2022-23 Grand Prix Finalists: Thoughts?

[ladyjane]

I am opening this thread because all the GP's are done, and it is now a two week wait before the Final. How are we feeling about the Finalists in all 4 disciplines? Are they whom we expected or not? Why?

Please refrain from discussing skaters who are not participating in the Final.

 

[DancingCactus]

- Men: I would have preferred if Adam had made the final. While the Japanese are all amazing skaters, apart from Shoma who is outstanding, I honestly have problems memorising them all based on their skating.
- Women: Interesting. I love Kaori, but she has to step it up if she wants to win. Still, Elastic heart is fantastic.
- ID: such a strong field with some surprises. The most interesting thing will be to see how C/B will get placed. I adore Piper and Paul and am so hapoy that this seems to be their season. The Danadiens were a positive surprise, I love their FD. Could do without the Italians, but of course they are good skaters.
- Pairs: *shrug*

 

[4everchan]

I think in pairs and dance, it looks pretty much like I thought it would... I was dreaming about a place in GPF for LALA because they are my faves with PP but then, I knew it was a tough road for them to get there... In pairs, I think some may have expected the two Georgian teams to be doing better.. but I am not that surprised it didn't happen considering that having a second great season after just coming out on the scene is always tough... (and injuries etc)... I will miss PENG and JIN the most. The Italians benefited from that but Italy deserves to be represented in pairs. They are doing well.
Men : I will miss Adam and Cha.... but we cannot have it all. The men who qualified are the ones who avoided the most chaos
Women : I will miss Young You the most but to say I am surprised? No. She has had her issues over the years and it's not getting better, and the tech panel has been regularly strict this season, which I appreciate.

I am looking forward to seeing RR against KF in pairs and PP against GuFa in dance...

 

[ladyjane]

I am actually thinking similarly as @4everchan: really looking forward to seeing the pairs R/R finally head to head with K/F and G/P against G/F. I am also looking forward to seeing the other teams, even if their chances to win are a lot lower. In men I am going to miss Adam, Junhwan and Kazuki but I totally agree you can't have it all. Women aren't really my thing but I like watching Mai, Kaori, and Loena in no particular order, so that's going to be fun! A teeny weeny bit in favour of Loena as she derives from our wonderful neighbouring country but not so much that I can't enjoy the other two, and may the best one win!

And not to be forgotten: Golden Spin also takes place in the same weekend. Perhaps some of our favourites will turn up there!

 

[macy]

i am very excited to see new faces at the final and for quite a few to have made it for the first time ever. i love that it's unpredictable and new countries to have the opportunity to medal. i'm game for some surprises and breakthroughs.

 

[Ziotic]

Men: I'm gutted that Cha won't be at GPF, as in pairs the distribution of skaters really skewed the results.
Pairs: Seems like the medals are decided with a toss of for gold/silver, so long as SD/D stay on their feet they should have no problem with the bronze, I hope to see them break 200.
Women: I think as in pairs, the medals are mostly decided if everyone skates to potential, I actually can't decide who I prefer to win out of Leona, Mai, and Kaori. I will be happy for whoever wins, which is something I don't think I've felt in women's skating for a long time.
Dance: We will see who has the strongest politics.

 

[kenboy123]

like I said in the other threads, I think there is one person running away with it in three disciplines…with the only exception being in women which I think could go in 3 or maybe even 4 different directions….no one is going to beat Malinin’s quad axel, that’s just not possible and the Japanese will be behind him…in pairs, it seems like the Japanese pair is also cruising to a dominant season and I can’t see K/F beating them…G/P also look like they will dominate dance this season, I do think there could be some drama on who could be 2nd, 3rd and 4th though as about 3-4 dance teams can realistically play switcheroos with those places…

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

A few facts about the 2022-23 GPF from Random Figure Skating on Twitter, which I found interesting:

• Out of the 24 senior qualifiers... 6 have qualified for and competed at the GPF before, while 17 will compete for the first time. The final entrant (Miura/Kihara) qualified in 2021-22 but didn't get to compete (due to the cancellation of the GPF).
• 3 qualifiers are in their first full international senior season (Levito, Watanabe and Malinin).
• 3 qualifiers have previously medaled (Uno, C/B and G/F) but none have won before.
• This is Chock/Bates' 7th qualification to the GPF!

