Sarah Explains the Finer Sports

The 2018-19 Grand Prix of Figure Skating starts this weekend, and I feel unprepared. Not because I lack knowledge – I’ve watched all the Challenger Series events so far this season, and kept an eye on other notable program premieres – but because I’m not attending Skate America in person this year, which makes the Grand Prix seem distant and theoretical. I’m not even going to watch most of the competition live, as I have thoughtlessly made social plans for both Friday and Saturday nights. But I’m nonetheless filled with the churning cocktail of excitement and dread that comes at the dawn of a new Grand Prix, and I’m here to pass my many emotions on to you.

In this preview, I’ll look at the twelve men who will compete at Skate America this weekend. I’ll provide basic info, video of a recent performance, and a summary of career accomplishments. What I won’t do is make predictions, because my attempts to sort everyone into my usual five-category pecking order resulted in a whole lot of Why I Drink and very little of anything else. Instead, I’m dusting off a joke from the old SportsBlog days and doing a one-card draw from my tarot deck for each skater, using it as a jumping-off point to say what I would have said about them anyway, and blaming a scientifically invalid method of fortune telling if I’m wrong.

Michal Brezina

The Basics: Brezina is 28 years old and competes for the Czech Republic. He lives in the United States, training in the Los Angeles area with Rafael Arutunian. He will compete at Skate America and the Grand Prix of Finland this season.

Career Highlights: Brezina has been competing internationally since 2004, and his career’s longevity is notable in itself. He emerged as a major contender in 2008-09, when he won both of his Junior Grand Prix events and went on to take silver at the World Junior Championships. The following year, his first full season as a senior, he won his first Grand Prix medal, a bronze at the NHK Trophy, and placed 4th at both the European Championships and World Championships. Since then, Brezina has weathered highs and lows. He was 4th at Worlds again in 2011, his best career result, and took his only European medal, a bronze, in 2013. Brezina is a three-time Olympian but has never done better than 10th. He’s earned a total of five Grand Prix medals, all bronze except for a victory at 2011 Skate America.

In the Cards: Ten of Swords, which symbolizes finality or beating a dead horse, and therefore requires my assurance that I am really, really doing a blind/intuitive draw. Brezina has been at it for a long time, with diminishing returns, and without significant upgrades to his technical difficulty. His quads were impressive ten years ago, but the explosion of technical wizardry in the past few years has left him in the dust, especially since he struggles with consistency, stamina, and levels on his non-jump elements. Brezina clearly loves what he’s doing, and he’s still good enough to pull out strong results when everyone else has a bad day. That’s how he earned silver at the US International Classic this fall – his first significant international medal since 2015 – and how he might exceed expectations at the Grand Prix, too.

Alexei Bychenko

The Basics: Bychenko is 3o years old and represents Israel. He trains in New Jersey, where he’s coached by Galit Chait Moracci. He’s been assigned to Skate America and the Grand Prix of Finland.

Career Highlights: Bychenko has had a long and remarkable figure skating career. He achieved modest success representing Ukraine before switching his affiliation to Israel in 2011. A quintessential late bloomer, Bychenko cracked the top 10 at the European Championships for the first time in 2014, at the age of 26. A year later, he’d move up to 4th in Europe, then capture a dark horse silver medal at 2016 Euros. He’s steadily risen in the ranks at Worlds, too, reaching a career-best 4th place in 2018 after a strong 11th-place showing and a blockbuster performance at the team event at the Olympics. Bychenko’s most notable win was at 2016 Golden Spin, a Challenger Series event. He’s earned two Grand Prix medals, both bronze, in 2016 and 2017.

In the Cards: Two of Wands, which signifies making a choice between two paths or options, and focusing wholeheartedly on whatever you choose. It’s hard to say how this relates to Bychenko, who’s looking to follow up an excellent season with proof that he hasn’t even peaked yet. His pre-season hasn’t boded well – he had to withdraw from two Challenger Series events due to injury – and it’s unclear how ready he’ll be for Skate America this week. Perhaps the hard choice will be sitting out the Grand Prix and pulling off one of his signature mid-winter surprises when he’s in better health.

Nathan Chen

The Basics: Chen is 19 years old and represents the USA. He will split his training time this season between the Los Angeles area, where his coach Rafael Arutunian is based, and Connecticut, where Chen has recently begun his freshman year at Yale University. Somehow, he’ll find time to compete at Skate America and the Internationaux de France.

