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First GP of the season, Skate America has kept all its promises! Between surprises and confirmations, we take stock of this weekend before heading to Skate Canada.
Trusova and Hubbell / Donohue all in control
It is almost a surprise to see the Russian Alexandra Trusova win with “only” a quadruple jump. We had seen it with a five quadruple free program at the start of the season, she preferred safety with this light technical content but which allows her not to make any major mistakes. A profitable choice, because that did not prevent him from winning widely, while leaving more room for choreography in his programs. She is ahead of her compatriot Daria Usacheva, who owes her place to her good short program. Indeed, less than two points separate it from the 4e square. Korean Young You completed the podium after a superb free skate punctuated by a triple axel.
Nathan Chen dethroned
This is undoubtedly the feeling of this first Grand Prix. Nathan Chen, undefeated since the 2018 Olympics, fails in third place, behind the other American Vincent Zhou and the Japanese Olympic vice-champion Shoma Uno. Many technical errors are to blame, first in the short program (4e at the end of the latter), then in the free program. These mistakes are very unusual for Chen, however, but show that, despite his impressive consistency, he is not infallible. Zhou meanwhile confirmed his good start to the season with two successful programs. Uno returns to the game after two complicated seasons and shows that he will have to be counted on in major competitions. Disappointment for our two committed French: Kévin Aymoz, after three falls in his short program, forfeited the free. He is not yet fully recovered from his injury this summer. Adam Siao Him Fa also had a complicated short, he took the 9e final place.
To finish, among the couples, few surprises: Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov impose themselves with margin. Small disappointment on the other hand for Boikova / Kozlovskii, who only finished 3e because of a free program punctuated by two falls. It is the Japanese Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara who are inserted between the two Russian couples, thanks to two superb programs. This is a real achievement for Japan, which is used to shining in the individual categories but which presents here a real potential candidate couple for a Grand Prix final.
Skate Canada: second chance for Chen, return of Sui / Han
Nathan Chen has a chance to catch up this weekend at Skate Canada in Vancouver. Unless he again makes big mistakes in these two programs, victory seems promised to him. Among the ladies, it is a new field of the most raised which will face each other. Russians Kostornaia, Tuktamysheva and Valieva could well pull off the hat-trick. Attention all the same to the young American Alysa Liu, very visible at the start of the season, or to the Japanese Wakaba Higuchi.
All eyes will be on the couples to Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, for their first GP. This is the first step for them towards their ultimate goal: Olympic gold at home. We will also be watching the first GP of the newly formed James / Radford couple. Finally, in dance, the Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier present themselves as favorites. At home, they will be keen to shine in front of their home crowd.
Find all the participants and the program here.
The Grand Prix season is on, and it’s gone to last six weeks for our greatest happiness.
Photo credit one: International Skating Union (ISU)
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