My thoughts on the final:

• Men: this is the first season I've watched the men during the GP and it was certainly exciting! Like many others, I was sad to see Adam Siao Him Fa miss out on a spot in the GPF, but I don't know who I'd want to knock out for for him to have spot, as they're all so deserving!
• Women: can't wait to see how this shakes out, it feels like any of the 6 could potentially medal and it might come down to small mistakes to separate those who do medal and those who don't.
• Pairs: unlike some, I've really enjoyed seeing so many up-and-coming pairs teams this season. I feel the podium at the GPF is more set than in some disciplines (probably M/K, K/F, SD/D) but look forward to seeing all the performances. I was excited to see 2 Italian teams qualify and especially Conti/Macii whom I first saw during the domestic Italian GP in 2020 doing double twist and throws. From there to the GPF is such an achievement for them.
• Ice Dance: I am, of course, rooting for G/F to take the title at home, but I also love G/P's programs this season and if they skate as well as they have been, they will certainly be worthy winners! I see these 2 teams battling for the gold, while the other 4 will be in a bronze battle, which should be really exciting.

 

[macy]

A few facts about the 2022-23 GPF from Random Figure Skating on Twitter, which I found interesting:

• Out of the 24 senior qualifiers... 6 have qualified for and competed at the GPF before, while 17 will compete for the first time. The final entrant (Miura/Kihara) qualified in 2021-22 but didn't get to compete (due to the cancellation of the GPF).
• 3 qualifiers are in their first full international senior season (Levito, Watanabe and Malinin).
• 3 qualifiers have previously medaled (Uno, C/B and G/F) but none have won before.
• This is Chock/Bates' 7th qualification to the GPF!

wow, 17 new competitors! i didn't think it was that many, that's almost 71%.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Should be a very interesting GPF:

Women - the women will have to depend on clean skating and great presentation to determine who comes out on top since there's no skaters with a huge tech advantage. I actually hope Mai or Loena wins but I expect Kaori to come out fighting. Watanabe having the only 3A makes it interesting in terms of spoiling for bronze, but I don't think her programs are quite there yet. Levito's also getting high PCS, so if she delivers technically she could make the podium too. (G: Hendrickx, S: Mihara, B: Sakamoto)

Men - like others, I would have also liked to see Fa here because he's just so interesting as a skater plus he has good quad consistency. Malinin vs. Uno will be an interesting showdown - bronze is very much up for grabs -- I hate to say it but I think Grassl might get it through technical consistency, but Sota has been sharp and Shun has a big tech arsenal (his 4Z in the warmup of GP Finland looked like a triple!), but just can't quite get it completely together yet in competition. (G: Malinin, S: Uno, B: Grassl)

Pairs is a bit of a foregone conclusion, but SD/D could potentially challenge for silver if the top 2 teams are off their game. I think the Japanese have momentum though. It is held in Italy so I'm thinking (like G/F in ID), the Italian teams if they go clean might get a boost to make SD/D nervous. (G: M/K, S: S-K/F, B: S-D/D)

ID this is the most interesting discipline and kudos to anyone who can predict how these teams will stack up, especially since the judges don't seem to be holding reputation in the highest regard. I think the Italians will do well on home ice plus their tech consistency is always stellar (they'll be looking to cement themselves as Euro faves over F/G). But Gilles/Poirier have lots of momentum too (and the levels and PCS - although I think the twizzle bauble was rather overlooked at Espoo). I think experience will help Chock/Bates hold off FB/S for the bronze. (G: G/P, S: G/F, B: C/B)

 

[Agent Michael Scarn]

While I'm not picking Isabeau to win, I do think she will medal and shouldn't be underestimated. Among the six finalists, she had the highest combined score, and the lower of her two scores was the 5th highest overall and higher than anyone else's second best. Kaori, Loena, and Mai all have a higher ceiling currently and so probably have a better chance of winning, but I don't expect the podium to be those three; there's a good chance that at least one underperforms and finishes below the more consistent Isabeau.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

While I'm not picking Isabeau to win, I do think she will medal and shouldn't be underestimated. Among the six finalists, she had the highest combined score, and the lower of her two scores was the 5th highest overall and higher than anyone else's second best. Kaori, Loena, and Mai all have a higher ceiling currently and so probably have a better chance of winning, but I don't expect the podium to be those three; there's a good chance that at least one underperforms and finishes below the more consistent Isabeau.