Career Highlights: Although still a teenager, Chen has accumulated an impressive resume. He’s been winning national titles since he was 10 years old, and has won US Nationals at the senior level twice, in 2017 and 2018. He’s won five Junior Grand Prix events, plus the 2015 Junior Grand Prix Final, and took bronze at Junior Worlds in 2014. In his first international senior season, 2016-17, Chen earned silver at the Grand Prix Final and won the Four Continents Championships. Last year, he went almost undefeated, winning both of his Grand Prix events, the Grand Prix Final, and the World Championships. Only a disastrous short program at the Olympics held him back from a perfect season; he placed 5th individually but got to take home a team bronze medal. Along the way, Chen has set numerous records for his high scores and for the number and variety of quadruple jumps he’s landed, pushing not only himself but the entire sport in terms of what is technically possible.

In the Cards: Queen of Wands, a figure of charisma, leadership, inspiration, and boundless energy. That’s a good sign for Chen, whose accomplishments last season made him a bona fide star, but who will need to balance his personal and academic goals with his athletic aspirations this year. The Queen of Wands says more about his relationships with others – his competitors, his fans, and the figure skating world as a whole – than about his likelihood of failure or success, although the card does indicate the start of an ambitious new phase or project. Chen’s jumps might not be what they were last year, as an error-ridden free skate at the Japan Open revealed, and this could be a good time to focus on developing as a performer and cementing his role in the sport, rather than worrying about breaking more scoring records.

Morisi Kvitelashvili

The Basics: Kvitelashvili, who is 23 years old, represents Georgia. He trains in Moscow with Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov. He’ll compete at Skate America and at the Rostelecom Cup.

Career Highlights: Kvitelashvili began his career skating for Russia, where he was born, with modest success. He switched his affiliation to represent his parents’ native Georgia, and increased opportunities for international competition coincided with big upgrades in his technical ability. He’s placed as high as 6th at Europeans, in 2017, but his greatest successes have been on the Challenger Series circuit, most notably a gold medal at the 2017 Golden Spin.

In the Cards: Eight of Swords, which can signify a number of things: being caught between a rock and a hard place, feeling trapped in your current situation, second-guessing yourself, or being dogged by fear. This seems to relate to the psychological component of high-level figure skating, an aspect that has appeared to get in Kvitelashvili’s way. His jump technique is exquisite, which makes his tendency to miss jumps in great, sprawling falls all the more mysterious. This card doesn’t predict whether Kvitelashvili will get over his mental blocks in time to succeed at the Grand Prix, but does suggest that keeping his head will be key for him.

Jimmy Ma

The Basics: Ma is 23 years old and represents the USA. He trains in Plano, Texas, with Peter and Darlene Cain. Skate America is his only Grand Prix assignment this season.

Career Highlights: Ma’s resume is the most modest of this event, but that doesn’t mean he’s on track for the noble last-place finish of a host pick who, let’s face it, is here largely because his brilliant short program from last season went viral. Those thousands of YouTube hits might have only gotten him to 11th place at Nationals – the best senior-level result of his career – but he came to play at his Challenger Series debut this fall, snagging a bronze medal at the US Classic ahead of several bigger names.

In the Cards: Strength, which implies not just strength in general, but controlled and balanced power, and using one’s strengths to overcome one’s weaknesses. Ma will actually head to Skate America with enough technical power to hold his own: his quad toe loop is much more solid than it looked at the US Classic, and his triple Axel might be the smoothest and cleanest in this field. If he can trust those technical abilities, and use his talent for crowd-pleasing performance to compensate for so-so skating skills, he could pull off a surprise. It’s a long shot, but it would be foolish to dismiss a Strength card – or an athlete who has gained so much confidence from his national federation so quickly.

Nam Nguyen

The Basics: Nguyen is 20 years old and represents Canada. He trains in Richmond Hill, Ontario, coached by Robert Burke. He’ll compete at two Grand Prix events, Skate America and Skate Canada.

Career Highlights: Nguyen first drew international attention when he won the World Junior Championships in 2014. His momentum continued into his first full senior season, when he won a medal in his senior Grand Prix debut, a bronze at 2014 Skate America. He went on to become the 2014-15 Canadian National Champion and to place a surprise 5th at his first senior Worlds. Since that golden year, Nguyen has struggled with injuries and coaching changes and has achieved middling international results.

