And don't forget the gentlemen!
I have no idea how this will turn out. If they match Weir against Takahashi and Lysacek against Oda (or the other way around), both contests could go either way. After Lambiel, Joubert and maybe Buttle, these four should be among the top contenders for the world podium this year.
It may all come down to who can bring a quad.
The last match will be interesting, too. I don't know much about the third Japanese man, Kensuke Nakaniwa. Actually, I kind of expected that Japan would send world junior champion Takahiko Kozuka instead, but I like this match much better.
In fact, just from his bio, Nakaniwa seems like the exact image of Scott Smith. Both are 25, both have worked their way slowly but surely up the ladder in their National Championships, and both finished third at their 2006 Nationals.
The highest finish in major international competition seems to be in last years Four Continents. Scott Smith got fifth and Nakaniwa got sixth!
All of the matches could be nail-biters and in terms of point totals ($120,000 is at stake for the winning team, ladies and men combined), it could come down to Mai Asada and Emily Hughes.
Going strictly by the numbers, Emily should have the edge. Emily scored 160.75 points in Turin and a whopping 184.75 at worlds last year.
Mai Asada's best, according to the ISU statistics, is 141.65 at Four Continents.
But Mai is a very pretty and graceful skater and she might prevail on the strength of the second mark if Emily misses some of her jumps.
, but I do think that this competition is a breath of fresh air.
for Sasha and we have the exact same group of ladies battling it out for the three spots on the Skate America podium.