If Isabeau stays aggressive and avoids URs and cleans up things like her 3Z+3L's GOE, she could def play spoiler. It's not like Mai and Loena lit up GP Finland, and Levito is the only American entry, so it's not out of the realm of reason.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

I've been thinking I wouldn't mind if the GPF extended just enough to include a second warmup group 9 or 10 finalists instead of six... the alternates in every discipline are deserving IMO, but I wouldn't want to kick any of the qualifiers out. I think there's plenty of potential for upsets in every discipline-- even Pairs, which seems to have a relatively clear pecking order, could see some surprise medalists if any of the top three falter. I'm actually really looking forward to seeing a Pairs event where mistakes could matter. Women should also be exciting since the entire field is very close! I admit I'm a bit less enthusiastic about Dance than I was earlier because recent scoring suggests it's likely to be a three-way battle for bronze (between Fear/Gibson, Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen and Chock/Bates) with Guignard/Fabbri vs Gilles/Poirier for gold/silver and Hawayek/Baker de facto stuck in the bottom position due to their scores and not being anywhere near close to gold in their second event.

As for Men, well, it's probably Ilia's to lose barring two dynamite clean skates from Shoma (which I very much hope we'll get!) but I really have no idea how the rest will perform so that's fun. I'm disappointed Junhwan and Adam didn't make it, but hoping Daniel Grassl can be buoyed by that Italian home crowd energy rather than feeling the pressure.

 

[Greengemmonster]

Happy that Shun made it to GPF: Yaaaaay

Sad that Jun didn't: Boooooo

Stressed about Ilia (always with those jumps!!!!!!! It's going to be a trial being a fan of that young man)

Overall I'm loving this season and feeling very positive about things. A bit salty about You Young because I think she's an easy target for the judges to drag out and bash (like Vincent back when he was competing).

However on the whole, after the disastrous last season that I'd so looked forward to, it's nice to watch and enjoy people without having the tense thoughts of: "Did you dope? Did your team mate dope? Were you forced to dope? How complicit are you? Did my other skaters get injured trying to acquire big jumps to compete with your doping?"

No convoluted and jumpy emotions! I'm thankful for that!

I just wish it was easier and more accessible to watch!!!

 

[TontoK]

I'll watch, because that's what I do, but I can't help feeling a little down about this season. It has "rebuilding year" written all over it.

I was caught off guard by @GoneWithTheWind post about so many newcomers, because everything feels dated, not new and fresh... like I've seen it all before, only done better.

Even Ilia, who I'm most excited about as a longterm prospect, has uninspired programs - in my mind, they're very similar to last season. Maybe this is the Nathan Chen model - come out the gate at the beginning of the cycle and ratchet up the technical content to near unmatchable levels, and let the competition just accept that they'll never beat him if he's on his game - or injure themselves in the process of trying to keep up. Of course... Nathan did become a better artist with more musical and choreographic variety, and that's my hope with Ilia, too. Perhaps I'm expecting too much at once.

I do like Shoma's LP and Kaori's LP, too, provided they can deliver them well.

I've come to accept that I'll never understand Ice Dance judging. I clearly value something that is not captured by the CoP.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Surprised nobody mentioned Yelim yet. I think she has a decent chance of medalling!

Also hoping Hawayek/Baker can squeeze onto the podium but the competition will be tough.

 

[4everchan]

Surprised nobody mentioned Yelim yet. I think she has a decent chance of medalling!

yup!!! i think all 6 women have a shot...

 

[rain]

Surprised nobody mentioned Yelim yet. I think she has a decent chance of medalling!

Also hoping Hawayek/Baker can squeeze onto the podium but the competition will be tough.

Yelim Kim is my favourite. I think she has a decent chance at the podium as well. I actually think the women's field is extremely competitive. Who stands on top of the podium is very unpredictable. I could make a case for almost any of the six.

I think in men the frontrunners are Malinin and Uno. I far prefer Uno (and am really sad the Junhwan Cha didn't make it). But once again, it's not like they both haven't made their share of errors this season, so the others aren't without a shot at it.

