It’s the fourth of six ISU Grand Prix shows – the Shiseido Cup of China – coming this weekend at the Chongqing Huaxi Culture & Sports Center. It will also be the 2019-2020 Grand Prix debut of World Pairs Champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China, in the first of their two appearances.
They are the last of the reigning World Champions to start and will have the “home-ice” advantage thanks to a lively crowd. China’s Boyang Jin is the favorite in the men’s event, also benefitting from home-crowd support.
The women’s competition will be a lively tussle between three Russians: 2015 World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, 2019 European winner Sofia Samodurova and Skate America winner Anna Shcherbakova. Add in two-time Worlds medalist Satoko Miyahara and it might be the highlight event of the program.
In Ice Dance, the 2019 Worlds silver medalists, Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov are the clear favorites. Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished second at last week’s Internationaux de France. The top entries:
Men:
● Keegan Messing (CAN) ~ 8th at 2018 World Championships
● Boyang Jin (CHN) ~ 2018 Olympic 4th; 2016-17 Worlds bronze medalist
● Matteo Rizzo (ITA) ~ 2019 European bronze medalist
Women:
● Marin Honda (JPN) ~ 2016 World Junior Champion
● Satoko Miyahara (JPN) ~ 2015 Worlds silver; 2018 Worlds bronze
● Sofia Samodurova (RUS) ~ 2019 European Champion; 2019 Worlds 8th
● Anna Shcherbakova (RUS) ~ 2019 Worlds Junior silver; Skate America winner
● Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) ~ 2015 World Champion; Skate America 3rd
Pairs:
● Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN) ~ 2019 Worlds 4th
● Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) ~ 2017-19 World Champions; 2018 Grand Prix Final 2nd
● Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guerise (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds 5th, 2019 Worlds 8th
● Tarah Kayne/Danny O’Shea (USA) ~ 2018 Four Continents winners
Ice Dance:
● Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) ~ 2019 Worlds silver; 2019 Gr. Prix Final 2nd
● Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) ~ 2015 Worlds silver; 2016 Worlds bronze
● Kaitlin Hayawek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA) ~ 2019 Worlds 9th
The prize money is, as normal, $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 for the top five. Look for results here.
