A New Beginning

Today is Ice Musings third birthday.  When I first started this blog before Skate Canada in 2011 I was merely looking to jot down some of my thoughts throughout the season as a reference for myself, but this site has become so much more to me over the years.

I've been able to share in so many of your skating journeys and enjoy the dialogue back and forth as we sit up in the middle of the night watching skating events overseas and trying to keep the passion for the sport alive.  I've met incredible people who do more in a single day than I can even imagine at such a young age and keep coming back for more.  I've come to know the sport I've loved since childhood inside and out and have a much deeper appreciation for the intricacies that go into it.

I'm so thankful for all the readers I've had over the past three years.  There have been times when I wondered if it was all worth it to get up early to catch an event or stay up late to squeeze in a post.  Luckily, this is such a wonderful community to belong to and I've received the most kind and inspiring comments and that keeps me posting all through a long season.

Coming full circle, I'm happy to announce that starting with today's Skate Canada events, Ice Musings is moving to a new home: icemusings.com.  My redesigned site is more user friendly and will allow you to access your favorite events easier than ever before.  All of my previous content will remain here but has also been moved over to it's new home.  Check it out and don't forget to let me know what you think!  I can be reached via Twitter and Facebook or you can email me at icemusings@gmail.com.

Happy Reading!

Amber

Skate Canada Men's Short Program

Group 1
Elladj Balde, CAN: 40.71 TES+ 31.64 PCS = 72.35

• Hand down on the opening quad toe but he manages to tack on the double toe
• Nice big triple axel nicely timed with the music
• Good position in the camel spin with a decent catch foot position, but I'd like to see his hip closed a bit more after the change of foot
• Triple lutz
• Good sit spin position with nice speed through the twisted variation
• Nice flow through his step sequence and great feeling for his music; he seems a bit too upright in the upper body though and some of the edge changes are not clean
• Twisted camel spin into a sit spin ending with a scratch spin

Andrei Rogozine, CAN: 37.20 TES+ 31.11 PCS = 68.31 and into 2nd place

• Nice triple flip + triple toe
• Spread eagle triple axel well done
• Good flexibility through the camel spin catch foot positions and nice fast rotation
• Triple lutz
• Low sit spin position with a nice twisted position after the change of foot but losing speed
• He seems to be skating through his music a bit and looking down and not really connecting with the audience but this might be the best he's jumped in a long time
• Very upright in the step sequence, slow in places and lots of ice spray 

Nobunari Oda, JPN: 43.61 TES+ 38.21 PCS -1.00 = 80.82 and into 1st place

• Big quad toe and just couldn't hang on to the landing
• Nice triple axel and he has such impressive bend in his knees on that landing
• Great camel spin position with a nice twisted variation into a good catch foot
• Great triple lutz + triple toe
• Good speed through the beginning of the sit spin combination but loses it after the flying change of position
• He's really starting to perform in this step sequence; nice freedom through the whole body and lots of changes of edge and direction with minimal ice spray
• Came spin into a good twisted sit spin with nice speed and needing in a scratch spin
• Overall a pretty good program with the exception of the fall on the quad

Jeremy Abbott, USA: 35.30 TES+ 39.28 PCS = 74.58 and into 2nd place

• Beautiful quad toe
• Double lutz close to the boards and has to ride it out a bit + double toe
• Interesting that he goes for an upright spin here--pretty unusual to be done outside of a combination
• Big triple axel and he has to put a hand down
• Great stretched out position in the sit spin with nice speed but losing it after the back tuck position
• Twisted camel position into a sit spin and a flying change of leg
• Nice movement in his step sequence and great use of his full body; good one foot sections and great ice coverage

Joshua Farris, USA: 33.11 TES+ 36.03 PCS = 69.14 and is currently in 4th place

• Triple toe + single toe
• Triple axel out of footwork a little down on one side on the landing but hangs on
• Such nice stretch and toe point in the sit spin with a great arm variation on the change of position
• Solid triple lutz
• Losing his centering on the catch foot camel spin but much better position after the change of leg
• Great choreography in his step sequence with a lot of nuances--you almost don't notice it as an element it blends so well into the program
• He seemed a bit nervous today in his debut but lots of great things to work with

Group 2
Takahito Mura, JPN: 38.56 TES+ 34.52 PCS = 73.08 and into 3rd place

• Quad toe fall out
• Big triple axel nicely timed with the music
• Decent camel position into an upright spin and ending with a sit spin
• A couple of standing dance moves seem to be mostly there for show with not a lot of commitment behind them
• Triple lutz + triple toe
• He's got the jumps it would be a nice to see a bit more in his program
• Ok camel spin positions with speed maintained throughout
• Lots of ice spray in his step sequence and he seems to be skating through the music a bit
• Flying entry to the sit spin and he needs more stretch through his free leg

