2018 World Championships: Preview

The 2018 World Championships are just a few days away.  Post-Olympic Worlds are a good place for those who struggled at the Olympics to have a shot at redemption and for new talent to stake their claim for the coming quad.  Here's a quick look at who we'll see this week...

Alina Zagitova (RUS)

2018 U.S. Championships: Preview

It's almost here!  The most pressure-filled event any U.S. skater will attend this year--yes, that includes the Olympics.  I expect this to be a dramatic event, especially in the women's field.  No one is a lock.  Some may have a better chance than others, but no one's ticket is stamped yet.  I'll take a look at where the competitors stand coming in and give them a bottom line for these championships.

There can only be 3...

2017-2018 Season Preview

Is it just me or did those last three and half years fly by?  The Olympic season is here!  This is going to be an exciting season full of drama and tension.  There are so many skaters all aiming for the same target: a trip to the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.  For some, the way should be easy; for others it's going to be a season long battle.  Here's where the top competitors stand as we head into the 2017-2018 season...

Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS)

Can she go undefeated 3 seasons in a row?

2017 World Championships: Preview

It's almost time for the main event!  This is a crucial one as the Olympics are next year.  The placement of the competitors at this event will determine how many skaters each country gets to send to Pyeongchang.

As always I'll take a look at where each skater stands coming into these championships and give them a bottom line for this event.

Who (other than Medvedeva) will stand on the podium?

2017 Junior World Championships: Preview

The junior season is SO long!  It started way back in August of 2016 and will finally wrap up at the Junior World Championships which will take place in Taipei City on March 15-19.  As usual the major battle for the podium will be between Russia and Japan but there are a few others who could shake things up.

Team Russia

Alina Zagitova, Polina Tsurskaya, Stanislava Konstantinova

L to R: Tsurskaya, Zagitova, Konstantinova

2015 World Championships: Ladies Preview

The 2015 World Championships are just a few days away!  It's been a long season but this is the competition everyone has been aiming for.  In preparation for the big event, I'm going to take a look at where the top skaters stand coming in and give them a bottom line for this competition.

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS)

2015 Junior World Championships: Ladies Preview

It's been a very long season for the junior ladies, starting all the way back in August with the first Junior Grand Prix event and finally ending with the last competition of the season: the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia.  With two-time champion Elena Radionova not in the competition, we're guaranteed to have a new winner this year.  Of course the usual suspects are in the running (i.e. the Russians) but there are a few others who can shake up the podium.

Team Russia

Evgenia Medvedeva, Maria Sotskova, Serafima Sakhanovich

L to R: Sotskova, Medvedeva, Sakhanovich

2015 U.S. Nationals: Ladies Preview

Nationals are right around the corner!  The senior ladies will take the ice for their SP in less than a week!  There have been plenty of story lines in US skating this year but it always comes down to who does what at nationals.  I'll take a look at where the top competitors stand coming in and give them a bottom line for these championships.

Battle of the Blondes!

Top Ladies 2014-2015 Season Preview

It's almost time!  It has been a long summer full of speculation, rumors and rehashing (as it always is) but the light at the end of the tunnel is rapidly approaching: the 2014-2015 season is upon us!  The top names of the last era are gone and as much as I'll miss them, I am super excited to see what this new crop of post-Sochi ladies can do.  Here's my speculation-filled preview of what the top ladies have in store for us this season.

Julia Lipnitskaya (RUS)

Can she win it all this year?

2014 World Championships: Ladies Preview

Oftentimes the World Championships are glossed over in a Olympic year.  After the high of the Olympics, going to worlds is a bit like stepping down.  Well, gloss or no, the World Championships are still a huge deal and winning a medal here, even if it's in an emotionally/physically depleted field, is also a huge deal.

The top ladies vying for gold

2014 Junior World Championships: Ladies Preview

Lordy, this has been one busy year for figure skating! After a very long season we're down to the final events: the World Championships.  Junior Worlds takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria from March 10-16.  Let's take a look at the top contenders on a team by team basis...

Team Russia

Elena Radionova, Serafima Sakhanovich, Evgenia Medvedeva

L to R: Medvedeva, Radionova, Sakhanovich

2013 World Championships: Ladies Preview

It’s finally here!  The main event…the big showdown:  the 2013 World Championships.  Next to Olympic gold, there is no higher honor in figure skating than a world title. I have to say this is the first time in a long time that I’ve been excited for the ladies competition at worlds.

2013 Junior World Championships: Ladies Preview

The ladies SP at junior worlds gets underway today in Milan, Italy. I have sworn off of making predictions for competitions this year (because I suck at it) but I think a preview is a safe way to make some “predictions” without really making them. Let’s take a look on a team by team basis…

Team Russia 

Elena Radionova, Julia Lipnitskaya, Anna Pogorilaya 

L to R: Lipnitskaya, Radionova, Pogorilaya

2013 U.S. Nationals: Ladies Predictions

The last major national competition is right around the corner! I’m talking about the US nationals, taking place this week in Omaha, Nebraska. I’ve stayed away from making predictions about competitions this season (mainly because I sucked so badly at it last year) but I think I’m going channel my inner Miss Cleo and try for this one...

This ought to be pretty good...

2012-2013 U.S. Ladies Preview

So far we’ve been given a small preview of what we can expect to see from the US ladies when the season officially begins in about a month. I’m hopeful for just about all of these ladies but it’s inevitable that the great attitudes and happy-go-lucky sentiments won’t last past November…

Ashley Wagner

2011 Cup of China: Preview & Predictions

Man, I've been so busy this week!  I usually try to post this a few days before the competition but hey--better late than never...

Another showdown is on the way...

2011 Skate Canada: Ladies Preview & Predictions

One event down, five more to go.  The next stop on the Grand Prix is Skate Canada and, with any luck, the level of skating will be much better than last week's...

Maybe these three...maybe not...

2011 Skate America: Ladies Preview & Predictions

So I said I wasn't going post until after Skate America, but what they heck, I'll do a preview.  Why? 'Cause it's Friday and I'm bored as hell at work...

My money is on these three...