Not unlike last week, where the men’s event at Cup of China had all kinds of unpredictability to it, this week’s men’s event at Rostelecom Cup is offering much of the same. And since we are now at the fifth Grand Prix event, there are plenty of berths to the Grand Prix Final that are on the line. Out of the 12 skaters here, two of them have won Grand Prix titles, and while both of them have the potential to win another here, neither is anywhere near a sure bet.
Rostelecom Cup predictions
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GOLD Dmitri Aliev RUS - Four weeks ago, Aliev took home his first career Grand Prix medal, and this week, he could potentially even win his first Grand Prix title. It would mark a stunning turnaround for a skater who looked completely lost last year and seemingly without much of a recovery path. But the first three competitions of the season have been promising for him - three podium finishes, including gold at Nepela Memorial. Of the competitors here this week, he and Uno are the two most complete skaters, and with two strong skate, Aliev can find himself atop the podium and into the Final.
SILVER Nam Nguyen CAN - Speaking of reversals, Nguyen has experienced a return to form himself. It started during the Grand Prix last season, and it’s continued to this season. His silver at Skate Canada was his first Grand Prix medal since 2014, and his skating has never been better. Given only one men’s spot at World this season, the more he can be consistent and build his confidence, the better of a chance he can give himself to grab that spot later on at Canadian Nationals. But first, like Aliev, he’s also got a great chance at qualifying for the Final.
BRONZE Shoma Uno JPN - Also speaking of reversals, the Olympic silver medalist has been having a heck of a season. Without a full-time coach and someone to provide consistent guidance, his technique and confidence have floundered. But since his disappointing eighth-place at Internationaux de France, he’s spent his last couple of weeks with Stephane Lambiel. This bronze medal prediction is a bet on Lambiel having a positive effect on his mindset - two weeks may not be enough time for him to be 100% consistent, but it may be enough time for him to find a couple of solid programs to get back on the podium.
4. Kazuki Tomono JPN - Fifth at Skate America, Tomono has been experimenting with upgraded content this season, which he is counting on to give him a stronger shot at getting back onto the World team. He’s shown brilliance in the past - let’s not forget that he was 5th in his Worlds debut two years ago. Another strong showing here at Rostelecom will help him as he preps for Japan Nationals next month.
5. Alexander Samarin RUS - Coming off a silver in France two weeks ago, Samarin may be finding his form and consistency. But there’s a lot to say about the risk and reward of his programs - after all, he’s not known to be the type of skater who hits the big tricks time in and time out. He’s very much got podium potential, but he will have to skate like he did in Grenoble.
6. Morisi Kvitelashvili GEO - Like Samarin, Kvitelashvili has a history of up and down seasons. His fourth-place at Internationaux de France was strong, and remember that he took silver here at Rostelecom Cup last season.
7. Michal Brezina CZE - Stamina is probably the biggest factor for Brezina right now. We saw a decent short program from him at Skate America, but his free skate was nowhere near what he is capable of. When the pops come in, that’s when Brezina loses valuable base value that buries him in the standings.
8. Alex Krasnozhon USA - His ninth-place finish at Skate America did not reflect the kind of potential he was showing in practice there. After years of struggling with different quad jumps, he may have finally found the right one with the quad flip. And even though neither of the flips he did at Skate America were successful, the ones that he did in practice were strong and consistent enough that it would be a surprise if he didn’t land one this week.
9. Deniss Vasiljevs LAT - Fifth at Skate Canada, Vasiljevs is another skater who has had a history of inconsistency - it seems like the theme of this competition (or maybe even this season in the men’s field). At his best, he’s got podium potential.
10. Makar Ignatov RUS - In his first full senior season, Ignatov kicked it off with a surprise title at Nebelhorn Trophy, where he surprised everyone with a come-from-behind victory. He will need to replicate some of that magic to make a great senior Grand Prix debut here.
11. Daniel Samohin ISR - Samohin started off his season with a fifth-place finish at Nebelhorn Trophy. He was most recently tenth at Internationaux de France.
12. Vladimir Litvintsev AZE - I could very well be completely underestimating Litvintsev’s chances this week. After all, he was 17th at Worlds last season. He was fourth at the Volvo Open Cup last week.