Ross Miner, USA: 32.15 TES+ 36.56 PCS -2.00 = 66.71 and into 7th place

• The opening to this program is just gorgeous and it also happens to be his step sequence; great one foot sections and nice connection with the music
• Quad toe two foots the landing and falls
• Triple axel doesn't get quite around two foots the landing and falls
• Nice speed in his camel spin with a good flying change and a decent catch foot position
• Triple lutz + triple toe a little tight be he pulled it off
• Good sit spin with nice positions and good speed
• Nice camel into a broken leg sit spin and ending with a scratch spin
• Once he nails the jumps in this program it's going to be a huge hit and

Michal Brezina, CZE: 35.06 TES+ 36.65 PCS = 71.71 and into 5th place

• Doubled his opening quad salchow attempt
• Triple flip + triple toe
• Triple axel just a bit forward on the toe on the landing but he hangs on
• Twisted camel spin position with a change of foot and a decent catch foot position
• Flying sit spin needs more stretch through his free leg but maintained speed through the back tuck position
• Lots of movement through the step sequence but I'd like to see him do something more with his hands and arms; good flow across the ice
• Camel spin flying change to sit spin; slow through the whole middle of the spin and ending way after his music

Patrick Chan, CAN: 43.17 TES+ 44.93 PCS = 88.10 and into 1st place

• Huge triple toe + triple toe a little too close to the boards and has to put his free leg down to hang on to the 2nd jump
• Big triple axel with nice ride out and speed on the landing
• Good camel spin with a nice change of foot into a twisted position
• Triple lutz well done right on the music
• Great twisted sit position into a broken leg
• This program is so well put together and expertly executed by Chan
• I love how quiet the music gets in the step sequence so you can hear his blades across the ice
• Gorgeous step sequence with such ease in the transitions between steps
• Final combination spin with good speed and positions

Yuzuru Hanyu, JPN: 39.69 TES+ 40.71 PCS = 80.40 and into 3rd place

•  Quad toe so far forward on the landing that he almost did an illusion but avoided putting the hand down
• Nice flexibility in the donut spin variation
• Good twisted sit position into a nice broken leg variation and ending with a back tuck with speed maintained throughout
• Really difficult entry with turns on one foot into the triple axel and he drills it
• Popped lutz + triple toe--just looked like he got ahead of himself and rushed the entry
• Great steps in his sequence and really playing to the crowd and feeling his music
• Great camel position picking up a bit of speed through the sit variations but losing it after the flying change of position

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Patrick CHAN	CAN	88.10	43.17		44.93	9.04	8.89	8.82	9.11	9.07	0.00	#9
2	Nobunari ODA	JPN	80.82	43.61		38.21	7.82	7.18	7.71	7.68	7.82	1.00	#3
3	Yuzuru HANYU	JPN	80.40	39.69		40.71	8.29	7.96	7.96	8.29	8.21	0.00	#10
4	Jeremy ABBOTT	USA	74.58	35.30		39.28	8.00	7.75	7.46	8.07	8.00	0.00	#4
5	Takahito MURA	JPN	73.08	38.56		34.52	7.39	6.64	6.89	6.89	6.71	0.00	#6
6	Elladj BALDE	CAN	72.35	40.71		31.64	6.25	5.96	6.57	6.29	6.57	0.00	#1
7	Michal BREZINA	CZE	71.71	35.06		36.65	7.54	7.04	7.32	7.43	7.32	0.00	#8
8	Joshua FARRIS	USA	69.14	33.11		36.03	7.07	7.18	7.07	7.32	7.39	0.00	#5
9	Andrei ROGOZINE	CAN	68.31	37.20		31.11	6.43	6.11	6.14	6.32	6.11	0.00	#2
10	Ross MINER	USA	66.71	32.15		36.56	7.32	7.32	6.89	7.64	7.39	2.00	#7

Skate Canada Ladies Short Program Results

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Gracie GOLD	USA	69.45	38.53		30.92	7.61	7.54	7.79	7.82	7.89	0.00	#7
2	Julia LIPNITSKAIA	RUS	66.89	37.95		28.94	7.25	6.96	7.32	7.43	7.21	0.00	#8
3	Akiko SUZUKI	JPN	65.76	33.19		32.57	8.25	7.86	8.18	8.18	8.25	0.00	#9
4	Christina GAO	USA	62.82	33.96		28.86	7.07	7.04	7.29	7.29	7.39	0.00	#6
5	Kaetlyn OSMOND	CAN	60.32	32.49		28.83	7.04	7.18	7.14	7.36	7.32	1.00	#3
6	Amelie LACOSTE	CAN	59.13	32.10		27.03	6.79	6.36	6.93	6.82	6.89	0.00	#5
7	Natalia POPOVA	UKR	52.36	27.96		24.40	6.14	5.82	6.29	6.25	6.00	0.00	#4
8	Veronik MALLET	CAN	50.71	27.31		24.40	6.21	5.89	6.07	6.21	6.11	1.00	#1
9	Courtney HICKS	USA	50.70	26.67		24.03	6.18	5.82	6.00	6.07	5.96	0.00	#2

