European Men's Preview

After sitting out the entirety of last season, Plushenko is back and ready to start his push toward the Olympics in Sochi in 2014.  He sat out the beginning of this season recovering from knee injuries and made his season debut at Russian nationals where he took home the title, defeating reigning World Bronze Medalist Artur Gachinski.  He is well known for his jumping abilities, including his quads, but he focuses on the jumps often at the expense of transitions and choreography.

Javier Fernandez has had a stellar season, winning the first ever Grand Prix medal for Spain and qualifying for the Grand Prix Final where he won bronze.  He has successfully landed 9 quads on the Grand Prix this season and has shown he can combine artistry with the technical content.  His problems have come in the free skate where he makes small errors on some of the jumps in the middle of his program.  He truly fights for everything and never gives up on his programs but he does give points away.

Brian Joubert is also making his season debut after sitting out the Grand Prix season due to injury.  He's returned to his Matrix free skate in hope's of claiming another European title.  In his first competition of the season, he defeated reigning European Champion Florent Amodio to claim the French national title.  He is also well known for his quads, but missing a quad can effect his mental game and cause a collapse in the rest of the program.

Artur Gachinski surprised many when he took home the bronze medal from last season's World Championships.  He also is armed with a quad jump but has wildly inconsistent results and hasn't lived up to his title this season, finishing well off the podium in his Grand Prix assignments.

Michal Brezina started off the season with a gold medal finish at his first Grand Prix event, but while his score improved throughout the season, his results continued to slip.  He keeps talking about putting the quad in his programs but hasn't been able to deliver.  He'll need to step it up if he wants to claim his first European medal.

Samuel Contesti improved throughout the Grand Prix season, going from 8th to 4th.  He has the ability to be an amazingly entertaining skater when he is clean, but the life can really go out of his programs if he starts making errors on his jumps.

Kevin van der Perren is another skater known for big jumps, including the quad, but also for inconsistency.  He has stated that Europeans will be his final competition before he retires and if he sticks to that he could go in to this event with nothing to lose and no reason to hold anything back.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Evgeni Plushenko
Silver: Javier Fernandez
Bronze: Brian Joubert

Bios of the competitors:
Slavik Hayrapetyan, ARM: He finished 21^st in the preliminary round at Junior Worlds.  He placed 18^th at JGP Latvia and 14^th at JGP Romania.  His personal best is 128.97.  He is 15 years old.

Viktor Pfeifer, AUT (Direct Entry): He finished 26th at Worlds and 18th at Europeans.  His personal best is 178.41.  He is 24 years old.

Vitali Luchanok, BLR: He finished 22nd in the preliminary round at Worlds and 23rd at Junior Worlds.  His personal best is 138.27.  He is 19 years old.  

Jorik Hendrickx, BEL (Direct Entry): He finished 19th at Worlds, 16th at Europeans and 13th at Junior Worlds.  His personal best is 188.24.  He is 19 years old.

Kevin van der Perren, BEL (Direct Entry): He finished 17th at Worlds and 4th at Europeans.  He won silver at Skate America and finished 8^th at Skate Canada.  He is the 2007 and 2009 European bronze medalist.  His personal best is 219.36.  He is 29 years old.

Manol Atanassov, BUL: He finished 19th in the preliminary round at World Juniors.  He is 20 years old.  

Michal Brezina, CZE (Direct Entry): He placed 4th at Worlds and 8th at Europeans.  He won gold at Skate America, bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard and finished 4th at Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he finished 6th.  He is the 2009 World Junior Silver Medalist.  His personal best is 236.06.  He is 21 years old.

Pavel Kaska, CZE: His personal best is 172.90.  He is 23 years old.

Tomas Verner, CZE (Direct Entry): He placed 12th at Worlds and is the reigning European Bronze Medalist.  He is the 2008 European Champion and 2007 European Silver Medalist.  His personal best is 232.67.  He is 25 years old.

Justus Strid, DEN: He finished 14th in the preliminary round at Worlds and 28th at Europeans.  His personal best is 91.30.  He is 24 years old.

Viktor Romanenkov, EST: He finished 18^th at the World Junior Championships.  He placed 9^th at JGP Latvia and 6^th at JGP Estonia.  His personal best is 162.19.  He is 18 years old.  

Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari, FIN: His personal best is 170.88.  He is 28 years old.

Florent Amodio, FRA (Direct Entry): He placed 7th at Worlds and is the reigning European Champion.  He finished 9^th at Skate America and 5th at Trophee Eric Bompard.  His personal best is 229.68.  He is 21 years old.

Chafik Besseghier, FRA (Direct Entry): He placed 9th at Trophee Eric Bompard.  His personal best is 185.69.  He is 22 years old.

Brian Joubert, FRA (Direct Entry): He finished 8th at Worlds and is the reigning European Silver Medalist.  He is the 2007 World Champion, 2006 and 2008 World Silver Medalist, 2009 and 2010 World Bronze Medalist; 2004, 2007 and 2009 European Champion; 2003, 2005 and 2011 European Silver Medalist; and 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2010 European Bronze Medalist.  His personal best is 241.74.  He is 26 years old.

Paul Fentz, GER: He finished 7th at JGP Romania.  His personal best is 151.40.  He is 19 years old.

Peter Liebers, GER (Direct Entry): He placed 15th at Worlds and 11th at Europeans.  His personal best is 205.59.  He is 23 years old.

Jason Thompson, GBR: He is 22 years old.

Marko Marton, HUN: His personal best is 84.99.  He is 23 years old.

Alexei Bychenko, ISR: His personal best is 129.24.  He is 23 years old.

Paolo Bacchini, ITA (Direct Entry): He finished 21st at Worlds and 12th at Europeans.  His personal best is 183.13.  He is 26 years old.

Samuel Contesti, ITA (Direct Entry): He finished 18th at Worlds and 6th at Europeans.  He placed 8th at Skate America and 4th at NHK Trophy.  He is the 2009 European Silver Medalist.  His personal best is 226.97.  He is 28 years old.

Kim Lucine, MON (Direct Entry): He finished 23rd at Worlds and 17th at Europeans.  His personal best is 171.93.  He is 23 years old. 

Maciej Cieplucha, POL: He finished 25th at Europeans.  His personal best is 139.41.  He is 23 years old. 

Zoltan Kelement, ROU: He finished 21st at Europeans.  His personal best is 161.70.  He is 25 years old.

Artur Gachinski, RUS (Direct Entry): He is the reigning World Bronze Medalist and finished 5th at Europeans.  He placed 5th at Cup of China and Rostelecom Cup.  He is the 2010 World Junior Bronze Medalist.  His personal best is 241.86.  He is 18 years old. 

Evgeni Plushenko, RUS: He is the 2006 Olympic Champion; 2002 and 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist; 2001, 2003 and 2004 World Champion; 1999 World Silver Medalist; 1998 World Bronze Medalist; 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2010 European Champion; 1998, 1999 and 2004 European Silver Medalist; and 1997 World Junior Champion.  His personal best is 258.33.  He is 29 years old.

