http://www.universalsports.com/news-blo ... 39253.htmlhttp://www.universalsports.com/news-blo ... 39254.htmlWhat to watch for: 2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure SkatingThe 2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating assignments were announced Monday. Read UniversalSports.com's immediate reactions to the lineups. What has us excited about the upcoming Grand Prix Season? We break it down event by event.
Skate America - men's fieldWe got this one completely wrong. When an insider Tweeted there was a surprise in store for the Grand Prix, we guessed Yevgeny Plushenko would be back on the list, not 2010 Olympic champion Evan Lysacek.
We have been told Lysacek is in the "early stages" of training, so we will have to wait and see if he will in fact compete in the fall Grand Prix. If he does compete, Skate America will mark Lysacek's first competition since winning the Olympic gold medal in February 2010 - about 20 months. The time away does not concern us, however. Lysacek is known for his consistency and will likely compete only if he is ready to win.
Lysacek would take on the best of the "next generation" at Skate America - reigning world silver medalist Takahiko Kozuka (JPN), Michal Brezina (CZE), and Florent Amodio (FRA) - not to mention teammate Richard Dornbush, the highest U.S. men's finisher at 2011 Worlds (ninth).
Also of note: The return of two world medalists who missed the 2010-11 season due to injury - China's Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao (pairs) and Laura Lepisto of Finland. Plus, world champions Meryl Davis & Charlie White make their season debut.
Skate Canada - Men's and ladies' fieldsRussian phenom Yelizaveta Tuktamysheva faces a mini version of U.S. Nationals in Rachael Flatt, Mirai Nagasu, and Ashley Wagner. Tuktamysheva, the 2011 world junior silver medalist, makes her senior international debut and with a triple-triple to her credit, the Americans will need to up their game. Maturity may be a factor here, however, as the U.S. ladies have several years of senior Grand Prix experience already.
On the men's side, the past two world champions face off in reigning champion Patrick Chan (at home in Canada) and Daisuke Takahashi of Japan. We give the early edge to Chan. Takahashi struggled with the quad last season, which he will need to challenge Chan, and also had surgery in May to remove a screw from his knee.
Also of note: Olympic champion ice dancers Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir make their season debut, as do the exciting Russian pair of Tatyana Volosozhar & Maksim Trankov, the world silver medalists.
Cup of China - Ladies' fieldWorld junior champion Adelina Sotnikova of Russia makes her senior Grand Prix debut in China where she will meet former U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu and Kanako Murakami of Japan. Again, the maturity factor favors Nagasu here, but she does not have a consistent triple-triple (as of last season) like Murakami and Sotnikova. And let's remember - Murakami proved last season that a solid triple-triple will stand up in the Grand Prix Series - she medaled at every event, including the Final, in her own senior debut last season.
Also of note: Brian Joubert continues his quest to win every Grand Prix event (at least once). Cup of China is the missing link. Joubert finished fourth at the event last season and he will have to defeat two-time U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott and Nobunari Oda of Japan in order to achieve that goal in 2011. (And another group of "next gens" in Dornbush, world bronze medalist Artur Gachinski of Russia, and 2010 world junior champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan.)
Grand Prix of Japan - Ladies' fieldMao Asada makes her season debut at home in Japan. The 2010 world champion comes off a disappointing post-Olympic season and looks to reassert herself as the one to beat. With reigning world champion Miki Ando and 2010 Olympic champion Yuna Kim opting out of the Grand Prix Series, if Asada can come out strong in the fall she can enter the championship half of the season (Jan.-March) as the favorite. However, the Japanese superstar has been known to start slow and build as the season progresses. If she is inconsistent in Sapporo, she could be challenged by Americans Agnes Zawadzki and Ashley Wagner.
Also of note: The top two Japanese men go head-to-head in world silver medalist Takahiko Kozuka and 2010 world champ Daisuke Takahashi. They'll have the edge over a trio of young Americans - Armin Mahbanoozadeh, Ross Miner, and Brandon Mroz. Plus, newly engaged Pang Qing & Tong Jian (CHN) face reigning world champs Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy (GER). And in ice dance - young talent is on display with Maia & Alex Shibutani (USA), Russians Yelena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov, and Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje of Canada.
Grand Prix of France - Men's fieldThe Grand Prix of France men's field may be the most exciting of the series. Should Evan Lysacek's return to the Grand Prix be realized, he would face reigning world champion Patrick Chan in Paris. Will Lysacek come back with a quad (or two) and challenge Chan? Add Brian Joubert and Nobunari Oda to the mix, another quad man in Michal Brezina, and the stylish Florent Amodio (FRA) and Adam Rippon (USA) and we've got ourselves a world-class competition.
Also of note: A showdown between beauty and style v. technical firepower and charisma. Alissa Czisny and Carolina Kostner face Kanako Murakami and Yelizaveta Tuktamysheva. Also, Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat take advantage of the new rule and skate their third event, this time at home against Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir.
Cup of Russia - Ladies' fieldMao Asada will likely be a step above two weeks prior in Japan and will have to be in order to hold off home crowd favorite and world junior champion Adelina Sotnikova. Also in the field, Americans Rachael Flatt, Agnes Zawadzki, and Christina Gao - plus, don't count out Russian Alena Leonova and Kiira Korpi of Finland. A strong ladies' competition to cap off the Grand Prix Series - sounds good to us.