Skate Canada Pairs Short Program Results

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN	69.57	37.61		31.96	8.14	7.96	7.93	8.00	7.93	0.00	#8
2	Stefania BERTON / Ondrej HOTAREK	ITA	69.38	39.46		29.92	7.43	7.25	7.61	7.57	7.54	0.00	#7
3	Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN	CHN	69.02	39.46		29.56	7.43	7.14	7.46	7.54	7.39	0.00	#3
4	Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE	GER	55.08	30.79		25.29	6.50	6.18	6.36	6.29	6.29	1.00	#5
5	Haven DENNEY / Brandon FRAZIER	USA	55.01	31.47		24.54	6.14	5.93	6.25	6.11	6.25	1.00	#2
6	Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS	CAN	52.94	27.36		26.58	6.75	6.57	6.50	6.61	6.79	1.00	#6
7	Lindsay DAVIS / Rockne BRUBAKER	USA	52.69	28.47		24.22	6.21	5.93	6.00	6.18	5.96	0.00	#1
8	Margaret PURDY / Michael MARINARO	CAN	39.50	18.64		21.86	5.82	5.29	5.21	5.61	5.39	1.00	#4

Skate Canada Short Dance

Group 1
Paul/Islam, CAN: 26.17 TES+ 27.57 PCS = 53.74

• Nice arm positions and ease in their twizzles with good unison but I would like to see them a bit closer together
• Great speed and flow through the non touching step sequence with good unison and extension through their free legs
• They have great flow and speed in the Finnstep but you can see that they're concentrating and have lost the performance a bit here; a bit bouncy toward the end section
• Nice split rotational lift with her jumping up into the entry
• Very solid program from them and it suits their style very well

Guignard/Fabbri, ITA: 25.92 TES+ 28.11 PCS -2.00 = 52.03 and into 2nd place

• I'm not sure I'm getting the Cabaret music with the roaring 20s themed program
• Very far apart on the twizzles but decent unison
• They have a lot of speed but not a lot of edge work 
• Some of the steps in the Finnstep seem more labored and the arm changes are a lot less secure; not a lot of use of the free arm and really on top of their edges in a lot of places
• If they were going to go with a Fosse program I'd love to see them in a more true to theme costume
• Really neat lift with her doing a half twist flip but the changes of position were messy and she could stretch through her legs more and get better lines
• Very bobbly on the non touching step sequence and they seem to get closer and closer throughout

Stepanova/Bukin, RUS: 27.66 TES+ 27.97 PCS = 55.63 and into 1st place

• Her costume is very simple but I really like it and it stands out from the pack--solid blue color with cut out sides and rhinestones along the edges of the cutout
• Starting with their Finnstep, they seem to not be very secure in all the holds and at one point he holds her wrists instead of her hands; on top of their edges but good stretch through their free legs
• Great timing on their twizzles with the music and nice unison with each other
• Great changes of edges and one foot sequences in their non touching step sequence with lots of arms and great matching leg lines
• Cartwheel around to a spread eagle lift with her in a haircutter position
• Decent program for them in their debut 

Hubbell/Donohue, USA: 32.50 TES+ 29.42 PCS -1.00 = 60.92 and into 1st place

• Lots of speed going into their Finnstep and a great ease in their upper bodies and heads showing they are comfortable in their holds
• A little bit of ice spray on some of the edge changes in the Finnstep but overall it looked pretty good on the edges
• Nice twizzles but she seemed a hair faster than him on the 2nd set
• Flip up and toss into a catch position
• Lots of speed and flow in the non touching; deep edges and very good knees from him but she seems a bit stiff in places and had a very minor bobble or two
• He takes a fall getting into the ending pose, he got caught on her blade coming out of a lift--not on an element so it won't cost them anything but the 1 point deduction
• Overall it seemed like a bit more work than it did last week but some elements did look better as well

Group 2
Riazanova/Tkachenko, RUS: 31.17 TES+ 29.62 PCS -1.00 = 59.79 and into 2nd place

• Great back edge entry to their twizzles but I'd like to see them skate them a bit closer together
• Nice flow and changes of edge in their non touching step sequence with great feel for the music and a nice twisted turn done at center ice
• Great flow through the Finnstep with clean edge changes and nice changes of hold and very well timed with the music
• Toss up to a rotational lift but a sloppy ending
• Overall I liked how this program was put together but there were a few sloppy music cuts at the end which distracted from the ending of the program