Sergei Voronov, RUS (Direct Entry): He placed 7th at Rostelecom Cup.  He is the 2006 World Junior Silver Medalist and 2007 World Junior Bronze Medalist.  His personal best is 220.39.  He is 24 years old.

Javier Fernandez, ESP (Direct Entry): He finished 10th at Worlds and 9th at Europeans.  He won silver at Skate Canada and Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he won bronze.  His personal best is 250.33.  He is 20 years old.

Alexander Majorov, SWE (Direct Entry): He finished 28th at Worlds and is the reigning World Junior Bronze Medalist.  He placed 9th at Skate Canada and 6th at Trophee Eric Bompard.  His personal best is 195.71.  He is 20 years old.

Laurent Alvarez, SUI: He finished 22nd at Europeans.  His personal best is 159.45.  He is 21 years old.

Ali Demirboga, TUR: He placed 27th at Europeans.  His personal best is 95.22.  He is 21 years old.

Stanislav Pertsov, UKR (Direct Entry): He finished 15th at World Juniors.  He placed 10th at JGP Latvia and 8th at JGP Austria.  His personal best is 161.92.  He is 19 years old.

Belgian Nationals

Senior Ladies

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Isabelle PIEMAN	RBI	124.36	1	1
2	Eva LIM	NED	106.02	3	2
3	Kaat VAN DAELE	KHL	104.12	2	3

Senior Men

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	KHL	215.02	1	1
2	Jorik HENDRICKX	NOT	202.80	2	2

 Junior Ladies

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Eline ANTHONISSEN	WKA	97.35	1	3
2	Ceciliane Mei Ling HARTMANN	SIN	95.15	2	1
3	Anaïs CLAES	HSK	91.97	4	2
4	Sara BILLMAN	USA	91.38	3	4
5	Anne-Sophie GOOSSENS	NED	90.33	5	5
6	Lieselotte SWERTS	HSK	82.65	6	6
7	Charlotte VAN DER KAR	KHL	76.98	8	7
8	Ariana ALTARAVICIUTE	HSK	68.95	9	8
9	Clara QUINET	CPA	65.57	7	9

Junior Men

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Jerry HILGERT	LUX	81.83	1	1

Skate Canada Men's Preview

Patrick Chan is the reigning World Champion and he starts his season off on home soil.  He really pushed the boundaries of the sport last season by showcasing that it's possible to go for all the technical elements but still have all the artistic elements.  His quads are beautifully done and he put three quads in his program last season.  His programs are brilliantly choreographed by Lori Nichol and the elements are almost invisible as his transitions are so seamless.  He holds three world records for the best short, free skate and total score.  His elements are so good, that he showed last season that he can have falls and still take home the gold.  It will be tough to beat him here. 


Daisuke Takahashi from Japan took home the World title in 2010.  He also has quads in his arsenal and is know for his ability to wow a crowd.  He struggled last season and never quite lived up to his potential due to injury.  He had knee surgery in the off season and this will be his first chance to show that when healthy, he can be a skater that contends for World titles.  


Adam Rippon battled with his triple axel last season and it cost him a spot on the U.S. World team.  He switched coaches in the off season and is now coached by Jason Dungjen and Yuka Sato who's expressive lyrical style has drawn skaters like Jeremy Abbott and Alissa Czisny to their rink to turn their careers around. His signature jump is his Rippon Lutz, performed with both arms above his head.  He has been working on quad lutzes, and if he can land it here, he'll be the first athlete to land the jump in an ISU competition.


Ross Miner went home after last season's Grand Prix determined to improve and showed up at U.S. nationals with a new mindset.  He took home the bronze medal and earned a spot on the Worlds team.  He edged out Jeremy Abbott for that spot by hundredths of a point and there were many that questioned that decision.  He'll have to show that his result wasn't a fluke and that he is a force to be reckoned with among the U.S. men.  


Kevin van der Perren is also in the hunt after taking the silver medal last week at Skate America.  He has impressive jumps including solid quads but lacks some of the artistry of the other skaters.  That puts him at a disadvantage if the other skaters who have the whole package skate clean, but he showed that his jumps are always on and he's able to climb on to the other podium if other skaters make mistakes.


Two young skaters making their debuts here are Junior World Champion Andrei Rogozine and Junior World bronze medalist Alexander Majorov.  


My podium predictions:
Gold: Patrick Chan
Silver: Daisuke Takahashi
Bronze: Adam Rippon


Bios of the competitors:
Kevin van der Perren, BEL: He finished 17th at Worlds and 4th at Europeans.  He won silver at Skate America.  He is the 2007 and 2009 European bronze medalist.  His personal best is 219.36.  He is 29 years old.

Elladj Balde, CAN: This is his Grand Prix debut.  His personal best is 184.89.  He is 20 years old.

Patrick Chan, CAN: He is the reigning World Champion.  He won gold at Skate Canada and silver at Cup of Russia last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he won gold.  He is the 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, 2009 Four Continents Champion and 2007 World Junior silver medalist.  His personal best is 280.98.  He is 20 years old.

Andrei Rogozine, CAN: He is the reigning World Junior Champion.  He won gold at JGP France and Japan last season to qualify for the JGPF  where he won bronze.  His personal best is 200.13.  He is 18 years old.

Daisuke Takahashi, JPN: He finished 5th at Worlds and is the reigning Four Continents Champion.  He won gold at NHK Trophy and Skate Canada last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he finished 4th. He is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, 2010 World Champion, 2007 World silver medalist, 2008 Four Continents Champion, 2005 Four Continents bronze medalist and 2002 World Junior Champion.  His personal best is 264.41.  He is 25 years old.

Denis Ten, KAZ: He finished 14th at the World Championships.  He placed 5^th at Skate America.  His personal best is 211.43.  He is 18 years old.

Javier Fernandez, ESP: He placed 10th at Worlds and 9th at Europeans.  He finished 5th at Skate Canada and 9th at Cup of Russia last season.  His personal best is 218.26.  He is 20 years old.

Alexander Majorov, SWE: He finished 28th at Worlds ans is the reigning Junior World bronze medalist.  This is his Grand Prix debut.  He finished 5th at JGP Japan and won bronze at JGP Czech Republic last season.  His personal best is 195.71.  He is 20 years old.

Ross Miner, USA: He finished 11th at Worlds.  He placed 9th at NHK Trophy and 7th at Cup of China last season.  His personal best is 217.93.  He is 20 years old.

Adam Rippon, USA: He finished 5th at Four Continents.  He won bronze at Skate Canada and finished 4th at Skate America last season.  He is the 2010 Four Continents Champion and 2008 and 2009 World Junior Champion.  His personal best is 233.04.  He is 21 years old.

