For the US men, this season has been about Ilia Malinin and then everyone else. So it's really less about whether he will win his third national title and more about who makes it onto the World team to join Malinin in Boston. With Jason Brown out of Wichita this week, the race for the medals and the World spots is even more wide open.
US Nationals predictions
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GOLD Ilia Malinin - The last two seasons, Malinin ended up with the US title but perhaps not with the kind of free skates he would’ve liked to put out there. This week is an opportunity for him to change that, and he comes into Wichita having won everything he’s entered this season, including repeating as Grand Prix Final champion. Does he dial it down from the Final to give himself some breathing room? He won’t need it to win.
SILVER Andrew Torgashev - By far, the other (senior) skater who has put out strong results this season has been Torgashev, and he was the only other American man outside of Malinin to win a medal on the Grand Prix. With the exception of one short program this season, Torgashev has put out more consistency skating than perhaps he ever has in a single season. A medal and a trip back to Worlds are both within his grasp.
BRONZE Jacob Sanchez - Here’s the dark horse for the podium. And in many ways, Sanchez is really not that much of a dark horse. He swept the Junior Grand Prix this year, winning all three of his competitions, including the Final. And to top that off, he made his senior international debut at Tallinn Trophy and won there too. It’ll be his first senior Nationals, and with his strong foundational skating and his big jumps, Sanchez has a great shot at that podium.
4. Camden Pulkinen - After bronze here and a return to Worlds last season, Pulkinen has not put out a season that he’s been terribly proud of. But following a disappointing Grand Prix, he made some changes to his training environment and comes into Wichita looking much more prepared and confident in his skating.
5. Jimmy Ma - No Grand Prix assignments for Ma this season, but he has put out some solid free skates on the Challenger Series, including one that took him to bronze at Cranberry Cup in August. His results at Nationals have been as steady as can be, taking sixth three of the last four seasons and fifth two years ago. Can he break through and get himself on the podium?
6. Maxim Naumov - If there’s anyone who seems to be engineered to peak at Nationals, it’s Naumov. The last two seasons, he’s seemingly come out of nowhere to finish fourth with really strong skating. But while Nationals has been strong for him, the rest of his seasons don’t match up to that consistency and energy.
7. Tomoki Hiwatashi - A complete overhaul of his training environment took him to Japan this season to train in hopes of getting the consistency that he hopes could upend some of his recent Nationals results. He was eighth last season, but he’s medaled here before.
8. Daniel Martynov - Ninth here last year, Martynov comes into his third senior Nationals having just won silver on the Challenger at Tallinn Trophy.
9. Goku Endo - Endo put down some good free skates in international events this season, and he’s got really solid jumps that could set him up very well here.
10. Beck Strommer - Strommer is a phenomenal skater who has yet to get a triple axel, and though the technical content is not going to help him move up the standings, his superb components will make him competitive for the top ten.