 17 years old, Vincent already has 4 types of quads in his arsenal and has landed a rippon (both hands over his head) quad lutz in practice. Although his PCS as a new senior is still fairly low and there is plenty of room to polish his skating, Vincent is already a promising performer known for his drama and signature spreadeagles. With his potentially monstrous base value and the unpredictability of the men’s field, Vincent may be able to challenge for Grand Prix medals in his very first senior season. He will make his Grand Prix debut at Cup of China, where his Chinese grandparents will cheer him on. Good performances on the Grand Prix can allow Vincent to build his case for one of the 3 men’s spots on the US Olympic team.
Random off-ice facts: Vincent skipped two grades in school and is a straight-A student. His parents originally put him into sports because he was too energetic as a child. He enjoys writing poetry and shares his poems on Instagram.
ADAM RIPPON
Representing: USA
Age: 27
ISU Personal bests: SP 87.86, FS 182.28, total 267.53
ISU Season’s best: 249.88
Notable titles: 2016 US National Champion, 2010 Four Continents Champion
Programs: SP - Let Me Think About It; FS - Arrival of the Birds/O
Grand Prix events: NHK Trophy, Skate America
Quad count: Toeloop, lutz (never landed cleanly); 0-1 in SP, 1 in FS
One of the oldest men in the field, Adam is proof that you only get better with age. Although he won the Junior World Championships twice back in 2008 and 2009, it took Adam several years as a senior - and several coaching changes - to truly find his groove. Eventually settling down with accomplished technical coach Rafael Arutunian, Adam had a breakthrough in the 2015-16 season, winning the US National title and placing 6th at 2016 Worlds. With his newfound consistency and confidence, Adam was better than ever on the 2016 Grand Prix series, winning two bronze medals and qualifying for his first Grand Prix Final. Unfortunately, Adam suffered a foot injury before the 2017 US National Championships and missed the second half of the 2016-17 season. He made a strong return this season at Finlandia Trophy, where he placed third, looking healthy and ready to go.
Adam has landed the quad toeloop cleanly in competition, although it is still not a particularly stable jump for him. He has attempted the quad lutz for several years, and has not yet landed it cleanly. Due to his lack of a reliable quad, he can only challenge for medals on the Grand Prix if other skaters make mistakes, but strong performances will build his resume as he aims for his first-ever Olympic team. Adam is known for his musicality and performance skills, showing two very different sides of himself in his club-themed short program and delicate, spellbinding free skate. He also popularized the “rippon” jump variation, where a skater holds both arms above their head while jumping. Adam most commonly performs the “rippon” on his triple lutz. Adam also has an excellent layback spin, a position rarely seen in men’s skating.
Random off-ice facts: Adam is one of a few figure skaters to come out as gay while still competing. He has choreographed programs for himself and other skaters. He is best friends with fellow American skater Ashley Wagner, and shares a coach with her and Nathan Chen. He’s a witch and you can’t kill him.
OTHER SKATERS TO WATCH
Denis Ten (KAZ): Assigned to Rostelecom Cup and Internationaux de France. 2014 Olympic Bronze Medalist, 2013 World Silver Medalist, 2015 World Bronze Medalist. High-quality skater, very inconsistent, always injured.
Dmitri Aliev (RUS): Assigned to Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy. 2017 Junior World Silver Medalist. Debuting on the senior Grand Prix this season. Good skating skills, high potential, inconsistent jumps. Has landed the quad lutz in practice.
Alexander Samarin (RUS): Assigned to Skate Canada and Internationaux de France. 2017 Junior World Bronze Medalist. Debuting on the senior Grand Prix this season. Good jumps, skating could use some work. Has landed the quad lutz in practice and domestic competitions.
Maxim Kovtun (RUS): Assigned to Skate America. 3-time European Medalist, 3-time Russian National Champion. Withdrew from Skate Canada due to a back injury. Inconsistent. Interesting programs, for lack of a better descriptor.
Jun Hwan Cha (KOR): Assigned to Skate Canada and Skate America. 2016 Junior Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, 2017 Korean National Champion. Good musicality and skating quality. Injured during the off season, current condition unknown.
Han Yan (CHN): Assigned to Cup of China. 3-time Four Continents Bronze Medalist. China’s first Junior World Champion in men’s singles. Great skating skills and jumps when he’s on, but inconsistent. Missed 2017 Worlds due to shoulder surgery. Strong return at 2017 Cup of Nice.
Keiji Tanaka (JPN): Assigned to Cup of China. 2016 Japanese National Silver Medalist. Withdrew from Rostelecom Cup due to muscle injury. Had breakthrough in recent seasons, but will need to be consistent to make Olympic team.
Takahito Mura (JPN): Assigned to Skate Canada and Skate America. 2014 Four Continents Champion, 4-time Japanese National Bronze Medalist, qualified for GPF in 2014. Great jumps when he’s on, but inconsistent.
Daisuke Murakami (JPN): Assigned to NHK Trophy. 2014 NHK Trophy Champion. Qualified for GPF in 2015. Missed 2016-17 season due to injury. Rough comeback so far.
Alexei Bychenko (ISR): Assigned to NHK Trophy and Internationaux de France. 2016 European Silver Medalist. Previously skated for Ukraine. Inconsistent.
Daniel Samohin (ISR): Assigned to Rostelecom Cup and Skate America. 2016 Junior World Champion. Attempts many quads, but extremely inconsistent.
Misha Ge (UZB): Assigned to Rostelecom Cup and Internationaux de France. 2016 Autumn Classic Silver Medalist, 6th at 2015 Worlds. Passionate and musical performer. Has choreographed for many skaters. Considered retirement after 2017 Worlds due to chronic injuries, but back this season for one last Olympics. Knows 3 languages (English, Russian, Mandarin).
Nam Nguyen (CAN): Assigned to Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy. 2015 Canadian National Champion, 2014 Junior World Champion. Successful senior debut in 2014-15, hit with inconsistency in following seasons. Seems to be getting back on track.
Kevin Reynolds (CAN): Assigned to Cup of China and Skate America. 2013 Four Continents Champion, 6-time Canadian National Medalist. Attempted many quads throughout his career, but tends to underrotate them. Missed a couple seasons due to injury, made a good comeback in 2016-17 with bronze at Skate Canada.
Max Aaron (USA): Assigned to Cup of China and Internationaux de France. 2013 US National Champion, 2015 Skate America Champion. Known for his jumps, but inconsistent. Has a shot at the US Olympic team if he keeps it together.
Jorik Hendrickx (BEL): Assigned to Skate Canada and Skate America. 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy Champion, 4th at 2017 Europeans. On the rise lately, but will need to remain consistent for good placements.
Michal Brezina (CZE): Assigned to Skate Canada and NHK Trophy. 2013 European Bronze Medalist. Originator of “potato medal”, as he used to finish 4th very often. Usually finishes much lower than that these days due to inconsistency, but capable of decent placements if he’s on.
Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT): Assigned to Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy. 2016 Youth Olympics Silver Medalist. 7th at 2017 Europeans. Good skating skills and spins, but inconsistent jumps.