Skate America Men's Free Skate

Group 1

Samuel Contesti, ITA: 68.32 TES + 66.36 PCS = 134.68  Total: 190.20

• He is wearing a red and white striped shirt with suspenders and a bandana
• Opened with a nice triple axel
• He's going for a comical French theme here today
• Nice triple flip
• Turned out of a triple lutz
• Nice position in his camel spin but it slows a little bit after the change of foot
• I'd like to see more stretch through the free leg in his sit spin but he has a nice low position
• He has a very nice relaxed expression on his face and very fluid movement through his step sequence; not a lot of difficulty here but the flow is very nice
• Triple axel+double toe was nice but a little tight on the landing
• Triple loop was a little scratchy on the landing with some ice spray
• Nice entrance into another axel with not a lot of prep
• Trouble with his three jump combination ans some turns out of his salchow before the two double toes
• Really nice sit spin with great speed in time with his music but loses speed at the end

Douglas Razzano, USA: 69.84 TES + 62.42 PCS = 132.26  Total: 192.95 and into 1st place

• Today is his birthday.  Hope he gets a good skate as a present!
• He is wearing a burgundy ombre shirt that transitions into black
• He opens with a triple axel with lots of speed and height
• Nice triple toe
• Triple axel + double toe combination was nice, but not as much height as the first one
• Triple lutz
• I like all the transition work in between his jumps and how he really uses the music
• Very nice catchfoot position in his camel spin with lots of flexibility and great speed
• Nice speed and positions through his sit spin
• Nice use of levels throughout his footwork sequence and he's really getting into his knees
• Triple toe + double toe
• Nice spread eagle right into the triple salchow
• Triple loop was well done
• I would like to see a little more in his choreographic step sequence
• Double axel + double toe +double loop was solidly landed
• Good changes in position through his combination spin

Florent Amodio, FRA: 56.86 TES + 68.28 PCS = 125.14  Total: 187.60 and into 3rd place

• He looks like Tigger attacked by the gay mafia
• I wish he committed more to these movements in the beginning and really performed them rather than just doing them
• Popped the quad salchow into a triple
• very nice triple axel
• His sit spin seems very slow especially with the build in the music
• Something seems off today--he just seems to be going through the motions rather than completely selling his program like normally does
• Very nice one foot section in his step sequence and lots of twists and turns
• Really weird entry into his triple loop, way off in the air but he sticks the landing
• Double axel and he lands with his upper body forward--he just looks like he's running out of steam, lots of pauses, and finishing behind his musical cues
• Triple toe and he has to take a pause before his second triple
• Really nice arched camel spin
• Triple axel and he's off on the landing and almost puts a hand down
• Double axel 
• Right before the choreographic step sequence you can see how he's panting
• Really slow in his combination spin and it seemed like he had just nothing left at the end

Armin Mahbanoozadeh, USA: 56.87 TES + 59.66 PCS -2.00 = 114.53 Total: 179.07 and into 4th place

• He is wearing a black top with a yellow stripe across his back
• Goes for the quad toe, didn't get fully rotated and his legs get tied up underneath him and he falls
• Recovers with a nice triple axel+double toe but not a lot of ride out 
• Popped open his lutz
• Nice triple loop
• The movements seem a little slow in his step sequence in relation to the music and there just doesn't seem to be enough power
• Not right in the air on his triple axel and he takes another fall
• Nice camel spin with a beautiful donut position
• Looks like he didn't get a good takeoff on his triple flip and has to put a hand down
• Spread eagle into a double salchow
• He also seems to just be going through the motions in his choreography instead of really committing
• Triple lutz with a hand down
• He has some really interesting variations in his camel spins that look so nice
• Priscilla is wearing a track suit with matching yellow stripes!

Denis Ten, KAZ: 64.38 TES + 67.22 PCS - 1.00  = 130.60 Total: 197.98 and into 1st place

• He is wearing a red top covered in sparkles and is getting some final words of encouragement from Frank Carroll
• Landed a quad toe to open his program
• Followed up with a nice triple axel with good ride out
• Triple flip + triple toe
• Very nice movement throughout his step sequence and he is putting a lot more attack and performance into it than the skaters before him
• Very nice low position in his sit spin with good speed
• He is using every note in the music and the program is very well choreographed
• Double axel+double toe+double toe but not a lot of speed or height on the jumps
• Spread eagle into a triple flip and he takes a little tumble on the landing
• Pops open his triple lutz
• Nice triple loop to recover
• Very nice camel position with a great arch and a very nice entry into the donut position
• Steps out of his next triple landing
• A little awkward in the change of foot from the camel into the flying sit and it costs him some of his speed

Group 2

Richard Dornbush, USA: 64.44 TES + 68.80 PCS -1.00 = 132.24 Total 202.27 and into 1st place

• He is wearing a black cowboy ourtfit for his spaghetti western free skate
• He really hangs on to that quad toe landing!  He is so low but he keeps his free leg up
• Nice triple lutz
• Two footed on his triple axel landing and he puts a hand down
• Nice choreography through his step sequence but I'd love to see him really sell it more and put a little more power into it
• Great position and speed in his camel spin with a nice transition to the sit position
• He has such nice edge quality and a great flow to his skating
• Pops open his second triple axel
• Really tough entrance to a triple jump from a crossed over lunge position
• Triple lutz +triple toe combination was really nicely done
• He is so good with his music and really makes sure to hit every nuance
• Pops open another triple
• This choreographic step sequence has a lot of potential but just looks like he doesn't have enough energy to really sell it
• A fall on his triple loop into a plank position
• Nice positions in his final combo spin

Kevin van der Perren, BEL: 74.61 TES + 67.78 PCS = 142.39 Total: 212.48 and into 1st place

• He is wearing a black costume with white and gold sparkle designs
• According to the announcers he will be retiring after Europeans
• Very nice quad toe with such a solid landing
• Steps out of the landing of his triple axel
• Nice triple jump
• Great low position in his sit spin
• This step sequence is well timed with the music but seems a little slow and is missing some of the body movement and ease of flow of some of the other skaters
• Triple salchow +triple toe+triple toe combination was very impressive!
• Double flip
• Double lutz+double toe
• I love how he's really selling this choreographic step sequence
• Nice triple loop
• Triple axel + double toe
• He could use a little more stretch through the free leg in his camel spin and he loses a lot of speed as he changes foot into the catch foot position
• Really slow on his final spin and he almost slows to a stop

Daisuke Murakami, JPN: 57.35 TES + 66.30 PCS -1.00 = 122.65  Total: 193.32 and into 4th place

• He is wearing a black costume with lots of gold detail work
• Triple lutz+double toe
• Great entrance into his triple axel with nice height and a great landing
• Fall on his quad salchow
• He's really showing off a lot of edges and turns in this step sequence with good speed
• Nice camel spin, but I wish he didn't have to drop his leg to get into the catchfoot position
• Triple axel but he doesn't add the combo on to it
• A little tight on the landing of his next triple
• Really tight on the next landing and very close to the boards
• Triple salchow was nicely done 
• He could use more stretch through the free leg in his sit spin
• Very nice triple salchow from a tough entry
• Nice choreographic step sequence

