If you’ve seen any of the early season competitions so far, you’ll know that the men’s event at this week’s 2023 Skate America has the potential to be, well, a men’s event. That is to say, likely with the exception of the top spot(s), the potential for there to be absolute chaos in the standings is real. World bronze medalist Ilia Malinin is more than likely going to run away with this title, but what happens to the rest? It’s anyone’s game.
Skate America predictions
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GOLD Ilia Malinin USA - Coming off a strong rookie senior season, Malinin has already shown the improvements he was focusing on over the summer on his basics and his musicality, and he gets to test that out this week at his home Grand Prix. A lot of the focus last year was on his technical content, and a lot of the focus this year will be on how he’s complementing that with the rest of his skating.
SILVER Kevin Aymoz FRA - Already a busy early season for Aymoz on the heels of his fourth-place finish at Worlds, he’s had a Challenger event, a domestic competition, and Japan Open under his belt. And that’s a good sign for him, because his past few seasons have been hampered by early-season injuries. His Bolero free skate is an experiment, of sorts, given what we’ve seen from him choreographically in the past.
BRONZE Shun Sato JPN - He’s been on the cusp for a few seasons now, but things haven’t clicked for him at the right times of the season. In an increasingly competitive and potentially increadingly consistent Japanese men’s field, Sato has a first shot at stepping up here at Skate America. There’s potentially a lot to be gained here for him for the rest of the season.
4. Nika Egadze GEO - As the lone senior man from Georgia now that Morisi Kvitelashvili has retired, Egadze has taken that status and made the best of it so far this season, with two silver medals on the Challenger earlier in the season. He’s known to be an up-and-down skater, but he’s got the technical prowess to get into the top spots here.
5. Stephen Gogolev CAN - I’m painting Gogolev as the surprise of the week. After what was a largely inconsistent and disappointing season last year, he is looking to step into the void that has been left by the retirement of Keegan Messing on the Canadian men’s scene. His first event of the season was promising, and he could really make a mark here this week.
6. Andrew Torgashev USA - Maybe it’s the competition of breakthroughs from last season, but Torgashev is another example of that, with the surprising success of his return to competition last year. His motivation early this season is already evident, and you’d imagine that this could be just the start of a strong build for him this season.
7. Deniss Vasiljevs LAT - Consistency in competition has been elusive for Vasiljevs, and that was the case just a month ago at Nepela Memorial, where he was in third after a solid short and then dropped to seventh. It’s going to be another competition where we could see him be right up there on the podium or somewhere else altogether. Good news is that his quad sal is promising early in the season.
8. Vladimir Litvintsev AZE - Litvintsev has been one of those guys who has been under the radar even though he’s got some real talent. He just hasn’t had that much big competition exposure for his name to get out there. But now that he’s got two Grand Prix assignments this season, that may change.
9. Nozomu Yoshioka JPN - Fifth at Lombardia Trophy, the World junior bronze medalist from last sesaon makes his Grand Prix debut in his first full season on the senior circuit.
10. Maxim Naumov USA - Fourth at US Nationals earlier this year, Naumov started off his season with a disappointing 11th at Nepela Memorial.
11. Tatsuya Tsuboi JPN - It was a strong senior debut season for Tsuboi last year, but he couldn’t keep that momentum going later on. He was a bit hot and cold last year, and that will determine his potential this week as well.
12. Andreas Nordeback SWE - The new Swedish champ hits the Grand Prix circuit for the first time. He was 11th at Finlandia Trophy a few weeks back.