Looking at the lineup in the women’s event at Four Continents this week, it’s hard to imagine that nine of the top ten will not be occupied by the entrants from the three powerhouses, Japan, Korea, and the US. All three of those national championships were thrillers, and each of the skaters coming in have a good bit of momentum to ride on from their last events. Like the men, the women could have a number of realistic permutations of standings as well—lots of potential for great skating.
2023 Four Continents women predictions
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GOLD Isabeau Levito USA - Silver at the Grand Prix Final and, most recently, the new US champion, Levito has grabbed some of the biggest scores of this season so far, and she showed at US Nationals that she may have found another gear on her consistency. She has yet to finish lower than second in any event this season, and a win here would give her the biggest senior title of her career so far—and in her first season on the senior circuit.
SILVER Yelim Kim KOR - After a rough time at Grand Prix Final, where she was expected to medal but finished sixth, Kim came back and skated strongly at Korean Nationals to take silver there. You wonder if it’s just been too many competitions for her, as this will be her seventh international of the season. Consistency will be key, and oftentimes with her, if that opening lutz hits, the chances for the rest of the program going well are high.
BRONZE Chaeyeon Kim KOR - My podium surprise pick for this event, Kim has done a combo of junior and senior events internationally this season. She had a strong senior debut with silver at Finlandia Trophy, and still one of the top scores of the season. And though she took fourth at Korean Nationals, she’s brings in some strong consistency that could make the difference.
4. Bradie Tennell USA - Tennell is back, and though she still isn’t 100% back to her prior technical content, what she showed at the US Championships was cause for optimism. She’s shown huge improvements since the beginning of the season, and that US Nationals may have been key to her shaking off some of the cobwebs of competing in high-pressure events. Watch for underrotations, which could be the difference for her for the podium.
5. Rinka Watanabe JPN - If Watanabe can go clean in both programs, she’s very much a podium contender. But putting two strong programs together back to back has been a challenge this season, as we saw in her last three competitions. Even though she finished 12th at Japan Nationals, the strength of the rest of her season put her on this Four Continents team and on the World team. In a lot of ways, this is proving grounds for Watanabe. The triple axel will be key.
6. Haein Lee KOR - Her bronze at Korean Nationals came on the heels of two of the best programs she’s delivered this season, and she brings that momentum into Four Continents, where she won silver last season. Often with Lee, it’s the cleanness of rotation that will make or break her chances, and it won’t be different here.
7. Amber Glenn USA - US Nationals was something of a mental redemption for her. She’s had multiple poor short programs this season, which has made her scramble for strong free skates. And at Nationals, she found both of those programs to earn the bronze and a trip to Four Continents and Worlds. It’s been three years since her last Four Continents appearance; she was ninth in 2020.
8. Hana Yoshida JPN - Like Kao Miura in the men’s event, Yoshida had to crawl her way back from a disappointing short at Japan Nationals to set herself up for this Four Continents berth. And she did just that, finishing third in the free and sixth overall. Her chances here will likely depend on how well she can hit her triple axel here. The last time she competed internationally, it was a rough go at the Junior Grand Prix Final. And she will look to improve from that event.
9. Mone Chiba JPN - Even though she was fifth at Japan Nationals, Chiba has not had a strong international season so far. She can change that this week in the biggest international event of her career.
10. Madeline Schizas CAN - In her first Four Continents appearance, the two-time Canadian champion has the goods to put up a strong challenge in this deep field. Her free skate has been something of a minefield this season, so she will need to clean that up if she hopes to get into the top 7-8 here.