Two of this season’s Grand Prix champions will face off at Grand Prix Espoo this week, the final qualifying event before the Grand Prix Final, and both of them have very good chances to make it to the Final. Joining them in Espoo are two skaters who are both coming back from injuries that kept them from even skating during the Olympic season. The potential for some great skating is very much there.
2022 Grand Prix Espoo predictions
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GOLD Mai Mihara JPN - It’s crazy to think that it was only this season where Mihara picked up her first ever Grand Prix title. And, on paper, she’s ever so slightly favored to win her second title this week. But the competition from Hendrickx will not be easy, and Mihara will need to rely on her stronger skating this season and her usual consistency to go two-for-two on her way to Torino for her first Grand Prix Final.
SILVER Loena Hendrickx BEL - Fresh off a fifth Belgian title earned just last weekend, Hendrickx is hoping to extend her undefeated streak this week with another Grand Prix title and a spot in the Final. Given what we’ve seen this season so far, the free skate will probably be the hurdle for her as she battles Mihara for the title.
BRONZE Anastasiia Gubanova GEO - Two bronzes coming in to this event, one at a Challengers and one at a Grand Prix, Gubanova is looking to get back on the podium again, and could even be something of a spoiler this week if either Mihara or Hendrickx makes mistakes. She has proven to be consistent this season, which goes a long way in a post-Olympic season.
4. Rika Kihira JPN - We saw some upgrades and improvements from her between Japan Open and Skate Canada. And with another four weeks since her last event, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that she could bring back even more difficulty this week in Espoo. Putting down a clean short program will be key for her to put herself in a position for a medal. And as we saw at Skate Canada, where she was off the podium by just six points, a lower-difficulty Kihira can still be very dangerous.
5. Mana Kawabe JPN - In France a couple weeks ago, Kawabe skated a really strong short program but couldn’t replicate that in the free. As she gets more used to her new coaching situation this season, it will be important for her to deliver here, especially with the potential of a very deep Japanese women’s field at Nationals this year.
6. Madeline Schizas CAN - The free skate has very much been the enemy this season so far for Schizas, who has done well in the short in her three events but dropped in the standings after mistakes in the free. If she can put two good programs together this week, it would not only be a good boost for her ahead of Canadians but it could put her in contention for a medal.
7. Lindsay Thorngren USA - Consistency has been tough to come by for Thorngren, who has shown more confidence in her jumps in past seasons. But it hasn’t been the season that she had been hoping for so far. She finished ninth at Skate Canada a month ago.
8. Janna Jyrkinen FIN - Last year’s Finnish junior champ has emerged as the frontrunner among the Finnish women this season so far. Her bronze medal finish just last week at Warsaw Cup should be a good confidence builder for her ahead of her Grand Prix debut at home.
9. Eva-Lotta Kiibus EST - 12th at NHK last week, Kiibus had to dig herself out of a disappointing short program. It is often feast or famine with her consistency in competition.
10. Bradie Tennell USA - 12th at MK John Wilson Trophy, Tennell made her comeback to competition and had some solid moments amid a lot of tentative skating. She’s had a couple weeks now to sharpen it and leave that event behind her. Let’s see what the upside is for her in Espoo this week.
11. Jenni Saarinen FIN - When she’s on, she’s got some strong all-around skating, but her inconsistency has not served her well. She was 12th at Ice Challenge two weeks ago.
12. Linnea Ceder FIN - Second to Saarinen at Finnish Nationals last year, Ceder makes her Grand Prix debut after an 11th at Finlandia and a 10th at Nebelhorn to start her season.