2013 Skate Canada Previews & Predictions

I hope you’re ready for Skate Canada 2013, because Skate Canada 2013 is certainly ready for you!  Here’s a link to the Skating Magazine Viewers’ Guide  ... and keep in mind that, unlike SkAM, all SkCAN events will wrap up by Saturday night. Consequently, NBC’s coverage from 4-6 PM (Eastern) on Sunday will be of the tape-delayed variety.

My predictions were 9-for-12 last week; let’s see if I have any chance of keeping that up THIS week...

LADIES:

Gold- Akiko Suzuki, JPN

Silver- Julia Lipnitskaia, RUS

Bronze- Gracie Gold, USA

Dark Horses: Kaetlyn Osmond, CAN/Courtney Hicks, USA

Notes: My thinking is like this: Suzuki’s “got it all,” while Gumbyskaia and Gold have the jumps and are working on the rest (with Advantage Gumby because Gold’s recent coaching change to Frank Carroll makes her a little bit of a wild card). Osmond was the surprise winner at this event last year, but a reported foot injury keeps me from putting her in the mix with confidence.

MEN:

Gold- Patrick Chan, CAN

Silver- Yuzuru Hanyu, JPN

Bronze- Nobunari Oda, JPN

Dark Horse: Jeremy Abbott, USA

Notes: Chan was second here last year, so we know it’s at least possible in this day and age for him NOT to win on home ice. Still, I suspect the odds are in his favor. Oda’s Nebelhorn victory last month was decisive enough to make me think he can get on the podium if he nails at least one quad... though I’d still prefer it if the guy nailing the quad (and medaling) was skating to Exogenesis.

PAIRS:

Gold-Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford, CAN

Silver-Stefania Berton/Ondrej Hotarek, ITA

Bronze-Paige Lawrence/Rudi Swiegers, CAN

Dark Horse: Sui Wenjing/Han Cong, CHN

Notes: It’s Duhamel & Radford’s to lose. Berton/Hotarek might have a hiccup or two, since Hotarek’s skates went AWOL en route to St. John’s and they weren’t able to practice as much as planned today (word is that Ross Miner let Hotarek borrow his spare skates for the AM practice, but they did not attempt the PM one). I’m rooting for Lawrence/Swiegers as I always am... though something(s) invariably seems to go wrong for them... and I’m keeping my eye on Sui/Han since the one time we saw them compete last year—at Worlds—Sui nearly crumbled to the ice in pain by the end of their free skate. Bring the tricks, yes they can. I’m just concerned they bring them too much for their own good at times.

DANCE:

Gold-Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, CAN

Silver- Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje, CAN

Bronze- Ekaterina Riazanova/Ilia Tkachenko, RUS

Dark Horse: Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue, USA

Notes: Again, gold and silver are not much of a question in this event. Riaz/Tka (ooh, that’s not much of an abbreviation is it?) took bronze here last year, so going with them again admittedly isn’t much of a stretch. But I’d happily be wrong if Madi and Zach can grab the medal they were just barely denied a mere week ago at SkAM.