Zhiganshina/Gazsi, GER: 26.58 TES+ 29.33 PCS = 55.91 and into 3rd place

• Twizzles were a little bobbly and he seemed off balance at the end; they were also very far apart and had to change to a wider camera angle
• Really off in their unison on the non touching step sequence and every arm and leg seems to be off
• I'd like to see her get the free leg out more in some of these turns; they seem very hesitant in the Finnstep but it's timed very well with their music; she also has some hunched over positions in some of the steps and could have better posture throughout the sequence
• Haircutter rotational lift

Weaver/Poje, CAN: 35.91 TES+ 34.44 PCS = 70.35 and into 1st place

• I love their tap steps timed with the tap in the music
• Good distance between them on the twizzles and very well timed
• Nice use of their free legs and arms in the opening section of the Finnstep; a few ice sprays so they could clean up the edge changes a bit more
• Nice distance between them and good unison during the non touching step sequence with good quick changes of edge and direction at the end
• Really nice lift with her swinging around his body several times in different directions

Virtue/Moir, CAN:  35.34 TES+ 37.81 PCS = 73.15 and into 1st place

• Great choreography in their non touching step sequence starting with them criss crossing and looking at each other; slight loss of unison on the last attitude turn at the end
• Great ease in their Finnstep and nice speed and flow across the ice; both do a great job of extending through their free legs; I don't feel this goes as well with their music as some of the other programs we've seen but it's executed very well
• Very close together on the twizzles but they lose unison a few times and they seem a little bit sloppy for them
• Great lift with several twists and flips and interesting positions

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CC	IT	Ded. -	StN.
1	Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR	CAN	73.15	35.34		37.81	9.33	9.46	9.42	9.50	9.54	0.00	#8
2	Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE	CAN	70.35	35.91		34.44	8.54	8.50	8.58	8.67	8.71	0.00	#7
3	Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE	USA	60.92	32.50		29.42	7.29	7.17	7.33	7.42	7.50	1.00	#4
4	Ekaterina RIAZANOVA / Ilia TKACHENKO	RUS	59.79	31.17		29.62	7.50	7.21	7.46	7.46	7.38	1.00	#5
5	Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI	GER	55.91	26.58		29.33	7.29	7.13	7.42	7.42	7.38	0.00	#6
6	Alexandra STEPANOVA / Ivan BUKIN	RUS	55.63	27.66		27.97	7.17	6.96	7.00	6.88	6.96	0.00	#3
7	Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM	CAN	53.74	26.17		27.57	6.92	6.75	7.00	6.96	6.83	0.00	#1
8	Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI	ITA	52.03	25.92		28.11	6.96	6.88	7.17	7.17	6.96	2.00	#2

Skate Canada Dance Preview

Virtue and Moir are virtually assured of another Skate Canada title here but their real goal is to defend their Olympic title.  They started off the season with a win at Finlandia Trophy however their score was nearly 20 points lower than they scored at Worlds last year.  Considering how strong Davis and White have been at their first two events this season, they'll need to show significant improvement to hold pace.  After their Carmen diversion last year, they've returned to the elegant style that took them to the top of their sport.

Weaver and Poje suffered an unfortunate training accident last year but were able to recover in time to make it to the World Championships.  They finished 5th with a good performance but still not at their 100% best and are ready to make a run at the podium.

Riazanova and Tkachenko tend to fly under the radar as the third place Russian team but they do have a very nice style on the ice and strong results to back it up.  They have a classic style and nice lines but have yet to put out a memorable program that separates them from the pack.

Hubbell and Donohue started their season with a 4th place finish at Skate America last week setting personal bests in all segments of the competition.  They're determined to find a place on the Olympic team and were only two points behind the Shibutanis at Skate America.  They've shown improvement from Nebelhorn to Skate America and since the competition was in their backyard, they've had time to train and make adjustments before this event.

World Junior Champions Stepanova and Bukin are making their Grand Prix debut at this event after sweeping the junior circuit last season.  They have two Junior World medals and will be looking to challenge Riazanova and Tkachenko.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Virtue/Moir
Silver: Weaver/Poje
Bronze: Hubbell/Donohue

Bios of the competitors:
Paul/Islam, CAN: They are the 2010 World Junior Silver Medalists.  Their personal best is 141.99.  She is 22 and he is 23.

Virtue/Moir, CAN: They are the reigning World Silver Medalists and and Four Continents Silver Medalists.   They won gold at Skate Canada and gold at Rostelecom Cup last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won silver.  They are the 2010 Olympic Gold Medalists, 2010 and 2012 World Champions, 2008 and 2011 World Silver Medalists, 2009 World Bronze Medalists, 2008 and 2012 Four Continents Champions, 2009 Four Continents Silver Medalists, 2006 and 2007 Four Continents Bronze Medalists, 2006 World Junior Champions and 2005 World Junior Silver Medalists.  Their personal best is 185.04.  She is 24 and he is 26.