Pairs is maybe the discipline where there are three teams that seem more of a podium lock and that is of course the Japanese, American and Canadian teams. I'm excited to see these three go head to head.

In dance I think Piper and Paul and the Italians are the favourites for the top two spots. Bronze is really unpredictable. And I'll be interested to see if Chock/Bates decide to skip the GPF to work on their programs and avoid losing to some of these other teams. Which would let Lajoie/Lagha in. Speaking of Chock/Bates, I went back and rewatched their FD from NHK, and it was an interesting watch. I actually think the first section, in particular, is beautifully choreographed, the beginning where she looks almost weightless is ethereal. The music and its lack of build may be the biggest problem. Just looking at the choreography for a minute separate from the music, I think they could maybe Tessa and Scott Moulin Rouge this sucker into more of a winner if they get real about it, bite the bullet, and make the changes. But they need to take the time. But please don't just replace the music with Gladiator and pretend it's a new program (yes, I'm referring to FB/S in the Olympic season).

 

[Skater Boy]

Yelim Kim is my favourite. I think she has a decent chance at the podium as well. I actually think the women's field is extremely competitive. Who stands on top of the podium is very unpredictable. I could make a case for almost any of the six.

I think in men the frontrunners are Malinin and Uno. I far prefer Uno (and am really sad the Junhwan Cha didn't make it). But once again, it's not like they both haven't made their share of errors this season, so the others aren't without a shot at it.

Pairs is maybe the discipline where there are three teams that seem more of a podium lock and that is of course the Japanese, American and Canadian teams. I'm excited to see these three go head to head.

In dance I think Piper and Paul and the Italians are the favourites for the top two spots. Bronze is really unpredictable. And I'll be interested to see if Chock/Bates decide to skip the GPF to work on their programs and avoid losing to some of these other teams. Which would let Lajoie/Lagha in. Speaking of Chock/Bates, I went back and rewatched their FD from NHK, and it was an interesting watch. I actually think the first section, in particular, is beautifully choreographed, the beginning where she looks almost weightless is ethereal. The music and its lack of build may be the biggest problem. Just looking at the choreography for a minute separate from the music, I think they could maybe Tessa and Scott Moulin Rouge this sucker into more of a winner if they get real about it, bite the bullet, and make the changes. But they need to take the time. But please don't just replace the music with Gladiator and pretend it's a new program (yes, I'm referring to FB/S in the Olympic season).

I agree with your assessment with maybe some concern for the Canadians in Pairs. This is in Torino and there are two Italian pair teams competing. So it is possible one could get the bronze. But if the Canadians skate clean or close to clean they should win bronze. I never would have though that at the beginning of the season that's for sure.

 

[readernick]

I’m excited about the GPF. I think it’s great that there are so many new competitors and so many different countries represented.

Pairs is definitely in a rebuilding period. As a result, the top two teams are , as others have mentioned, pretty much without competition. While, I really enjoy the Japanese team for their joy and SS, I think K/F actually have much more creative and interesting programs this year. They haven’t executed them well yet, but I think they will show improvement in the GPF so I don’t think the Japanese team will necessarily run away with the title. The Canadians are favorites for the bronze but that also isn’t guaranteed. It hasn’t been a consistent year for any competitor.

My favorites in the men’s event are Shoma and Shun. Despite what others have said, I don’t think Ilya is the clear front runner. Shoma could easily win if he can actually complete his combinations because he will have a significant PCS advantage over Ilya. Additionally, it is men’s figure skating so anyone could win. Consistent isn’t a word I would use for any of these competitors.

My favorites in ice dance are the Italians because they are IMHO so much better than everyone else technically and they have better programs this year, too. I hope their incredible skills are finally rewarded by the judges. I also enjoy H/B who are the second best technically imho and who are consistently underscored,

My favorites in the women’s event are Kaori ( I haven’t always been the biggest fan but her programs are a real step up this year), Isabeau because I also love her programs, and Rinka because she’s an interesting newcomer. I’m personally not a big fan of Yelim’s skating / programs or Mai’s skating/long program. ( I like the SP) I like Loena’s style of skating but I don’t like her programs. I think a clean Kaori will be hard to beat and I think Isabeau is likely to end up on the podium because she is a pretty solid competitor but I certainly don’t feel confident predicting the podium.