Takahiko Kozuka, JPN: 68.54 TES + 74.86 PCS  -1.00 = 141.40 Total: 212.09 and into 2nd place

• He is wearing a white and black top with a split in the back revealing a red patch
• I really think his expression and flow have improved this season; he is a really beautiful skater to watch
• Feet got caught on his quad toe and he falls
• Nice high triple axel
• Fall on his next triple
• Really beautiful camel spin with great speed
• Great timing with the music on his step sequence and it doesn't look choppy like some of the others; all the elements flow together really well
• Forward on the landing of his triple axel but he hangs on and adds a double toe
• Very nice low sit spin position with good speed
• Nice triple
• Triple loop but not a lot of height
• Triple salchow
• Not a lot of speed out of his triple+double toe
• Really expressive choreographic step sequence and he uses his arms very nicely
• Beautiful camel spin with a nice arched position

Michal Brezina, CZE: 64.50 TES + 73.42 PCS -1.00 = 136.92 Total 216.00 and into 1st place

• An interesting costume choice, red and black and white and an orange tie
• Very nice triple axel to open his program
• Triple flip + triple toe combination
• Double salchow
• Not enough stretch through his free leg in the sit spin
• Very nice step sequence with a lot of difficulty and use of his upper body plus well timed with the music but it starts to lose some of its spark in the middle
• Triple axel + double toe
• Very nice triple with a solid landing
• Pops open his loop into a single
• Falls on his triple lutz
• Pops open his double axel
• His position is a little high in his sit spin and the it's really slow through the camel position
• He could give so much more through the choreographic step sequence and it could be a real crowd pleaser

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	142.39	74.61		67.78	6.89	6.39	6.89	6.86	6.86	0.00	#7
2	Takahiko KOZUKA	JPN	141.40	68.54		74.86	7.82	7.29	7.21	7.57	7.54	2.00	#9
3	Michal BREZINA	CZE	136.92	64.50		73.42	7.46	7.21	7.18	7.54	7.32	1.00	#10
4	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	134.68	68.32		66.36	6.50	6.25	6.68	6.68	7.07	0.00	#1
5	Douglas RAZZANO	USA	132.26	69.84		62.42	6.36	5.96	6.43	6.21	6.25	0.00	#2
6	Richard DORNBUSH	USA	132.24	64.44		68.80	6.86	6.68	6.86	7.00	7.00	1.00	#6
7	Denis TEN	KAZ	130.60	64.38		67.22	6.93	6.50	6.79	6.64	6.75	1.00	#5
8	Florent AMODIO	FRA	125.14	56.86		68.28	6.89	6.43	6.75	7.00	7.07	0.00	#3
9	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	122.65	57.35		66.30	7.00	6.43	6.61	6.61	6.50	1.00	#8
10	Armin MAHBANOOZADEH	USA	114.53	56.87		59.66	6.11	5.82	5.86	6.04	6.00	2.00	#4

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Michal BREZINA	CZE	216.00	1	3
2	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	212.48	4	1
3	Takahiko KOZUKA	JPN	212.09	2	2
4	Richard DORNBUSH	USA	202.27	5	6
5	Denis TEN	KAZ	197.98	6	7
6	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	193.32	3	9
7	Douglas RAZZANO	USA	192.95	9	5
8	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	190.20	10	4
9	Florent AMODIO	FRA	187.60	8	8
10	Armin MAHBANOOZADEH	USA	179.07	7	10

Skate America Men's Short Program

1st Warmup group is on the ice!

Group 1

Douglas Razzano, USA: 30.62 TES + 30.07 PCS = 60.69

• Skating to Piano Concerto #2 by Rachmaninov
• He has on an all black costume with some beadwork around the neckline--I'm not a fan of the black gloves as it cuts off his arm line
• Triple axel was a little wobbly on the landing but he hung on to it
• Popped into a double toe--he said he wasn't going to do quads here, but it looked like a quad attempt 
• Triple toe + triple toe combination
• Very nice flexibility through the catch foot position in his camel spin
• Footwork sequence is nicely timed with the music but seems a little slow in places throughout the middle--I love the use of his arms and upper body here
• Nice entry into his sit spin with not a lot of build up, very low position
• Good speed through the camel spin with a nice stretch through his leg, good change of positions but a little loss of centering

Daisuke Murakami, JPN: 39.91 TES + 30.76 PCS = 70.67 and into 1st place

• He is skating to The Feeling Begins and is wearing a red and black top with black pants
• Quad salchow-double toe combo to open the program, a little bit of an awkward entry but landed nicely
• Really high triple axel with an easy landing
• Solid solo triple flip
• The sit spin is really slow and he could use a lot more stretch through the free leg
• A nice stretched position in his camel spin and the upright spin, but he lost a lot of speed in the end
• This step sequence needs a lot more power behind it and it's not covering much ice
• Nice flying camel spin, with a beautiful arched position and good speed

Denis Ten, KAZ: 35.11 TES + 33.27 PCS -1.00 = 67.38 and into 2nd place

• Frank Carroll coaches both Murakami and Ten
• He is skating to Elegie by Rachmaninov in a white and black blousy top and black pants
• Very nice triple axel
• Triple toe+triple toe combination--a lot more speed in the second jump than the first
• His sit spin seemed a little slow
• Fell on the triple lutz
• Really interesting camel spin with an arch into a flying change of foot
• I love his long lines and the use of his arms; he has an arabesque that dancers would kill for
• His spins are all slow but the positions are nice
• He is really feeling the music through this step sequence and the performance is really coming alive

Armin Mahbanoozadeh, USA: 33.72 TES + 30.82 PCS = 64.54 and into 3rd place

• He is wearing a black top with red and gold accents and black pants
• Triple flip + triple toe was really easy and nicely landed but not a lot of height
• Way off in the air on his triple axel but he only has to put his hand down on the landing
• I wish he would get his leg a little higher in the camel spin, but the donut position is really nice and his hand during the spin is used nicely
• He really feels music well
• Nice solo triple lutz right into a spread eagle
• Really interesting sit spin variation with both of his feet together almost in a squat position
• His step sequence hits all the music accents and builds when the music builds
• This final combination spin is hte only one that seems to be lacking speed but finishes stronger
• Loving Priscilla Hill's giant feather earrings in the Kiss and Cry but I miss her matching scarves

Richard Dornbush, USA: 35.74 TES + 34.29 PCS = 70.03 and into 2nd place

• He is wearing a white poet shirt with a burgundy vest and black pants
• Very nice use of his arms to simulate conducting the symphony in the beginning
• Triple lutz + triple toe was nicely done but looked a little tight in the air
• Nice triple axel
• Good arm positions and variations in his camel spin with an interesting leg variation with his leg pulled in tightly to his body
• Great solo triple flip right on a music crescendo
• Nice low sit spin with great speed
• He's really going for the step sequence with a lot of power and speed and is covering the ice and using every part of his body to hit every accent in the music
• Nice wrapped arm position in the sit spin of his combination spin
• Great debut for Dornbush