Weaver/Poje, CAN: They finished 5th at Worlds.  They won bronze at Skate America and Cup of China last season.  They are the 2010 Four Continents Champions, 2012 Four Continents Bronze Medalists, and 2007 World Junior Bronze Medalists.  Their personal best is 166.55.  She is 24 and he is 26.  

Zhiganshina/Gazsi, GER: They finished 10th at Worlds and 6th at Europeans.  They placed 5th at Skate America and 5th at Rostelecom Cup last season.  Their personal best is 154.27.  She is 26 and he is 29.

Guignard/Fabbri: ITA: They placed 17th at Worlds and 9th at Europeans.  They finished 5th at Cup of China last season.  Their personal best is 142.48.  She is 24 and he is 25.

Riazanova/Tkachenko, RUS: They finished 11th at Worlds and 4th at Europeans.  They won bronze at Skate Canada and bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard last season.  Their personal best is 157.77.  She is 22 and he is 27.

Stepanova/Bukin, RUS: They are the reigning World Junior Champions.  This is their Grand Prix debut.  They won gold at JGP Istanbul and gold at JGP Germany last season to qualify for the JGP Final where they won gold.  They are the 2012 World Junior Silver Medalists.  Their personal best is 150.17.  She is 18 and he is 20.

Hubbell/Donohue, USA: They placed 4th at Skate America.  Their personal best is 152.98.  She is 22 and he is 22.

Skate Canada Pairs Preview

Duhamel and Radford won their first World medal last year and many thought they should have beat Savchenko and Szolkowy to claim the silver.  This is their fourth season together and they have steadily been climbing the ranks and crossed the 200 point threshold last season.  They are skating their short program to an original composition put together by Radford and is promises to be a very emotional piece.  They also have some of the most difficult technical content in the pairs world especially in their side by side jumps.

Berton and Hotarek finished 5th at Skate America last week but in this younger and weaker field they have the chance to make the medal podium here.

Davis and Brubaker are a new team this season and after a disappointing finish at 2010 Nationals and a string of partnerships that didn't work out, Brubaker is more determined than ever to make the Sochi team.  They still have a lot of work to do and limited time but starting with a medal here would be a good start.

Sui and Han spent almost all of last season sitting out due to injury and couldn't quite regain their previous form at last year's Worlds.  They finished just 12th, nearly 40 points below their personal best.  They've long been known for their big tricks and infectious personality on the ice but at 18 and 21 they'll need a new tact and more grown up programs to compete with the best.  

Lawrence and Swiegers just missed the podium at both of their Grand Prix events last season and are hunting their first Grand Prix medal since 2010.  After several years of international competition, Vartmann and Van Cleave are making their Grand Prix debut and will be hunting their first medal as well.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Duhamel/Radford
Silver: Berton/Hotarek
Bronze: Sui/Han

Bios of the competitors:
Duhamel/Radford, CAN: They are the reigning World Bronze Medalists and Four Continents Champions.  They won silver at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 4th.  They are the 2011 Four Continents Silver Medalists.  Their personal best is 204.56.  She is 27 and he is 28.

Lawrence/Swiegers, CAN: They finished 6th at Four Continents.  They placed 4th at Skate Canada and 4th at Rostelecom Cup last season.  They are the 2011 Four Continents Bronze Medalists.  Their personal best is 162.30.  She is 23 and he is 26.

Purdy/Marinaro, CAN: They are the reigning World Junior Silver Medalists.  They finished 8th at Skate America.  Their personal best is 154.70.  She is 18 and he is 21.  

Sui/Han, CHN: They placed 12th at Worlds.  They are the 2012 Four Continents Champions and the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Junior Worlds Champions.  Their personal best is 201.83.  She is 18 and he is 21.

Vartmann/Van Cleave, GER: They placed 16th at Worlds and 8th at Europeans.  This is their Grand Prix debut.  Their personal best is 162.81.  She is 24 and he is 26.

Berton/Hotarek, ITA: They finished 10th at Worlds and are the reigning European Bronze Medalists.  They placed 5th at Skate America.  Their personal best is 187.45.  She is 23 and he is 29.

Davis/Brubaker, USA: This is their Grand Prix debut.  Their personal best is 156.91.  She is 21 and he is 27.

Denney/Frazier, USA: They are the reigning World Junior Champions.  This is their Grand Prix debut.  They placed 4th at JGP USA last season.  Their personal best is 155.83.  She is 17 and he is 20.

