2022 Skate America preview (dance): Back for more glory

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For a team that has been together for over ten seasons, you would’ve thought that Madison Chock/Evan Bates would have been spent last season after a pretty grueling last Olympic cycle that included some injuries and a whole lot of pandemic. But in fact, even last season, when they were heading into the Olympics, Chock/Bates didn’t really entertain the idea of retiring after Beijing. And they are back this week in their quest for a third Skate America title. They will be part of a fun field that includes familiar faces, new faces, and a former World single champion.

2022 Skate America predictions
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GOLD Madison Chock/Evan Bates USA - So much of the past few seasons for Chock/Bates has been about them finding their creative niche. Their programs over the past quadrennial have been widely regarded as their most personally-creative and choreographically interesting programs of their career. They haven’t won a Skate America title in seven years, but their longevity has really stood the test of time. Can they continue to push their own boundaries and improve this season?

SILVER Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker USA - Silver at Finlandia Trophy earlier this month, Hawayek/Baker are off to a really fast start. Worlds last season showcased some of the best skating of their career, and they want to come into this post-Olympic season not just wanting to fend off other teams for that second US standing but also looking to continue to climb internationally. That career-best total at Finlandia is a great way to get there - they will want to capitalize on it this week.

BRONZE Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi JPN - Maybe I’m just overly optimistic here, but given their international score trajectory before Worlds last year and their overall improvements between their first season and their second season together, there is a real chance for Muramoto/Takahashi to grab a historic first medal for Japanese ice dance in a fully-international Grand Prix event.

4. Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus CAN - Looking to really solidify the gains from their coaching change two seasons ago, Soucisse/Firus had a very solid first international outing in September when they took bronze at Nebelhorn Trophy with one of the biggest scores of their career. There’s a good bit that rides on the results of this head-to-head matchup against Lauriault/Le Gac this week.

5. Marie-Jade Lauriault/Romain Le Gac CAN - The former four-time French silver medalists made the move to represent Canada last season. They took fourth at US Classic last month and will be looking to notch a head-to-head win over Soucisse/Firus this week.

6. Lorraine McNamara/Anton Spiridonov USA - For former World junior champ Lorraine McNamara, it’s been a long road back since the partner she won that Junior Worlds with retired a couple years ago. With Spiridonov, McNamara has made steady gains over the past couple of years, and they come in as the bronze medalists from US Classic earlier this season.

7. Loicia Demougeot/Theo Le Mercier FRA - In their second season on the international circuit, the young French team have already seen some positive signs, grabbing career best scores at Lombardia Trophy on their way to a fifth-place finish there.

8. Holly Harris/Jason Chan AUS - Australia’s number one team are looking at this season as a stepping stone after a couple of solid World championships the last two years. They were seventh at Nebelhorn and won bronze at Britannia Cup earlier this seaosn.

9. Mariia Holubtsova/Kyryl Bielobrov UKR - Displaced from their home country and training base because of the war, Holubtsova/Bielobrov—now the top Ukrainian dance team after Alexandra Nazarova/Maxim Nikitin retired—were taken in by the Ice Academy of Montreal, They took eighth at Nebelhorn Trophy, just behind Harris/Chan.

10. Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan GER - Their win at German Nationals was something of a surprise last season, though they had been making some steady improvements on the international circuit last year. They did end up withdrawing from Nebelhorn Trophy earlier this season while still recovering from injury, so their season debut might be slower than they expected.