Group 2

Florent Amodio, FRA: 27.32 TES + 35.14 PCS = 62.46 and into 5th place

• He is skating to Summertime and Jumping Jack
• He is wearing a pink halter vest with black pants completely covered in rhinestones
• Triple flip was solid but not a lot of height or ice coverage
• Nice triple axel
• Nice arch position in the camel spin, but I wish he didn't drop his upper body to get into the donut position
• Popped open his lutz really wild and won't get credit for the jump as it was not done in a combination
• Step sequence looks a little bit frantic but he's really using his upper body and arms and is playing to the judges
• Nice low sit spin but he could use more stretch through the free leg, loses all his speed through the end of the combination

Kevin van der Perren, BEL: 37.76 TES + 32.33 PCS = 70.09 and into 2nd place

• He is skating to Quidam which I think is the perfect choice for his style and power
• He opens with a nice big triple axel
• A little forward on the landing of his triple flip + triple toe with some hesitation
• Triple loop for his solo jump
• Nice flexibility through the triangle position in his combo spin but he has no speed once he gets to the camel
• Really running out of steam here in this camel spin
• He seems a little too stiff through his step sequence and with the big build in the music I think if he let go and really went for it, it would be a real crowd pleaser
• Final spin is rotating slower than the speed of his music

Samuel Contesti, ITA: 24.27 TES + 32.25 PCS -1.00 = 55.52 and into 8th place

• He is repeating his short program from last season where he portrays a conductor
• I wish he would have a little more setup with his character in the beginning
• Fell on his triple lutz--the feet just slid out from under him
• Big step out of the triple axel
• Doubled his final jump and no combination--he'll really get a ding in his score
• No speed in his sit spin
• This is such an iconic piece of music and I wish he'd sell this step sequence a little more and really play with it
• Nice camel spin position with a good change of foot but not a lot of speed
• Needs more stretch through his free leg in the sit portion of his final combo spin and he finishes just after the music

Michal Brezina, CZE: 42.05 TES + 37.03 PCS = 79.08 and into 1st place

• He is wearing a black outfit with rhinestone dragons
• He is repeating his Japanese themed short program from last season
• Very solid triple axel with a nice landing
• Triple flip +triple toe 
• Nice triple lutz
• The jumps were all nicely done but there wasn't a lot of transition between them 
• Really high entrance to his flying sit spin
• Nice position in his camel spin but he could use more speed and he has to dip down to catch the foot in the donut position
• I like how low he gets in some of these positions in his step sequence and he really uses his arms to get into the character of the program
• Good speed on his final combination spin and it's nicely timed with the music but he loses some momentum toward the end

Takahiko Kozuka, JPN: 34.33 TES + 37.36 PCS -1.00 = 70.69 and into 2nd place

• He is wearing red pants with a black top
• His legs got tied up underneath him on the quad toe and he two footed the landing--it looked like an odd entry to the jump as well
• Triple axel was huge but close to the boards and he put his hand down
• Nice height on the flying entry to his sit spin and he has a nice low position
• This program is a nice change of pace for him and shows off his ability to perform to the crowd and be a little more playful
• A little tight on the triple lutz+triple toe combo but he gets it done
• The camel spin positions are nice and I like how smoothly he exits it, but he could use more speed
• The step sequence is nice but I think he could bring more fire to it
• Final combination spin is full of nice positions with great extension and stretched legs

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Michal BREZINA	CZE	79.08	1
2	Takahiko KOZUKA	JPN	70.69	2
3	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	70.67	3
4	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	70.09	4
5	Richard DORNBUSH	USA	70.03	5
6	Denis TEN	KAZ	67.38	6
7	Armin MAHBANOOZADEH	USA	64.54	7
8	Florent AMODIO	FRA	62.46	8
9	Douglas RAZZANO	USA	60.69	9
10	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	55.52	10

Skate America Men's Preview

The first stop on the 2011 Grand Prix series is Skate America.  While the first event can sometimes be a little rough as the skaters may not have had judge's feedback on their programs yet, this is a solid group of competitors with only 2 skaters making their Grand Prix debut.  The skaters collectively hold 1 World medal, 1 Four Continents medal, 2 World Junior medals and 4 European medals.

Reigning World silver medalist Takahiko Kozuka headlines this event.  He has a very elegant style and an ease and consistency to his jumps.  While he's a more introverted performer, his clean technique and high element scores give him an edge in the scoring.

Michal Brezina finished 4th at the last two World Championships.  Last season he was battling an injury and missed the entire Grand Prix season.  He's taking advantage of the new rule in which skaters who finish top 6 at Worlds can compete at three Grand Prix events.  He has quads and a really nice style to his skating.  When he's on, he can put up big scores, but he's a young skater and the consistency isn't always there.

Richard Dornbush is making his Grand Prix debut after a breakout season.  He won the Junior Grand Prix Final and went on to claim the silver medal at U.S. nationals and earn a trip to the World Championships.  He has such a fun personality on the ice and really gets into the characters of his programs and delivers an engaging performance.  He's been working on quads but his triple axel was inconsistent in a recent show.

Florent Amodio is the reigning European Champion and while his skating can be entertaining he can take it over the edge.  Last season at Worlds he risked a music deduction when he included music with lyrics in his free skate.  This season the costume he debuted at French Masters is a tiger print.  This boldness can make it difficult sometimes to focus on his skating, but he has added a quad to his repertoire to up his difficulty.

Other contenders include Kevin van der Perren who is a jumping machine and can put up big numbers if all his elements are clean and Armin Mahbanoozadeh who had the skate of his life to take home the bronze medal from this event last season.

Evan Lysacek recently pulled out of this event, citing financial disagreements with USFSA and was replaced by Douglas Razzano who has had strong showings at Senior B events the last two seasons but hasn't competed at an ISU event since 2008.  His personal best score should significantly improve here.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Takahiko Kozuka
Silver: Michal Brezina
Bronze: Richard Dornbush

Bios of the competitors:
Kevin van der Perren, BEL: He finished 17th at Worlds and 4th at Europeans.  He placed 8th at NHK Trophy and 6th at Skate America last season.  He is the 2007 and 2009 European bronze medalist.  His personal best is 219.36.  He is 29 years old.

Michal Brezina, CZE: He placed 4th at Worlds and 8th at Europeans.  He is the 2009 World Junior Silver Medalist.  His personal best is 236.06.  He is 21 years old.


Florent Amodio, FRA: He placed 7th at Worlds and is the reigning European Champion.  He won bronze at NHK Trophy and silver at Trophee Eric Bompard last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he finished 6th.  His personal best is 229.68.  He is 21 years old.

Samuel Contesti, ITA: He finished 18th at Worlds and 6th at Europeans.  He placed 6th at Cup of China and 4th at Cup of Russia last season.  He is the 2009 European silver medalist.  His personal best is 226.97.  He is 28 years old.