Skate Canada Ladies Preview

Julia Lipnitskaia has followed the past of the last few Russian wonderbabies.  After winning everything on the junior circuit in 2012 she made her Grand Prix debut last season and won two medals which qualified her for the Grand Prix Final.  She was not old enough for Worlds last season and lost her Junior World title to the next generation of Russian juniors.  She is old enough to qualify for the Olympics this year but with only two Russian spots available, she'll have to stay injury free this season and consistently hit her triple + triples.

Akiko Suzuki dropped to 12th at Worlds after winning bronze the year prior.  She won a medal at every other event she entered last season including the Final.  Her Worlds performance seemed to have been a fluke as she was remarkably consistent the rest of the season and has been consistent over the past several seasons.

Courtney Hicks started off her season with a surprise gold medal finish at the US International Figure Skating Classic.  She has long been known for her jumps but has committed to her artistry this season.  She has triple + triples and innovative spins and is passionate about her programs which comes out in her skating.  She started the season with no Grand Prix assignments and now has two and is ready to make the most of her opportunity.

Kaetlyn Osmond won gold at this event last season but has been off the ice with an ankle injury and has admitted that she's not back to 100%.  

Gracie Gold has struggled to put together two clean programs at the same event all year last year.  She split from her long time coach suddenly this summer and moved to Frank Carroll but her new coaching situation is not yet permanent.  

My podium predictions:
Gold: Julia Lipnitskaia
Silver: Akiko Suzuki
Bronze: Courtney Hicks

Bios of the competitors:
Amelie Lacoste, CAN: She finished 9th at Four Continents.  She placed 8th at Skate Canada and 6th at Cup of China last season.  Her personal best is 157.26.  She is 24 years old.

Veronik Mallet, CAN: This is her Grand Prix debut.  Her personal best is 159.67.  She is 19 years old.

Kaetlyn Osmond, CAN: She placed 8th at Worlds and 7th at Four Continents.  She won gold at Skate Canada last season.  Her personal best is 176.82.  She is 17 years old.  

Akiko Suzuki, JPN: She finished 12th at Worlds and is the reigning Four Continents Silver Medalist.  She won silver at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where she won bronze.  She is the 2012 World Bronze Medalist and 2010 Four Continents Silver Medalist.  Her personal best is 199.58.  She is 28 years old.  

Julia Lipnitskaia, RUS: She is the reigning Junior World Silver Medalist.  She won silver at Cup of China and bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final but withdrew due to injury.  She is the 2012 Junior World Champion.  Her personal best is 187.05.  She is 15 years old.

Natalia Popova, UKR: She finished 15th at Worlds and placed 19th at Europeans.  This is her Grand Prix debut.  She finished 10th at JGP Austria last season.  Her personal best is 155.52.  She is 20 years old.

Christina Gao, USA: She finished 4th at Four Continents.  She won silver at Skate America and finished 4th at Trophee Eric Bompard last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where she finished 6th.  Her personal best is 176.28.  She is 19 years old.

Gracie Gold, USA: She placed 6th at Worlds and 6th at Four Continents.  She finished 7th at Skate Canada and won silver at Rostelecom Cup last season.  She is the 2012 World Junior Silver Medalist.  Her personal best is 188.03.  She is 18 years old.

Courtney Hicks, USA: She placed 5th at Junior Worlds.  She won silver at JGP USA and finished 4th at JGP Slovenia last season.  Her personal best is 153.77.  She is 17 years old.

Skate Canada Men's Preview

Patrick Chan is the reigning World Champion although he struggled last season and nearly lost his title.  He had strong short programs and currently holds the World Record Short Program score but his free skates were often filled with errors.  He moved to Detroit at the end of the season to pursue a better training environment and has been settling well.  After splitting from Christy Krall, he is coached primarily by Kathy Johnson and his jumps took a bit of a hit.  After missing out on the podium in 2010, his sole focus has been on Sochi and he is gunning for Olympic gold.

Yuzuru Hanyu set two World Record short programs last season and had a huge breakout year.  He finished ahead of Patrick Chan at the Grand Prix Final but wasn't able to find his way back to the podium at the World Championships.  He has the quads as well as the artistry but he seemed to struggle with some of the nerves that comes along with being a front runner.

Nobunari Oda had a rough few seasons and only won medal on the Grand Prix last season.  It's also been two years since he made a World team and in a deep Japanese field, he's facing an uphill battle to claim one of the spots in Sochi.  He kicked off the season with an impressive victory at the Nebelhorn Trophy and proved that he is a contender going into this season.

Also in the mix are Takahito Mura who was the surprise winner at Trophee Eric Bompard last year and made the Japanese Worlds team along with Jeremy Abbott who's reprising his Exogenisis free skate after failing to qualify for Worlds last season.  Ross Miner is the reigning US Silver Medalist but had a slow start to his season this year.

