Grand Prix Series - Thoughts at half-way house.

There's been a fair bit of change in the skating world since the delayed world championships in Moscow earlier this year. The new skating season has started with the absense of last years world medallists Pang & Tong, Miki Ando and Yu-Na Kim. Add to that the fact that almost every North American ice dancer or pairs skater seems to be skating with a new partner, and the new season is wide open.

Now 3 events into the Grand Prix series, here's what we've learned.

Russia want to rule in Sotchi
Despite the upset of no Russian ice dancers on the podium at worlds for the first time in God knows how long. Russia looks as strong as ever with contenders in every discipline and plenty of new talent on the way. We've seen the much heralded debut of Tuktamisheva and Sotnikova on the senior stage (sadly they're still too young for worlds this year) Volosozhar & Trankov decimated the field at Skate Canada and a revitalised Kavaguti & Smirnov delivered one of the most beautiful and polished performances of the season so far last week at Cup of China. Russia have the coaching expertise and the financial support to nourish their athletes on the road to a home olympics. The goal: Bring back good old Soviet Dominance!

USA ladies: Contenders again at last? 
It's been 4 years now since the US ladies have managed to secure 3 spots to worlds and 5 since Kimmie Meissner won their last worlds medal. So far 3 different american ladies have medalled on this years series, Alissa Czisny (Gold, SA) Ashley Wagner (Bronze, SC) and Mirai Nagasu (Silver, CoC). Of these, Czisny has the most realistic shot of making the grand prix final, but hopefully all these ladies will perform up to standard at Nationals and the 2 who make it to the Worlds in Nice will secure that much wanted 3rd spot and, without Ando & Kim, challenge for a spot on the medal stand again.

My personal hope is that Mirai can learn to love her Spartacus long programme and really challenge as the season goes on, she has such a painful history of falling short at the big events (not discounting her Olympic success!)


Still on top of the World. 
In the great partner switcheroo, thankfully some things have remained constant, the undisputed dominance of Virtue & Moir and Davis & White. These skaters have raised the standard of ice dance in current times. My hope is for an injury-free path and many more showdowns on the road to 2014.

GB is rebuilding
I had all but given up hope for any success for Great Britain on the international scene this year with the Kerr siblings retirement and Jenna McCorkell's disaster at worlds failing to qualify her for this year's grand prix. Why can the country that produced Torville & Dean and Robin Cousins not produce any contenders? Then Penny Coombes & Nick Buckland finished just 0.58 outside the medals at Cup of China hope springs eternal! They don't have a second event scheduled but it's a great marker for the future.

Raising the standard? 
The series itself has changed somewhat with the opportunity for skaters to compete in 3 events, rather than the usual 2, and for the first time (that I know of) the ISU has set a minimum score cutoff that skaters must earn prior to competing in a Grand Prix event. The scores are calculated as 2/3 the top scores at the 2011 Worlds. Men- 168.60, Ladies- 117.48, Pairs-  130.71, Dance- 111.15. The fields have generally been smaller this year than previous years (10 in Ladies and Men), (8 in Pairs and Dance). The general standard does seem to have risen a bit too, less of the usual splat fest.


Still to come....
Expected contenders we have yet to see include Mao Asada (who has been very much under the radar aside from her own ice shows back in Japan this summer), Brian Joubert (Who missed his first event due to illness), Brandon Mroz (He of the quad Lutz), Thomas Verner, Kiira Korpi, Agnes Zawadski & World Jr medallists Stolbova & Klimpov. It 'aint over til it's over.

Results so far- Skate America, Skate Canada, Cup of China
GP Standings -  Mens, Ladies, Pairs, Ice Dance
Coming up - NHK Trophy in Sapporo, Japan