Takahiko Kozuka, JPN: He is the reigning World silver medalist and finished 4th at Four Continents.  He won Cup of China and Trophee Eric Bompard last season to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he won bronze.  He is the 2009 Four Continents bronze medalist and 2006 World Junior Champion.  His personal best is 258.41.  He is 22 years old.

Daisuke Murakami, JPN: He finished 5th at Skate America last season.  His personal best is 203.00.  He is 20 years old.

Denis Ten, KAZ: He finished 14th at the World Championships.  He placed 12th at NHK Trophy and 11th at Skate America last season.  His personal best is 211.43.  He is 18 years old.

Richard Dornbush, USA: He finished 9th at Worlds.  This is his Grand Prix debut.  He finished 4th at JGP Austria and won JGP Germany last season to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where he won gold.  His personal best is 222.42.  He is 20 years old.

Armin Mahbanoozadeh, USA: He finished 7th at Four Continents.  He won bronze at Skate America last season.  His personal best is 211.17.  He is 20 years old.

Douglas Razzano, USA: This is his Grand Prix debut.  His personal best is 174.71.  He is 22 years old.

Ondrej Nepela Memorial Men's Free Skate Results

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Deduction -	StN.
1	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	146.27	73.23		73.04	7.13	6.67	7.38	7.63	7.71	0.00	#15
2	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	146.20	75.28		70.92	7.33	6.42	7.38	7.25	7.08	0.00	#18
3	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	140.18	67.00		73.18	7.54	7.17	7.33	7.38	7.17	0.00	#20
4	Kento NAKAMURA	JPN	129.48	68.20		61.28	6.46	5.71	6.17	6.17	6.13	0.00	#10
5	Jonathan CASSAR	USA	125.82	55.98		69.84	7.00	6.63	7.08	6.96	7.25	0.00	#17
6	Abzal RAKIMGALIYEV	KAZ	119.82	61.48		58.34	5.79	5.50	5.88	6.00	6.00	0.00	#11
7	Grant HOCHSTEIN	USA	119.81	54.89		65.92	6.79	6.42	6.54	6.71	6.50	1.00	#19
8	Ghafik BESSEGHIER	FRA	108.85	55.51		53.34	5.67	5.08	5.38	5.29	5.25	0.00	#8
9	Kim LUCINE	MON	105.61	47.79		57.82	5.46	5.33	6.00	6.04	6.08	0.00	#13
10	Maciej CIEPLUCHA	POL	104.32	53.06		53.26	5.46	5.00	5.42	5.50	5.25	2.00	#14
11	Dmytro IGNATENKO	UKR	100.77	52.25		48.52	4.92	4.71	4.92	5.00	4.71	0.00	#9
12	Artem GRIGORIEV	RUS	97.73	43.55		55.18	5.88	5.33	5.46	5.75	5.17	1.00	#12
13	Paul PARKINSON	ITA	96.39	40.21		57.18	5.92	5.46	5.71	5.79	5.71	1.00	#16
14	Justus STRID	DEN	90.85	41.25		51.60	5.08	4.63	5.17	5.42	5.50	2.00	#6
15	David RICHARDSON	GBR	83.18	38.86		46.32	4.54	4.58	4.54	4.79	4.71	2.00	#4
16	Patrick MYZYK	POL	83.08	36.32		46.76	5.04	3.96	4.83	4.88	4.67	0.00	#3
17	Miroslav DVORAK	CZE	78.80	36.44		44.36	4.63	4.13	4.46	4.54	4.42	2.00	#5
18	Saulius AMBRULEVICIUS	LTU	75.12	30.78		45.34	4.79	4.29	4.50	4.67	4.42	1.00	#7
19	Zheng Feng CHAN	MAS	67.30	32.06		36.24	4.04	3.54	3.54	3.54	3.46	1.00	#1
20	Jakub STROBL	SVK	66.96	29.62		37.34	4.08	3.71	3.67	3.75	3.46	0.00	#2

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	213.37	1	3
2	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	211.08	3	2
3	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	204.72	6	1
4	Jonathan CASSAR	USA	189.68	4	5
5	Grant HOCHSTEIN	USA	189.58	2	7
6	Kento NAKAMURA	JPN	180.76	11	4
7	Abzal RAKIMGALIYEV	KAZ	171.80	9	6
8	Kim LUCINE	MON	159.20	7	9
9	Paul PARKINSON	ITA	156.37	5	13
10	Maciej CIEPLUCHA	POL	155.62	10	10
11	Ghafik BESSEGHIER	FRA	152.98	14	8
12	Artem GRIGORIEV	RUS	150.12	8	12
13	Dmytro IGNATENKO	UKR	147.25	13	11
14	Justus STRID	DEN	138.92	12	14
15	Patrick MYZYK	POL	125.28	17	16
16	David RICHARDSON	GBR	123.43	18	15
17	Saulius AMBRULEVICIUS	LTU	118.24	15	18
18	Miroslav DVORAK	CZE	109.95	20	17
19	Jakub STROBL	SVK	109.29	16	20
20	Zheng Feng CHAN	MAS	102.61	19	19
WD	Lawrence EVANS	GBR
WD	Marton MARKO	HUN

Ondrej Nepela Memorial Men's Short Program Results

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Deduction -	StN.
1	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	73.19	38.85		34.34	7.29	6.67	6.75	7.00	6.63	0.00	#15
2	Grant HOCHSTEIN	USA	69.77	36.32		33.45	6.71	6.33	6.79	6.83	6.79	0.00	#11
3	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	64.88	34.04		30.84	6.42	5.83	6.21	6.21	6.17	0.00	#8
4	Jonathan CASSAR	USA	63.86	29.98		33.88	6.83	6.38	7.00	6.71	6.96	0.00	#5
5	Paul PARKINSON	ITA	59.98	28.87		31.11	6.33	5.79	6.33	6.33	6.33	0.00	#6
6	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	58.45	26.32		33.13	6.71	6.08	6.50	6.88	6.96	1.00	#4
7	Kim LUCINE	MON	53.59	27.67		25.92	5.25	4.92	5.17	5.29	5.29	0.00	#16
8	Artem GRIGORIEV	RUS	52.39	24.85		28.54	6.08	5.71	5.54	5.63	5.58	1.00	#7
9	Abzal RAKIMGALIYEV	KAZ	51.98	25.80		27.18	5.46	5.04	5.42	5.63	5.63	1.00	#21
10	Maciej CIEPLUCHA	POL	51.30	23.05		28.25	5.67	5.33	5.79	5.71	5.75	0.00	#3
11	Kento NAKAMURA	JPN	51.28	27.40		25.88	5.25	5.00	4.92	5.50	5.21	2.00	#2
12	Justus STRID	DEN	48.07	21.90		27.17	5.38	4.92	5.54	5.58	5.75	1.00	#10
13	Dmytro IGNATENKO	UKR	46.48	22.15		24.33	5.00	4.71	4.83	5.00	4.79	0.00	#17
14	Ghafik BESSEGHIER	FRA	44.13	18.30		25.83	5.42	5.08	5.00	5.25	5.08	0.00	#14
15	Saulius AMBRULEVICIUS	LIT	43.12	18.45		24.67	5.17	4.63	5.00	5.04	4.83	0.00	#18
16	Jakub STROBL	SVK	42.33	19.25		23.08	4.92	4.54	4.58	4.58	4.46	0.00	#12
17	Patrick MYZYK	POL	42.20	20.11		22.09	4.96	4.25	4.42	4.38	4.08	0.00	#1
18	David RICHARDSON	GBR	40.25	16.63		24.62	5.04	4.75	4.83	5.08	4.92	1.00	#20
19	Zheng Feng CHAN	MAS	35.31	15.44		19.87	4.29	3.79	3.96	4.08	3.75	0.00	#19
20	Miroslav DVORAK	CZE	31.15	12.60		20.55	4.42	3.92	4.04	4.21	3.96	2.00	#22