World Junior Champion Joshua Farris is making his Grand Prix debut at this event.  He has quads and triple axels in his arsenal but struggled with his jumps at his senior debut at the US Figure Skating Classic.  He choreographs his own programs and admitted that he was more focused on the performance at that event and let the jumps get away from him.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Patrick Chan
Silver: Yuzuru Hanyu
Bronze: Nobunari Oda

Bios of the competitors:
Elladj Balde, CAN: He finished 18th at Four Continents.  He placed 7th at Skate Canada last season.  His personal best is 199.94.  He is 22 years old.

Patrick Chan, CAN: He is the reigning World Champion.  He won silver at Skate Canada and gold at Rostelecom Cup last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he won bronze.  He is the 2011 and 2012 World Champion, 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, 2009 and 2012 Four Continents Champion and 2007 World Junior silver medalist.  His personal best is 280.98.  He is 22 years old.  

Andrei Rogozine, CAN: He finished 13th at Worlds and 10th at Four Continents.  He placed 9th at NHK Trophy last season.  He is the 2011 World Junior Champion.  His personal best is 216.60.  He is 20 years old.

Michal Brezina, CZE: He placed 10th at Worlds and is the reigning European Bronze Medalist.  He placed 6th at Skate America and won bronze at Rostelecom Cup last season.  He is the 2009 World Junior Silver Medalist.  His personal best is 243.52.  He is 23 years old.  

Yuzuru Hanyu, JPN: He placed 4th at Worlds and is the reigning Four Continents silver medalist.  He won silver at Skate America and gold at NHK Trophy last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he won silver.  He is the 2012 World Bronze Medalist, 2011 Four Continents Silver Medalist and 2010 World Junior Champion.  His personal best is 264.29.  He is 18 years old.  

Takahito Mura, JPN: He placed 8th at Worlds and 8th at Four Continents.  He finished 8th at Skate Canada and won gold at Trophee Eric Bompard last season.  His personal best is 234.18.  He is 22 years old.

Nobunari Oda, JPN: He won bronze at Skate Canada and placed 5th at Rostelecom Cup.  He is the 2006 Four Continents Champion and 2005 Junior World Champion.  His personal best is 262.98.  He is 26 years old.

Jeremy Abbott, USA: He placed 5th at Skate Canada and won silver at Trophee Eric Bompard last season.  He is the 2007 and 2011 Four Continents Bronze Medalist.  His personal best is 238.82.  He is 28 years old.

Joshua Farris, USA: He is the reigning World Junior Champion.  He won gold at JGP USA and gold at JGP Slovenia last season to qualify for the JGP Final where he won silver.  He is the 2012 World Junior Silver Medalist.  His personal best is 228.32.  He is 18 years old.  

Ross Miner, USA: He placed 14th at Worlds and 9th at Four Continents.  He placed 5th at Skate Canada and won bronze at NHK Trophy last season.  He is the 2012 Four Continents Bronze Medalist.  His personal best is 235.37.  He is 22 years old.

Southwest Pacific Regional Results

Novice Ladies

Place	Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	12	Heidi Han, Los Angeles FSC	1	39.02	1	72.74	111.76
2	14	Runa Maeda, All Year FSC	3	37.65	2	68.83	106.48
3	15	Cheyenne Taylor, Los Angeles FSC	2	38.81	4	64.06	102.87
4	7	Ai Setoyama, All Year FSC	8	34.64	3	64.66	99.30
5	11	Ellie Min, All Year FSC	4	37.05	6	62.21	99.26
6	9	Nadine Orellana, Los Angeles FSC	7	35.01	5	62.44	97.45
7	6	Vanna Giang, All Year FSC	6	35.69	10	56.37	92.06
8	8	Jacqueline Benson, Coyotes SC of Arizona	10	33.18	8	57.15	90.33
9	2	Selina Pan, Los Angeles FSC	11	31.58	7	58.01	89.59
10	13	Isabella Smit, Los Angeles FSC	5	36.13	13	53.32	89.45
11	10	Victoria Giang, All Year FSC	9	33.23	11	54.01	87.24
12	5	Alexis Gagnon, Coyotes SC of Arizona	12	30.55	9	56.63	87.18
13	4	Lydia Lee, Pasadena FSC	13	29.30	14	52.81	82.11
14	1	Mo'E Okuda, All Year FSC	15	25.05	12	53.35	78.40
15	3	Beverly Laksana, All Year FSC	14	26.84	15	48.83	75.67

