No one imagined that, in 2024, we would be talking about 2022 World bronze medalist Alysa Liu’s return to competition. When she announced her retirement after that triumph in Montepellier, it seemed definitive. It felt like she was ready to move on from the sport. But almost exactly two years later, she got back to the rink. And she’s back on the Grand Prix this week at Skate Canada, where she will be up against, among others, the three-time World champ, Kaori Sakamoto.
Skate Canada International predictions
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GOLD Kaori Sakamoto JPN - Though her bronze at Lombardia Trophy broke her international win streak that dated back to January 2023, you better believe she has used the last six weeks of training to refine everything to get ready for the Grand Prix. Even so, her score at Lombardia is still higher than any of the competitors here have scored this season so far. She was experimenting with a new and more difficult free skate layout there, and it’ll be interesting to see if she sticks with that strategy in Halifax.
SILVER Hana Yoshida JPN - The triple axel has been solid for her so far this season. She landed it cleanly at Nebelhorn on her way to a bronze medal there last month. A week later, she won Regionals at home. It’s been another month of preparation, and she will be looking for better rotations on some of her combos to get on that podium. She had a superb Grand Prix series last year, where she made the Final and won bronze there.
BRONZE Alysa Liu USA - Is it ambitious to have her on the podium in her first Grand Prix event in three years? You bet. Is it altogether possible that it could happen? You bet. From just that first domestic event in early September to her win at Budapest Trophy two weeks ago, the improvements in her jumping and overall conditioning were evident. A couple cleaner jumping passes, and she is well on her way to her first GP medal.
4. Kimmy Repond SUI - Fifth at worlds last season, Repond finished just being Liu in Budapest two weeks ago. The second half of her free skate looks to be the most challenging so far for her, and she will need to push through that conditioning a bit more to get on the podium. This will only be her second Grand Prix of her career, and she is poised to finish way higher than her tenth-place debut.
5. Elyce Lin-Gracey USA - After a career-best skate at Nebelhorn, Lin-Gracey came back down to earth a bit last week at Skate America in her first Grand Prix appearance. The potential was still there, but she just wasn’t attacking as assertively as she was at Nebelhorn. This will be a second GP in two weeks, and the closeness of it will either give her that extra motivational adrenaline or be draining. She’s well-trained, and should rise to the occasion.
6. Rino Matsuike JPN - We have yet to see her internationally this season, but what we’ve seen from her in domestic events has been promising. She just won Regionals late in September, and the thing she will be looking to improve on will be the cleanness of rotations. Her skating is stunning, and if she’s on, she can very much challenge for the podium. She took bronze here last season.
7. Madeline Schizas CAN - It’s already been a ver busy season for Schizas. Theis will be her fourth international event, and she’s made steady improvements in each of them so far. The highlight so far was a clean short at Budapest Trophy two weeks ago, where she finished fifth. Skate Canada was the site of her best free skate last year, and she was fourth overall there.
8. Ekaterina Kurakova POL - Fourth at Shanghai Trophy, Kurakova comes into this season after an off-season coaching change, moving back to Europe. She finished last season with a career-best 11th at Worlds. Key for her as always will be rotations.
9. Sara-Maude Dupuis CAN - Without the higher technical content of her competitors here, Dupuis will need to rely on consistency to make a mark in her second appearance on the Grand Prix. She was 11th here last year, and ninth last month at Nebelhorn.
10. Kaiya Ruiter CAN - The reigning Canadian champion has not been able to find consistency in competition. She was seventh at Denis Ten Memorial and will need to put down cleaner skating here.
11. Seoyeong Wi KOR - Wi has a history of hitting pretty solid short programs, only to make mistakes in the free. She did that just two weeks ago at a domestic qualifying event. She was 13th at Nebelhorn in her international debut this season.
12. Yelim Kim KOR - Last season was a struggle for Kim. After a middling Grand Prix series, she ended up not qualifying for Korean Nationals. Her jump struggles have continued so far this season, and finishing eighth two weeks ago at the domestic event that Wi was also in.