In the Cards: Two of Cups, which symbolizes a mutual, loving relationship. Since we’re interpreting this in skating terms instead of speculating about Nguyen’s personal life, we can look at it as a sign that his relationship with the sport is stable and fulfilling: he’s renewed his love for skating, and this season, skating is going to love him back. His victory earlier this season at the US International Classic supports this reading, as his musicality and engagement were as strong as I’ve ever seen them, and his jumps looked solid, too. For the first time since his big break in 2014, Nguyen performs like he’s skating for love of the sport, and that psychological state could serve him well this season.

Romain Ponsart

The Basics: Ponsart is 26 years old and skates for France. He trains in the United States, outside Los Angeles, with Rafael Arutunian. He’ll compete at Skate America and the Internationaux de France.

Career Highlights: Ponsart is a four-time French National medalist, with a career high of second place in 2014-15. Despite a long career that has included a number of podium finishes at senior B events and three Grand Prix appearances, Ponsart competed at both Europeans and Worlds for the first time last season, placing 14th and 16th, respectively.

In the Cards: Ace of Wands, signifying a burst of fresh energy or a newly sparked interest. Ponsart has been working hard in the sport for years, but he’s made big technical strides over the past year. Those improvements are probably not enough to make him a true contender at the Grand Prix. But it’s impossible to say, since Ponsart has sat out the pre-season and will debut a potentially snazzy new Carmen free skate this week. The Cardboard Oracle seems to think he’ll show up refreshed and energized, but it’s hard to guess how that will translate in terms of landed jumps and scoring potential.

Kevin Reynolds

The Basics: At 28, Reynolds is entering his 12th year of senior-level international competition. He represents Canada and trains with Joanne McLeod in the Vancouver area. He’ll compete at Skate America and the NHK Trophy this season.

Career Highlights: Reynolds earned his first major senior international medal, a bronze, at the 2010 Four Continents Championships. He also placed third at Canadian Nationals that season, the first of six career national senior medals; he has never won the title. He has, however, won Four Continents, taking gold in 2013 in a memorable upset. He placed only 15th at the 2014 Olympics individually, but he was part of the second-place Canadian team, making him an Olympic silver medalist. His first and only appearance on the Grand Prix podium was at 2016 Skate Canada, where he took bronze.

In the Cards: Nine of Wands, which symbolizes persistence in the face of hardship and fatigue. For a veteran like Reynolds – especially one whose career record is less illustrious than he might have hoped – this is an appropriate card. It also reflects the problem that held him back in his season debut. Reynolds looked strong to the naked eye at the Autumn Classic International, but he received underrotation calls for all three of the jumps in his short program, as well as for the three most difficult jumping passes in his free skate. As a result, he placed only 8th overall, despite two confident and appealing performances. He’ll have to push hard this season, both to get his quads all the way around, and to prove his continued relevance as an international contender.

Matteo Rizzo

The Basics: 20-year-old Rizzo represents Italy. He trains in Bergamo with Franca Bianconi. He’ll appear at Skate America and the NHK Trophy this season.

Career Highlights: Rizzo has been one of the hardest-working men in figure skating for a number of years, and has been quietly winning medals at Challenger Series and other senior B events since the 2013-14 season. 2017-18 was a banner year for Rizzo: he competed at the Olympic Games, earned his first senior-level national title, won his first significant international gold medals at the Junior Grand Prix in Italy and the Challenger Series Warsaw Cup, and took a dark horse bronze medal at the World Junior Championships.

In the Cards: Six of Swords, which signifies finding a solution to difficulties from the past and making a journey forward. Rizzo is increasingly establishing himself as a rising star, and so far has done so by executing easier jumps well and displaying exquisite skating skills and interpretation. At two Challenger Series events this fall, he attempted a quad toe loop in his free skate; the jump is clearly not ready, and recovering from the error seemed to rattle his concentration for the rest of the program both times. This card implies that Rizzo will have a Eureka moment, either finding a way to get that quad down cold, or working out a strategy to keep himself competitive without it.

Sergei Voronov

The Basics: Voronov, who represents Russia, is 31 years old. He’s trained with almost every notable coach in Russia during his long career, and is currently working with Inna Goncharenko in Moscow. He’ll skate at Skate America and the NHK Trophy this season.

