Countdown to US Figure Skating Championships: 8 Days!

Caroline Zhang (All Year FSC)

• 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion
• 2007 US Jr. Silver Medalist
• 2007 Jr. World Champion
• 2008 US Pewter Medalist
• 2008 Jr. World Silver Medalist
• 2009 US Bronze Medalist
• 2009 Jr. World Silver Medalist
• 2010 US Nationals 11th
• 2010 Four Continents Bronze Medalist

Caroline is a skater who enjoyed great success as a Junior and many expected she would make the Olympic team in 2010. When she moved up to the senior ranks nationally, she made the podium twice and continued to have success internationally as a junior, winning gold once and silver twice. Unfortunately she fell off a bit in the past two years, some of which can be attributed to technical issues, but most of which is mind and confidence-based. Caroline was a little jumping machine with amazing flexibility when she was younger, but when it came time to show maturity in her skating, some technical deficiencies were revealed and she began to suffer downgrades and under-rotation calls on her jumps. She is taking this season to revamp her jumping technique, much like World champion Mao Asada. I wish her well at Nationals this year and truly hope she can make a comeback. It would be so unfortunate for her to go down in history as the skater that could have been great. Fortunately she is only 17 and she still has time to regain her skills and mature as an artist in time to make a splash internationally and qualify for Sochi in 2014.

Countdown to US Figure Skating Championships: 23 Days!

Brandon Mroz (Broadmoor SC)

• 2006-07 Junior Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist
• 2007-08 US Junior Silver Medalist
• 2009 US Silver Medalist
• 2010 US Nationals 6th
• 2010 Cup of China Silver Medalist
• 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard Silver Medalist

Though Brandon stood on the podium at the 2009 Senior Nationals between Jeremy Abbott and Evan Lysacek, I still consider him among the "next generation" of US male figure skaters along with Adam Rippon, etc. At only 20 years old, he is still a baby in terms of internationally successful male figure skaters. With Lysacek and Weir sitting this season out, the 2011 Nationals will be a great opportunity for the younger skaters, like Brandon, to move up and make the world team. Based on his Grand Prix scores, Brandon should have no trouble finishing in the top 6 or 7 at worlds, though he must make the world team before he can compete there. I still think the mens podium will be Abbott, Rippon, and Mroz, not necessarily in that order, but Armin Mahbanoozadeh or returning veteran Ryan Bradley could easily throw a wrench into that plan. Brandon's highest total score this season was a 216.80 at Cup of China which puts him about 2 points below Jeremy Abbott and about 17 below Adam Rippon. However, Mroz has arguably been the most consistent of the three as Rippon had somewhat of a meltdown at Skate America and Abbott struggled to put together two clean programs at either of his events. Mroz has also shown that he can do the quad which Rippon has yet to show us in competition and Abbott has not done consistently. He has come into his own this season in terms of presentation with his debonair Bernstein free skate, but look for that quad to be a major factor that just may catapult Brandon Mroz to the top this year at Nationals.

Countdown to US Figure Skating Championships: 24 Days!

Alissa Czisny (Detroit SC)

• 2005 US Collegiate Champion
• 2005 Skate Canada Champion
• 2009 US Collegiate Champion
• 2009 US National Champion
• 2010 Skate Canada Champion
• 2010 Grand Prix Final Champion

Alissa is an incredibly talented skater, but like the other US Ladies' skaters of this generation, she struggles with consistency in her jumps. Her spins are among the best in the world and she is one of the most graceful and elegant skaters competing today. Though she never received the same international recognition, she reminds me so much of Sasha Cohen in that she has moments of such brilliance in her skating that are often eclipsed by mistakes in her jumps. I've always doubted that Alissa could come up big in a clutch situation, but she proved me wrong this season, winning the Grand Prix Final. Not only did she win, but she beat a very strong field of talented skaters who put up solid programs. This event was the first time I have ever remembered Alissa putting together 2 clean programs in the same competition and it was such a treat to see her at her best. If she can put together two clean programs at Nationals, she may regain her National Title, but more importantly she will be all but guaranteed a spot at the World Championships. Since the US only has slots to send 2 ladies to Worlds, it will be crucial for these skaters to put together clean programs and try to place in the top two, though there is a chance the USFSA may elect to send another skater to the World Championships even if they do not place among the top two. Alissa has done well internationally this season and may be sent to Worlds regardless of her placement at nationals, but it is in her best interest to do well at nationals to build on her confidence going into Worlds and to prove that her Grand Prix Final win was not a fluke. Though other skaters may most likely top Alissa on the technical mark, look for her to outscore the rest of the ladies field at Nationals on program components, the old artistic mark. I would say that her biggest competition will come from Rachael Flatt or Mirai Nagasu, but in the case, Alissa's biggest competition is herself and if she can stay out of her own way, she can really shine in Greensboro in January. 

Countdown to US Figure Skating Championships: 28 Days!

Mirai Nagasu (Pasadena FSC)

• 2007 Junior National Champion
• 2007 Junior World Silver Medalist
• 2008 US Champion
• 2008 Junior World Bronze Medalist
• 2010 US Silver Medalist
• 2010 Olympics 4th
• 2010 World Championships 7th

Mirai is one of the most talented skaters the US has ever produced and many feel that she may fill the void in US Ladies skating left by Michelle Kwan. At 17 she is still young and I suspect she will stand on the World podium in the next few years, but she struggles tremendously with consistency. She has all of the goods and if she performs to the best of her abilities, she can compete among the world's best as she showed last season by finishing 4th at the Olympics and winning the short program at Worlds. She struggles specifically with the mental aspect of the sport and when she does well in the short program she places too much pressure on herself and often makes mistakes in her free skate. We saw those types of meltdowns at the 2010 World Championships and at this season's Cup of China. Mirai trains under Frank Carroll, who also coached Michelle Kwan. He has his work cut out with this one and her confidence issues but if she can overcome them, she could regain her US national title here and stand on the World podium this season.  

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Defending Olympic and World Ice Dance Champions Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir discuss their return to the ice after Tessa's surgery to alleviate pain in her shins and calves. They will debut at the Winter Dreams on Ice show this Sunday in Canada, performing to John Legend's "Let It Snow."

Back on the blades | Other Sports | Sports | London Free Press