In this final Grand Prix event before the Final, qualification spots are on the line. And though Mikhail Kolyada looks to be the favorite in this event, a lot could happen that will bounce around the qualification picture for the Grand Prix Final. The three Russian men have a chance to sweep, but it’s not quite as clear-cut as it is in the women’s event.
2021 Rostelecom Cup predictions
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GOLD Mikhail Kolyada RUS - Of the skaters here, Kolyada is the most decorated, and he’s the one with the strongest all-around programs. So far this season, he hasn’t been quite as consistent as he was last year, when it seemed like he had a bit of a breakthrough with his jumps. But he does come in with upgraded tech, having added a quad salchow to his programs in competition. A podium finish this week will guarantee him a second career Grand Prix Final appearance.
SILVER Evgeni Semenenko RUS - Bronze at Skate Canada, Semenenko comes into Rostelecom with a solid look at a Grand Prix Final spot in two weeks. But he will need to not only finish second or higher to guarantee that spot, but he will also need to score a personal best by about ten points to get there. It’s a tall order, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
BRONZE Matteo Rizzo ITA - With his fifth place finish at Gran Premio d’Italia, Rizzo skated better than we’ve seen him skate in a very long time, possibly the best since the 2018-19 season, when he finished seventh at Worlds. So far this season, he’s put out strong free skates but have lagged in the short - with the exception of GP Italia - and he will need a good short program to put him in contention for his third career GP medal.
4. Mark Kondratiuk RUS - The hero of Nebelhorn Trophy is back and skating in his very first Grand Prix event. He has never ever competed on the Junior Grand Prix, so this is a big deal for him. He’s already shown that he can jump with the best of them, and he will very much be in contention for a medal this week.
5. Kazuki Tomono JPN - In his sixth-place finish at GP Italia, Tomono had a very strong free skate that still had room to grow. He’s not known for his consistency, but one big issues is that when he’s off, he tends to double his quad jumps, which completely take him out of the running in base value. He has the opportunity to contend for a medal in Russia but will need to be doing as much rotation as he can. He’s one of the most expressive skaters of this group.
6. Morisi Kvitelashvili GEO - At Skate Canada, he went from last in the short program to finishing sixth after a strong free skate. And thus is the craziness that is Kvitelashvili’s potential in any competition. Let’s not forget that he won the bronze at Europeans two seasons ago and has won two silver medals on the Grand Prix, both at this very event.
7. Michal Brezina CZE - After a sixth place at Skate America, Brezina enters Rostelecom Cup as his 25th career Grand Prix event. Stamina is always an important part of how he does in competition, and he seems to be stronger in that arena this season.
8. Nika Egadze GEO - The young Georgian won Cup of Austria just two weeks ago, marking his first international win on the senior level in his senior debut season. There’s now some intrigue as to whether he’s able to overtake Kvitelashvili for that one spot for Georgia at the Olympics. This competition could hold ramifications.
9. Brendan Kerry AUS - His performances that earned a spot for Australia at Nebelhorn Trophy showed that Kerry was rediscovering some of that form that he’s had in the past. And though his skates at Finlandia Trophy a few weeks later didn’t compare, he’s had some more time at his training base in Russia - and this is essentially a home Grand Prix for him.
10. Keiji Tanaka JPN - Tanaka is fighting for his second Olympic appearance, but he has yet to find the form over the past couple of seasons that brought him to three Japanese podium finishes. At his best, he can hang with anyone in this field, but he will need to avoid the mistakes that took him to a tenth-place Skate Canada finish earlier this season.
11. Roman Sadovsky CAN - 12th at Skate Canada, the 2020 Canadian champ hasn’t really gotten into a good rhythm yet this season. He will hit a beautiful quad and the bail on a triple lutz - the inconsistency doesn’t seem to have much of a pattern, and you wonder where it will be this week.
12. Camden Pulkinen USA - He took 11th at NHK two weeks ago after a disastrous short program that kept him really from making much headway there. We know he’s got great skating within him, but his consistency has not been strong over the past few seasons.