Career Highlights: It’s hard to know where to start! Voronov is a two-time senior-level Russian national champion (2007 and 2008) and has stood on his national podium seven times – although not since 2014. He’s a two-time World Junior medalist (silver in 2006, bronze in 2007) and has placed as high as 7th at the World Championships (2008). He’s taken home plenty of hardware from the Grand Prix series – eight career medals, including a gold one at last season’s NHK Trophy – and has qualified for the Grand Prix Final twice, snagging a bronze medal there in 2014. He’s also a two-time European medalist: silver in 2014 and bronze in 2015. Despite this venerable record, Voronov has never qualified for an Olympic team.

In the Cards: The Empress, a mother figure who represents fecundity, abundance, and creation. This is a promising card for an athlete who’s been at it as long as Voronov has, especially since he’s a perennial underdog in the crowded Russian men’s field. The Empress often signifies the creation of meaningful and memorable artistic work, and Voronov’s free skate this season – choreographed by the late Denis Ten – is exceptionally moving and mature. Voronov is also stretching himself technically, adding a quad loop to his arsenal, but his most important statement this season might be the powerful emotion he exudes in his step sequences.

Julian Zhi Jie Yee

The Basics: Yee is 21 years old and represents Malaysia. He trains primarily in Barrie, Ontario, with Michael Hopfes and Doug Leigh. He’ll compete at Skate America and the Rostelecom Cup in 2018.

Competitive Highlights: Yee’s competitive results are less important than his overall influence on the sport. He is the first skater in any discipline to compete for Malaysia at a Winter Olympics, and is by far the most accomplished figure skater from his country. He’s placed as high as 21st at Worlds and 15th at Four Continents, and he’s reached the podium at a number of senior B events, most notably a silver medal at the 2015 Denkova-Staviski Cup, a Challenger Series event.

In the Cards: Four of Cups, signifying discontent and boredom with one’s current situation. Yee does seem to have hit a wall in terms of his scores and his ability to progress in the sport, and now is a good time for him to get restless and take risks. He attempted a quad salchow in his free skate at the Autumn Classic International last month, but it doesn’t look like he’s fully rotating or controlling that jump yet. But what really seems to be holding Yee back is his second mark. He’s an appealing, musical skater with crowd-pleasing programs, which often cover up a lack of refinement in his basic skating skills and a tendency toward open, simple choreography. Like many men trying to reach the top ranks of the sport, Yee is taking the approach that he needs a quad to win, but this natural performer might be wiser to build on his artistic strengths and develop the fundamentals that will bolster his components scores.

Vincent Zhou

The Basics: At 17, Zhou is the youngest athlete competing at Skate America. He represents the United States. He splits his training time between California and Colorado Springs, and works with an impressive roster of coaches: Tammy Gambill, Tom Zakrajsek, and Christy Krall. He’ll make his second Grand Prix appearance this season at the NHK Trophy.

Career Highlights: Like his countryman, Nathan Chen, Zhou has built quite the list of accomplishments before reaching legal voting age. (He’ll turn 18 just in time for next month’s midterm election, and yes, this is me nagging you, American readers.) Anyway. After many years of gold medals at lower levels, Zhou has stood on the US National podium twice, winning silver in 2017 and bronze in 2018. He earned four total medals on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, then won Junior Worlds in 2017. Later that year, Zhou took silver in his first major senior international, the Finlandia Trophy. That turned out to be the start of a rocky season, but one whose high points included an impressive 6th-place finish at the Olympics.

In the Cards: Ace of Swords, which indicates newfound clear-headedness and initiative, and a prime state of mind to take on new challenges. That’s about as encouraging a card as a young athlete can hope for, especially one who got thrown into the Olympic spotlight during what should have been a quiet growth year. Already capable of the most difficult jumps currently being attempted in the sport, it’s hard to imagine how Zhou could set himself up for further technical challenges. But his limited speed and sometimes labored performance quality have held down his program components scores, leaving him with no cushion to make up for errors. That’s why he couldn’t claw his way to the podium after a messy short program at this season’s US International Classic, despite a solid free skate. If Zhou intends to become more than the second-best American man, now is the perfect time – and perhaps his only realistic chance – to workshop his fundamentals and figure out a true artistic identity for himself.

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Next on The Finer Sports: More Prix-views before the pun gets stale, hopefully.