One of the biggest questions going into the Olympics for the pairs event will be how ready defending Olympic champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han will be in Milano to go for a second Olympic title (and third Olympic medal). In the fall season, they were good but not there yet to really challenge the top pair teams in the world. This week will be the real test for them, and we will have a lot of questions answered very soon.
Four Continents predictions
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GOLD Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi JPN - I’m calling the big upset here—they were so good at Japan Nationals and if they have, indeed, figured out their jumps and throws, their quality is really right up there with the best in the world. And it’s more than just the Four Continents title here, if they are able to deliver great skating here, they could use this as momentum for them heading into Milano as dark horses for the podium.
SILVER Wenjing Sui/Cong Han CHN - Speaking of dark horses for the podium, we don’t know exactly what category the reigning Olympic champions are in. Their first competition at Cup of China was a struggle but they seemed to have made a big stride within two weeks when they went to NHK Trophy. We expected more at Chinese Nationals a month later, but even for a pair as experienced and decorated as they are, it takes real time and training to rebuild conditioning for a free skate. If there’s a struggle this week, it will be in the free skate, so the condition of that program will tell a lot about their chances in Milano.
BRONZE Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov USA - Of the 11 pairs here, the US champions are the ones with the highest season best score coming in, and so a title here is very much within reach. It will absolutely be those side-by-side jumps that will tell the tale for them. With no Olympic berth because Efimova did not get her citizenship in time, this is their mini-Olympics, particularly against the reigning Olympic champions, and this sets them up for their Worlds appearance in March.
4. Audrey Shin/Balazs Nagy USA - They were agonizingly close to getting the second US pairs spot in Milan just two weeks ago at US Nationals, but their closing lift error sealed the deal and they lost to eventual Olympians Emily Chan/Spencer Howe by less than two points. This week is about redemption for them, both from US Nationals and from last year’s Four Continents, where they came in under the weather and finished 11th.
5. Jiaxuan Zhang/Yihang Huang CHN - The pair that qualified China’s sole pair spot at the Olympics, Zhang/Huang had to settle for the consolation prize of going to Four Continents with Sui/Han taking the Olympic spot. There’s still a chance that they will get the spot at Worlds should Sui/Han decide to skip Worlds, so their season may not be over yet.
6. Katie McBeath/Daniil Parkman USA - The US bronze medalists have had a generally very good season internationally, scoring in or near the 180s in four of their five events. They have improved over the past few seasons and will be using this as another step toward their place at the World Championships in March.
7. Kelly Ann Laurin/Loucas Ethier CAN - Bronze at Canadians a few weeks ago, Laurin/Ethier have now skated two of their best free skates ever in their last two competitions. They were ninth here last year.
8. Ava Kemp/Yohnatan Elizarov CAN - The Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalists make their senior ISU Championships debut here at Four Continents and is very much looked at as one of the future stars for Canadian pairs.
9. Anastasia Golubeva/Hektor Giotopoulos Moore AUS - We have yet to see them in a full competition this season. After having to deal with citizenship requirements in the fall that prevented them from traveling outside of Australia, they are finally back and competing, just in time for Golubeva to get her citizenship and for them to compete at their first Olympics.
10. Isabella Gamez/Aleksandr Korovin PHI - Tenth here last year, Gamez/Korovin are looking at this event both to have a good skate at an ISU Championships and to get their technical minimums for Worlds.