Cup of China: Pairs Preview

This is a tough event to call, but with only 6 teams competing, half will medal.

Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS) have grown on me immensely and I came to love their programs last season. I'm very excited to see the new ones. They started so well last season, winning 2 GP's and taking 2nd in the other. They also won bronze at the Grand Prix Final, but tanked at Worlds and took 7th. They tend to peak too early, so I expect them to be fantastic here in their debut and then taper off as the season goes on unless they've adapted their training to combat that.

Pang & Tong (CHN) have been skating for 100 years, but they still don't look a day over 30. They just won silver at Skate America so they are very competitive. They do exactly what we expect from them every time they compete. They give us grace, elegance, and beauty. I believe him to be the best male pairs skater in the world, but she tends to struggle with the jumping every once in a while. Between them and the Russians, whomever goes clean wins.

Moore-Towers & Moscovitch (CAN) have been up and down over the past two years. They are very athletic, theatrical, and exciting. I cannot wait to see the Queen free skate. They are another team that tends to peak early. They do very well on the grand prix, but then they usually taper off by Four Continents and Worlds. Now that other Canadian pairs are picking up speed, they need to fight harder to earn spots at Worlds.

My Podium Predictions:
Gold: Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS)
Silver: Pang & Tong (CHN)
Bronze: Moore-Towers & Moscovitch (CAN)

The Rest of the Field:
Peng & Zhang (CHN)
Wang & Zhang (CHN)
Stolbova & Klimov (RUS)

Cup of China: Ice Dance Preview

Pechalat & Bourzat (FRA) keep reinventing themselves and they finally won their world medal last year. Normally I'd wonder how judges will receive their Rolling Stones free skate, but if they won a world medal with the mummy routine, they can do well with anything. Aside from any major mistakes, look for them to win there though their training partners will be hot on their heels.

Weaver & Poje (CAN) placed 3rd at Skate America behind the Russians, but I personally believe that was a fluke. I find them to be the most enjoyable team to watch with the most genuine passion and chemistry on the ice. One day I know that will pay off and get them a World medal. This could be the year if they set up their training so that they peak at the right time.

Bobrova & Soloviev (RUS) are an old school ice dance team. They go for that unbridled passion and high drama that the judges loved in the 1990s, but for some reason it is working for them. They tend to be hit or miss and their scores vary a lot from event to event depending on the judging panel. The judges' opinions will be the X-factor in this event. These 3 teams should make up the podium, but the specific order is up for grabs.

Chock & Bates (USA) have an outside chance of making the podium depending on the panel and if any of the top teams make mistakes. Their programs last season were awkward and I struggled to get used to them as a team. This year their programs are gorgeous and I think they are ready to make a name for themselves and be that 3rd US team at Worlds. I think that moving to Igor was the best decision they could've made. At least now that have a fighting chance. You know they would've been pushed aside if they would've stayed with Marina as her other top teams all have World and/or Olympic medals.

My Podium Predictions:
Gold: Pechalat & Bourzat (FRA)
Silver: Weaver & Poje (CAN)
Bronze: Bobrova & Soloviev (RUS)

The Rest of the Field:
Huang & Zheng (CHN)
Yu & Wang (CHN)
Guignard & Fabbri (ITA)
Sinitsina & Zhiganzhin (RUS)

Cup of China: Ladies Preview

Like all the disciplines, I'll miss the short but I'll be calling the free in the middle of the night Friday into Saturday.

The next in a long line of Russian wonder babies makes her arrival in China. Julia Lipnitskaia (RUS) is the reigning Junior World Champ and also the Finlandia champ. She is even better that Tuktamysheva & Sotnikova in my opinion. Her flexibility is out of this world and she will be the next Sasha Cohen in terms of "she never hits a bad position." Nerves and expectation are the X-factor as we saw with Gracie Gold at Skate Canada, but if this little one does what we all know she can do, she'll win by a mile.

A former wonder baby also makes her season debut here. Mao Asada (JPN) is doing Gershwin for her short and Swan Lake for her free. I may die of happiness if she aces both of these. I think we have seen Mao go through several levels of transformation over the past few seasons, so let's hope she's coming out on the good side of that heading into 2014.

Kiira Korpi (FIN) is one of the most gorgeous skaters around if she could hold it together. She won Silver at Europeans last year and finished 2nd to Lipnitskaia at Finlandia. I'm excited to see what she's bringing to the table this year and I think she can certainly medal here.

The skater I'm actually most excited to see is Mirai Nagasu (USA). She left Frank finally and that could be the best thing she's ever done. I just don't think that their styles meshed...ever. This is a do or die year for her. She needs to get back on world podiums and back on the Nationals podium this year, or USFSA will have totally forgotten about her when 2014 and Sochi roll around.

My Podium Predictions:
Gold: Julia Lipnitskaia (RUS)
Silver: Mao Asada (JPN)
Bronze: Mirai Nagasu (USA)

The Rest of the Field:
Amelie Lacoste (CAN)
Bingwa Geng (CHN)
Zijun Li (CHN)
Ying Zhang (CHN)
Sofia Biryukova (RUS)
Joshi Helgesson (SWE)

Cup of China: Mens Preview

This is a tough event to call. Other than Takahashi, nobody stands out as a true podium favorite so it will certainly be an exciting one to watch! I will be in school during the short program, but I'll be up in the middle of the night to call the free skate!

Former World Champion Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) is the clear favorite to take Gold here. I live for his originality and performance quality. He is getting up there in years and before long he won't be able to jump the way he used to. Let's enjoy him in competition while it lasts and then he can ride off into the sunset, hopefully after winning Gold in 2014. They may be a romantic idea, but this is my blog so what I say goes! I cannot wait to see his new programs, especially the rock and roll short.

I'm going to choose with my heart here and say Adam Rippon (USA) can win the silver. He's changed coaches yet again, so let's pray that he's finally found what he's looking for with Rafael Arutunian. The short to Nessun Dorma is a very typical program choice for Adam, but The Incredibles as a free skate should be an interesting break. I want him to find the mental toughness to match the beauty that he has on the ice in time for Sochi in 2014. This is a critical year for him.

Nan Song (CHN) was the breakout star of the 2011-2012 season and Cup of China is where he reached his first podium of the season. I foresee that happening again here. He is such an athlete but his free is to Romeo and Juliet, so perhaps he's working on bringing out a softer side.

Brian Joubert (FRA) is another interesting case. He withdrew from the GP last season due to injury, but he did place 4th at Worlds and 1st at a small International this season. He has been around for so long and I know that deep down he's holding out for his Olympic medal in 2014, but I just don't know if it will happen. This is a crucial year for him. What I'm most excited for....did he hang onto The Matrix?

My Podium Prediction:
Gold: Daisuke Takahashi (JPN)
Silver: Adam Rippon (USA)
Bronze: Nan Song (CHN)

The Rest of the Field:
Kevin Reynolds (CAN)
Jinlin Guan (CHN)
Yi Wang (CHN)
Tatsuki Machida (JPN)
Sergei Voronov (RUS)