European Championships: Mens Free Skate

1. Florent Amodio, FRA: Total: 226.86
2. Brian Joubert, FRA: Total: 223.01
3. Tomas Verner, CZE: Total: 222.60
4. Kevin van der Perren, BEL: Total: 216.59
5. Artur Gachinski, RUS: Total: 216.07
6. Samuel Contesti, ITA: Total: 204.88
7. Konstantin Menshov, RUS: 78.88 TES + 64.92 PCS = 143.80 Total: 202.62
8. Michal Brezina, CZE: Total: 201.39
9. Javier Fernandez, ESP: Total: 199.65
10. Alban Preaubert, FRA: Total: 196.15
11. Peter Liebers, GER: Total: 189.00
12. Paolo Bacchini, ITA: Total: 178.34
13. Adrian Schultheiss, SWE: Total: 178.19
14. Kristoffer Berntsson, SWE: Total: 172.58
15. Anton Kovalevski, UKR: 59.58 TES + 56.28 PCS = 115.86 Total: 169.33
16. Jorik Hendrickx, BEL: 54.61 TES + 55.64 PCS - 1.00 = 109.25 Total: 168.39
17. Kim Lucine, MON: 60.85 TES + 54.56 PCS = 115.41 Total: 167.97
18. Viktor Pfeifer, AUT: 54.57 TES + 55.56 PCS -1.00 = 109.13 Total: 164.83
19. Javier Raya, ESP: 59.14 TES + 53.56 PCS = 112.70 Total: 164.68
20. Denis Wieczorek, GER: 61.84 TES + 51.14 PCS = 112.98 Total: 163.60
21. Zoltan Kelemen, ROU: 60.40 TES + 49.72 PCS = 110.12 Total: 160.50
22. Laurent Alvarez, SUI: 48.49 TES + 53.92 PCS = 102.81 Total: 159.45
23. Maxim Shipov, ISR: 55.37 TES + 48.97 PCS = 104.29 Total: 158.28
24. Stephane Walker, SUI: 42.06 TES + 46.84 PCS - 1.00 = 87.90 Total: 137.64

European Championships: Mens Short Program

Top 24 qualify for free skate:

1. Florent Amodio, FRA: 40.75 TES + 37.36 PCS = 78.11
2. Michal Brezina, CZE: 39.64 TES + 36.49 PCS = 76.13
3. Artur Gachinski, RUS: 39.00 TES + 34.76 PCS = 73.76
4. Kevin van der Perren, BEL: 39.65 TES + 33.96 PCS = 73.61
5. Tomas Verner, CZE: 36.38 TES + 37.53 PCS -1.00 = 72.91
6. Samuel Contesti, ITA: 36.57 TES + 36.21 PCS = 72.78
7. Brian Joubert, FRA: 34.90 TES + 36.54 PCS - 1.00 = 70.44
8. Kristoffer Berntsson, SWE: 33.05 TES + 33.57 PCS = 66.62
9. Peter Liebers, GER: 35.31 TES + 29.22 PCS = 64.53
10. Alban Preaubert, FRA: 32.33 TES + 32.44 PCS -1.00 = 63.77
11. Javier Fernandez, ESP: 32.00 TES + 31.48 PCS -3.00 = 60.48
12. Paolo Bacchini, ITA: 30.92 TES + 29.47 PCS -1.00 = 59.39
13. Jorik Hendrickx, BEL: 31.77 TES + 27.37 PCS = 59.14
14. Konstantin Menshov, RUS: 29.15 TES + 29.67 PCS = 58.82
15. Adrian Schulteiss, SWE: 28.07 TES + 31.29 PCS -1.00 = 58.36
16. Laurent Alvarez, SUI: 31.89 TES + 24.75 PCS = 56.64
17. Viktor Pfeifer, AUT: 29.10 TES + 26.60 PCS = 55.70
18. Maxim Shipov, ISR: 32.42 TES + 21.57 PCS = 53.99
19. Anton Kovalevski, UKR: 23.65 TES + 29.82 PCS = 53.47
20. Kim Lucine, MON: 27.49 TES + 25.07 PCS = 52.56
21. Javier Raya, ESP: 26.12 TES + 26.86 PCS -1.00 = 51.98
22. Denis Wieczorek, GER: 26.37 TES + 24.25 PCS = 50.62
23. Zoltan Kelemen, ROU: 27.63 TES + 22.75 PCS = 50.38
24. Stephane Walker, SUI: 24.35 TES + 25.39 PCS = 49.74
25. Maciej Cieplucha, POL: 24.83 TES + 24.50 PCS = 49.33
26. Moris Pfeifhofer, SUI: 22.75 TES + 25.18 PCS -1.00 = 46.93
27. Ali Demirboga, TUR: 22.12 TES + 19.97 PCS = 42.09
28. Justus Strid, DEN: 19.63 TES + 22.21 PCS = 41.84  

Europeans: Mens Preview

Florent Amodio and Tomas Verner are the only two competitors from the Grand Prix Final at Europeans.  Both have short program, free skate and total scores in the top 10 for the season thus far.  Both have tons of personality on the ice.  I adore Verner's short program to Singing in the Rain and while I'm not crazy about his free skate I prefer it to the mess that is Amodio's free skate.  Verner has had higher scores all season than Amodio and beat him at the Grand Prix Final, so I give Verner the edge here.  Verner has been talking about putting the quads back in his program and if he can land them consistently, this could give him an even bigger edge.

Brian Joubert is the only returning medalist from last season.  He had a disastrous Grand Prix season and is looking to redeem himself here.  He beat out Amodio at nationals but has yet to do so in international competition this season.  His short program score does fall in the top 10 for the season so if he can go clean in both programs he could reclaim his European title.  After he withdrew from Trophee Eric Bompard where Amodio won silver, many began to write him off as the top skater in France.  He'll be looking to quiet the naysayers with a good placement here.