Junior Ladies

Place	Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	10	Elizabeth Nguyen, All Year FSC	1	56.91	1	87.61	144.52
2	14	Amanda Gelb, Los Angeles FSC	3	42.99	2	75.52	118.51
3	12	Rosalie Chen, San Diego FSC	2	45.26	3	72.85	118.11
4	13	Hanna Skane, Glacier Falls FSC	5	34.73	4	72.27	107.00
5	11	Ashley Park, All Year FSC	4	42.41	6	63.32	105.73
6	7	Tiffany Vanta, San Diego FSC	8	31.93	5	67.02	98.95
7	6	Cheyenne Bell, All Year FSC	7	32.95	7	62.94	95.89
8	8	Annika Lindgren, All Year FSC	6	33.19	8	56.27	89.46
9	5	Emily Gabriele, Coyotes SC of Arizona	9	29.10	12	47.94	77.04
10	1	Brianna Gianiorio, Coyotes SC of Arizona	13	25.70	9	50.87	76.57
11	9	Michaella Bradley, Las Vegas FSC	10	26.97	10	48.46	75.43
12	3	Mackenzie Stumpf, Los Angeles FSC	11	26.28	11	48.03	74.31
13	4	Brigitte Gong, Los Angeles FSC	12	26.11	14	46.23	72.34
14	2	Rachel Carey, SC of Phoenix	14	23.90	13	47.13	71.03
WD		Lily Bai, San Diego FSC
WD		Jaclyn Cartwright, Coyotes SC of Arizona
WD		Shayanne Casapao, Los Angeles FSC
WD		Ashley Quan, All Year FSC
WD		Ellie Yuen, All Year FSC

Senior Ladies

Place	Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	20	Leah Keiser, All Year FSC	1	57.71	1	103.44	161.15
2	16	Katarina Kulgeyko, San Diego FSC	4	45.55	2	80.40	125.95
3	18	Sophia Adams, All Year FSC	3	45.81	3	72.64	118.45
4	17	Anna Malkova, All Year FSC	2	46.05	4	71.38	117.43
5	19	Rachel Mendelson, All Year FSC	5	43.40	6	68.66	112.06
6	15	Catherine Giese, Los Angeles FSC	10	32.54	5	71.08	103.62
7	13	Taylor Sirset, All Year FSC	7	36.14	7	66.73	102.87
8	14	Dyllan Mcintee, SC of Phoenix	8	35.69	9	63.40	99.09
9	11	Brenda Ji, Los Angeles FSC	9	33.90	8	64.12	98.02
10	7	Brittany Ward, All Year FSC	11	32.51	10	60.40	92.91
11	6	Liana Sherman, Coyotes SC of Arizona	13	30.32	11	59.34	89.66
12	10	Gabrielle Dominguez, Las Vegas FSC	12	31.16	12	54.20	85.36
13	12	Victoria Muniz, All Year FSC	6	38.08	16	44.50	82.58
14	8	Patricia Mcneil, Glacier Falls FSC	14	30.30	13	51.38	81.68
15	1	Emily Fields, Coyotes SC of Arizona	16	25.47	14	51.02	76.49
16	2	Arlyn Gamarro, All Year FSC	17	25.38	15	48.76	74.14
17	9	Natalie Tso, Pasadena FSC	15	29.48	17	43.41	72.89
18	4	Abrianna Percuoco, Desert Ice SC Of Arizona	19	23.68	18	43.33	67.01
19	5	Hailli Dorman, Coyotes SC of Arizona	20	23.38	19	43.24	66.62
20	3	Madison Jones, Coyotes SC of Arizona	18	24.62	20	40.82	65.44
WD		Louisa Warwin, Individual Member	21	20.86
WD		Jamie Deese, Coyotes SC of Arizona
WD		Ellie Kawamura, All Year FSC
WD		Summer Reyna, Glacier Falls FSC

Novice Men

Place	Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	7	Paolo Borromeo, Los Angeles FSC	1	50.42	1	97.01	147.43
2	5	Harrison Wong, All Year FSC	2	41.30	2	90.57	131.87
3	6	Sahmaro Rockhold, Los Angeles FSC	3	41.29	3	74.86	116.15
4	4	Micah Tang, Coyotes SC of Arizona	4	36.26	4	70.82	107.08
5	2	Darian Weiss, Los Angeles FSC	5	31.27	5	57.14	88.41
6	1	Michael Valdez, All Year FSC	6	27.43	6	51.06	78.49
7	3	Matthew Rounis, Coyotes SC of Arizona	7	26.48	7	46.05	72.53

Junior Men

Place	Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
			Place	Score	Place	Score
1	3	Nix Phengsy, All Year FSC	1	57.20	2	91.74	148.94
2	2	Spencer Howe, Los Angeles FSC	2	45.01	1	94.33	139.34
3	1	Timothy Boore, Pasadena FSC	3	38.61	3	76.86	115.47