The men's event kicks off today. The men are divided into two sections as all of the skaters complete their short and then the top 24 go on to compete in the free skate portion of the event. It makes for a long day. If you watch early on Universal Sports, you'll see skaters from countires and territories like Puerto Rico, Brasil, Mexico, Montenegro, Australia, etc. Not your typical skating powerhouses.
The heavier hitters in the mens event start to appear later in the day as warm-up groups 7 & 8 take the ice. With several skaters electing not to skate at worlds after the Olympics, this is an event where skaters get a chance for repeats and redemption to cap off the season.
I'm most excited to see the US skaters, Jeremy Abbott, Ryan Bradley and Adam Rippon. The worlds have not brought out the best in Jeremy, but the 3rd time may be a charm here. Ryan is skating on *gasp* a broken toe. He's planning to go after his quads anyways as he has nothing to lose here at the end of season and in what may be his last competition. Adam very much has the "next big thing" vibe going for him and comes into this event as the two-time junior champ.
The Japanese team should give the US guys some heavy competition and I'm excited to see who will come out on top. Daisuke Takahashi is the only Olympic medalist competing. Outside of Jeremy Abbott, he's probably the best skater to combine artistry, audience command and quads in the competition.
Here's further previews:
Aaron's take at Axels, Loops and Spins
Goldenskate
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