FIGURE SKATING - Top Skaters of the Fall Ready for Grand Prix Final

The year following the Olympic Games is always a transition period in any sport, and figure skating is no exception. The seven meet Grand Prix season concludes this weekend as the Grand Prix final begins on Friday in Beijing. None of the Olympic champions from Vancouver will be present. Ladies champion Kim Yu-Na has skipped the Grand Prix season, but still plans on skating at the World Championships, she switched coaches from Brian Orser to Peter Oppegard in October. Evan Lysacek is touring with Stars on Ice and is unlikely to participate in the U.S. Nationals. Canadian Ice Dance champion Tessa Virtue underwent surgery in October to release the tension in two overworked soft-tissue compartments in her legs. The timetable for her return to competition with Scott Moir is undetermined. Pairs champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo have retired. On top of all that, World Champions and Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada has switched coaches and fiddled with her jumping technique which left her far off her form from previous seasons. Olympic bronze medalist Joannie Rochette has skipped the entire season, including Canadian nationals.
World Champion Daisuke Takahashi leads three Japanese men into the final. He won both of his events as did Takahiko Kozuka. Likewise, three Japanese women will compete, Mike Ando was the only lady to win both her events. Alissa Czisny, Carolina Kostner and Kanako Murakami each won an event, but placed only third in the other entry. Paris winner Kira Korpi only finished fourth in Japan, leaving her short of qualifying. The pairs should be a duel between Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany and Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China. The Russian pair of Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov won at home, but since that was their only event, they could not advance to the final. Olympic silver medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States appear to be the team to beat in dance, but the French team of Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat are the hot team of the fall and their “City Lights” free dance is a crowd (and judge) pleaser.