2017 ISU Grand Prix Round 3: Cup of China Preview & Predictions

Stop #3 on this season's GP circuit is Cup of China! Here are my podium picks:

DANCE

GOLD:  Papdakis/Cizeron (FRA)

SILVER: Bobrova/Soloviev (RUS)

BRONZE: Chock/Bates (USA)

DARK HORSE: Zahorski/Guerreiro (RUS)

WILD CARD: McNamara/Carpenter (USA)

I’m most eager to see the debut of C/B’s Free Dance, which was just revealed in this IceNetwork article to be a customized version of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Oh and by the way, there’s a pretty passionate rivalry continuing between this team, Rostelecom Cup Champs The Shibutanis, and Skate Canada bronze medalists Hubbell/Donohue.

LADIES

GOLD:  Alina Zagitova (RUS)

SILVER: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS)

BRONZE: Mai Mihara (JPN)

DARK HORSE: Gabby Daleman (CAN), Wakaba Higuchi (JPN)

WILD CARD: Marin Honda (JPN), Elena Radionova (RUS)

Zagitova is only 15, so it’s possible she is too young to compete in PyeongChang. But she had off-the-charts success in the junior ranks, and if her skate at Japan Open a month ago is any indication, she’s about to blaze a trail in seniors too. (And if that proves true, get ready for the “one of the best skaters in the world can’t compete at the Olympics?! Outrageous!” conversations that crops up every so often.)

NOTE: I have Daleman—current World Bronze Medalist—as a DH because I’m not fully convinced she can “put it all together” well enough yet… especially early in the season. The same could be said of Tuktamysheva or Mihara, though. So stay tuned.

MEN

GOLD: Jin Boyang (CHN)

SILVER: Javier Fernandez (ESP)

BRONZE: Vincent Zhou (USA)

DARK HORSE: Mikhail Kolyada (RUS)

WILD CARD: Kevin Reynolds (CAN), Yan Han (CHN)

Fernandez, I’ve heard, gets a late start on his training compared to others because he’s on holiday late in the summer (as are many in Europe). This Olympic season might be different, but I still expect Jin to come out on top at his “home” competition. And of the three U.S. men in attendance, Zhou is by far the one with the best shot at the podium.

PAIRS

GOLD: Sui/Han (CHN)

SILVER: Yu/Zhang (CHN)

BRONZE: Marchei/Hotarek (ITA)

DARK HORSE: Della Monica/Guarise (ITA)

WILD CARD: Moore-Towers/Marinaro (CAN)

Somehow there are NO Russian pairs at Cup of China this year. Does this mean the U.S. representatives (Cain/LeDuc) stand a chance, for once? Um… no. But the Italian representatives might. (Behind the Chinese teams, of course… let’s not get ridiculous.)

While I won’t be watching a whole lot of Cup of China (#CoC17) “LIVE”—if it works where YOU live, more power to you—I’ll be keeping up with it all weekend as best I can… Look for me on Twitter @KLBSt8ofSk8!