Patrick Chan
The two-time world silver medalist accomplished a major first at Liberty - first quad landed in competition.
In the debut of his new short program to "Take Five," Chan opened with an effortless quad toe.
He intended to add the element last season, but a series of injuries and illnesses prevented him from competing the quad in the Olympic season.
Now, with the jump planned in both programs, Chan could be difficult to beat. His ability to weave through a charismatic short program and re-choreographed free skate make a complex scoring system seem simple. Throw in a quad and Chan is in a class with few others.
Ashley Wagner
Wagner debuted a new short program set to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." The 2010 U.S. bronze medalist completed a triple flip - double toe combination, but was most excited about landing her triple Lutz.
In past seasons, Wagner was victim to deductions for an incorrect entry-edge. She spent the "off-season" re-learning the Lutz in order to correct her take-off edge.
It appears the hard work paid off, as she did not receive the deduction at Liberty.
With improved technique on the Lutz and a planned triple-triple in the short program, Wagner joins a strong field of U.S. ladies set to compete in the Grand Prix series this fall.
Watch Ashley's video blog about the competition here.
The 2010 U.S. junior champ proved she's more than ready to make the jump to senior. The 15-year-old showed maturity in both programs to compliment impressive triple jumps and improved spins.
Zawadzki makes her senior Grand Prix debut at Skate Canada and might surprise there. Her speed across the ice and triple-triple in the short program could put her in contention for a medal.
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