With three spots still mathematically available for the men at the Grand Prix Final, the possibilities are there for some surprises at NHK Trophy this week. But if all goes as planned, it will be the current two top Japanese men who will make it to the Final in two weeks. The one who has a bit more breathing room will be Shoma Uno; the one who will need to really be on his A-game will be Yuma Kagiyama.
NHK Trophy predictions
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GOLD Shoma Uno JPN - Silver here and Uno guarantees himself a spot in the Final. And while it’s difficult to see him outside the top two, there was moments at Cup of China where he could' have completely fallen apart and fallen completely off the podium. It’s kind of edge of your seat with him sometimes, and it will be important for him to keep it together. He can win without being clean, but he can’t make too many mistakes.
SILVER Yuma Kagiyama JPN - Kagiyama made a triumphant return to the Grand Prix series with a bronze medal finish in France. He’s not quite back at his technical content from a few years ago, but his overall skating puts him in very strong contention at any event. If he can be clean this week in both programs, he’s really got a shot at the title, especially given how messy Uno was in the free skate a couple weeks back.
BRONZE Lukas Britschgi SUI - Coming off the biggest title of his career just last week at Warsaw Cup, Britschgi is looking to step onto the Grand Prix podium for the first time. The score from his fourth place at Grand Prix de France would have won him gold at Skate Canada—that’s how crazy that event was.
4. Gabriele Frangipani ITA - I question myself every time I make a prediction for Frangipani. Look at it this way, his highest score this season was 251.59 at Cup of China two weeks ago, but then a month before that, he had his lowest score of the season—65 points lower at 187.55. The Cup of China experience has to have been a motivating one, and he can back it up again this week with another top five finish.
5. Camden Pulkinen USA - His fifth-place finish at Grand Prix France was on the heels of two solid but not spectacular programs. For him to figure out how to get back onto the World team this season, it will be important for him to continue to show progress in his consistency this week. Yes, the quad toe will be crucial, but so will just getting the stuff he knows how to do done well.
6. Nika Egadze GEO - It’s been a good season for Egadze, now the sole Georgian man on the senior circuit. He’s won three silver medals on the Challenger series and took fourth at Skate America a month ago. What he lacks in components compared to the other top guys here he has in his technical repertoire.
7. Aleksandr Selevko EST - Both Selevko brothers are competing in Japan this week, and it’s Aleksandr who has had the stronger season so far, particularly with his bronze medal finish at Finlandia Trophy. His issues often come with popping jumps, and he will need to avoid that to get up in the standings here.
8. Wesley Chiu CAN - After a rough last season where he couldn’t put two solid programs together, Chiu has come back this season looking more ready for competition. He was most recently seventh at Skate Canada.
9. Luc Economides FRA - With a career-best free skate at home, Economides finished a surprise sixth at Grand Prix de France. Another performance like that would give him a really good look at a top half finish again this week.
10. Tatsuya Tsuboi JPN - Eighth at Skate America, Tsuboi was on and off during practices there. If he is to find himself higher up in this field, he will need to find some more consistency here.
11. Deniss Vasiljevs LAT - This season so far has been somewhat trying for Vasiljevs, who, at his best, is very much a podium contender here at NHK. But he has competed twice this season and scored 215 at both events. Unless he’s been able to figure out his programs this season, it’ll be hard pressed to see him finish where his potential would have him.
12. Mihhail Selevko EST - Speaking of consistency, the younger Selevko has the basics to become a top skater, but he hasn’t figured out his jumps in competition on a regular basis. He was 11th at Skate Canada earlier this season.