Javier Fernandez is the only other European man to appear on the list of top 10 scores and he does so with his free skate.  He finished 8th at last year's Europeans and is looking to move up.  He has been struggling with injury and recently lost his national title, but if he's healthy and can put together a short program to match his free skate he could be in medal contention.

Kevin van der Perren is also in the mix with huge, fairly consistent junps but he generally has low program components. Michal Breznia sat out the Grand Prix season due to injury.  He finished 4th last season, but it seems his injury is still plaguing him as he struggled to keep up with Verner's scores at Czech nationals.  Samuel Contesti finished 5th beyond Breznia last year and has had an up and down Grand Prix but improved in his last outing.  Alban Preaubert and Peter Liebers had respectable Grand Prixs and should finish in the top 10 here.  Artur Gachinski is the reigning World Junior Bronze medalist.  He had decent Grand Prix results while setting personal best scores and is right in the medal hunt and is definitely an up and coming skater to watch out for. 

My podium predictions:
Gold: Verner
Silver: Joubert
Bronze: Amodio

My USFSA Fantasy Team:
A) Verner
B) Gachinski
C) Lucine

The skaters:

Viktor Pfeifer, AUT (D):  He placed 21st at the Olympics, 20th at Worlds and 17th at Europeans.  He received personal best scores in the free skate at the Olympics and in the short program and total score at Europeans. He finished 12th at Skate America.

Mikhail Karaliuk, BLR: He finished 35th at the World Junior Championships. 

Jorick Hendrickx, BEL: He finished 15th at the World Junior Championships and 20th at Europeans.  He finished 7th and 6th at his two JGP assignments this season.

Kevin van der Perren, BEL (D): He placed 17th at the Olympics, 8th at Worlds and 11th at Europeans.  He is the two-time European bronze medalist (2007, 2009).  He finished 8th at Cup of China and 6th at Skate America.  He is married to Jenna McCorkell who competes for Great Britain.

Damjan Ostojic, BIH: He finished 33rd at the World Championships and 28th at Europeans.

Georgi Kenchadze, BUL: He finished 40th at Worlds and 36th at Europeans.

Michal Brezina, CZE (D): He finished 10th at the Olympics, 4th at Worlds with personal best scores across the board, and 4th at Europeans.  He is the 2009 World Junior Silver Medalist.  He sat out the Grand Prix season due to injury.

Tomas Verner, CZE (D): Verner placed 10th at Europeans and finished 19th at the Olympics.  He was the silver medalist at Europeans in 2007 and won the title in 2008.  Verner won bronze at Cup of China and gold at Rostelecom Cup with a personal best free skate to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he placed 5th.

Justus Strid, DEN: He is the 4 time national champion.

Viktor Romanenkov, EST: He finished 36th at the World Championships, 29th at Europeans, and 26th at the World Junior Championships.  He finished 8th and 11th at his two JGP assignments this season.

Valtter Virtanen, FIN: He is the reigning national silver medalist.

Florent Amodio, FRA (D): Amodio finished 12th at the Olympics with a personal best short program and 15th at Worlds.  He won bronze at NHK Trophy with personal best free skate and total scores and silver at Trophee Eric Bompard with personal best scores across the board to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where he placed 6th.

Brian Joubert, FRA (D): Joubert won bronze at Europeans, placed 16th at the Olympics and won a bronze medal at Worlds.  He is the 2004, 2007 and 2009 European champion and has medaled at Europeans every year since 2004.  He has won one gold medal at Worlds, two silvers and two bronzes.  He finished at 4th at Cup of China and withdrew from Trophee Eric Bompard.

Alban Preaubert, FRA (D): Preaubert finished 7th at Europeans with a personal best short program score.  He finished 6th at Skate Canada and 5th at Cup of Russia.

Peter Liebers, GER (D): Liebers finished 25th at last seasons World Championships.  He finished 9th at Cup of China and 7th at Trophee Eric Bompard.

Denis Wieczorek, GER: He finished 5th and 15th at his two JGP assignments this season.

David Richardson, GBR: He is the reigning national champion.

Tigran Vardanjan, HUN: He finished 41st at the World Championships. 

Maxim Shipov, ISR: He finished 43rd at Worlds and 25th at Europeans with a personal best short program. 

Paolo Bacchini, ITA (D): He finished 20th at the Olympics with a personal best short program and 16th at Europeans with a personal best free skate and total score.  He placed 12th at Skate Canada.

Samuel Contesti, ITA (D): Contesti placed 7th at Worlds with personal best scores in the Short and Free programs.  He also placed 18th at the Olympics and 5th at Europeans.  He won a silver at Europeans in 2009.  He finished 6th at Cup of China and 4th at Cup of Russia. 

Saulius Ambrulevicius, LTU: He finished 38th at the World Championships with a personal best short program, 34th at Europeans and 32nd at World Juniors.  He finished 13th and 16th at his two JGP assignments this season.

Kim Lucine, MON:  He finished 11th at the 2008 World Junior Championships.

Boyito Mulder, NED: He finished 32nd at Europeans and 45th at the World Junior Championships.

Maciej Cieplucha, POL: He finished 35th at Worlds and 21st at Europeans.

Zoltan Kelemen, ROU: Kelemen finished 29th at the Olympics, 32nd at Worlds and 19th at Europeans with personal best scores across the board.  He finished 9th at Trophee Eric Bompard with personal best free skates and total scores.

Artur Gachinski, RUS (D): Gachinski is the reigning World Junior Bronze Medalist.  He finished 7th at Skate Canada with personal best scores across the board and 6th at Cup of Russia with a personal best short program.

Konstantin Menshov, RUS (D): Menshov finished 10th at Cup of China with personal best scores across the board.

Jakub Strobl, SVK: He finished 31st at the World Junior Championships.

Javier Fernandez, ESP (D): Fernandez finished 14th at the Olympics, 12th at Worlds with personal best short and total scores, and 8th at Europeans.  He finished 5th at Skate Canada with a personal best free skate score and 9th at Cup of Russia.

Javier Raya, ESP: He finished 12th at Junior Worlds with personal best short program and total scores. 

Kristoffer Bertsson, SWE (D): He finished 15th at Europeans with a personal best short program.  He finished 11th at Skate Canada.

Adrian Schultheiss, SWE (D): He placed 15th at the Olympics and 9th at the World Championships with all personal best scores.  He finished 12th at Europeans.  He finished 6th and 7th at his two Grand Prix assignments last season.  He finished 10th at the NHK Trophy and 7th at Skate America.

Laurent Alvarez, SUI (D): He is the reigning national silver medalist.

Moris Pfeifhofer, SUI: He finished 12th at the 2008 Junior Worlds.

Stephane Walker, SUI: He finished 30th at the World Junior Championships.

Ali Demirboga, TUR: He finished 45th at Worlds with a personal best short program. 

Anton Kovalevski, UKR (D): Kovalevski finished 24th at the Olympics, 16th at Worlds with a personal best short program score, and 13th at Europeans with personal best free skate and total scores.  He finished 12th at Rostelecom Cup and 8th at Trophee Eric Bompard.