Threestyle’s New Syndicated Radio Show Comes to Smooth Jazz and More

For the first time in our internet radio station 21 year history, Smooth Jazz and More will be airing the syndicated show on our airwaves, “The Threestyle Jazz Radio Show”.  The program, hosted by the group ‘Threestyle’, showcases new music from the group, and interviews interviews from various music artists.

The Germany-based smooth jazz group is comprised of guitarist Robert Fertl, saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova and twin sister & drummer, Gabriella. Since 2010, they’ve released 10 solo albums and the track, “Ready to Go” off the album ‘Reasons 2 Love’ reached #1 on the US Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart.

During their careers, the group collaborated with a number of guest music artists, ranging from jazz and pop including Grammy winning guitarist Paul Brown, guitarist Nils and former Yellowjackets contributor, Jimmy Halsip.  In March, 2018; ‘Threestyle’ was selected as our featured artist, and the group also contributed to the Smooth Jazz and More Podcast.

“The Threestyle Jazz Radio Show” made it’s debut on November 13, and continues it’s broadcast Sundays at 4pm, with a repeat airing at 8pm. (West coast listeners can tune in at 9pm Pacific.)

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Smooth’s Podium Picks: 2024 World Figure Skating Championships

After COVID and a canceled competition, Montreal finally gets the chance to welcome the World.  Four years ago, the world was shut down by a deadly pandemic, which no one knew was the cause, and up until that time, knew of a cure or treatment. Montreal, which was supposed to be where the World Championships were supposed to take place in 2020 was abruptly cancelled, along with many sporting events. The International Skating Union re-scheduled the event for 2024. Since that time, the Russians were banned from competition because of the assault on Ukraine in 2022. The omission has brought some parody to the sport, with skaters from countries who would not have been able to compete in contention.

This will mark Canada’s 11th time hosting the event, and the second time for the city of Montreal. Montreal last hosted the Championships in 1932, the very first time Canada was named as a host. Canada last hosted the event in London, Ontario back in 2013.   A total of 200 skaters will compete.

Here’s our predictions for this week.

Men: This division shapes up to be a very close competition, where the slightest mistake costs a skater a medal, or a podium spot. At the top of the list is Ilia Malilin, who dominated US Nationals with his 2nd straight men’s gold. However, Grand Prix season was not quite perfect, as he stumbled in France, finishing with silver, but still captured his 1st Grand Prix title. Japanese skaters are his biggest challengers, with two-time Olympic medalist Shoma Uno and 2022 Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama aiming to knock him off tot top spot. Uno is gunning for a three-peat as world champion, and picked up his 6th national men’s title. In Grand Prix action, he won silver in all three appearances. Meanwhile, Kagiyama returned from injury to pick up wins at Grand Prix NHK Trophy and the Four Continents Championship in February. Kao Miura is the third skater who could give Malilin trouble this weekend. He won the Grand Prix Espoo, and finished 2nd at Skate Canada.

Skaters to Watch: France’s Adam Siao Him Fa’s season began with five straight wins, including upset gold medal performances in Angers and the Cup of China. A fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix Final was made up with his 2nd national championship and his 2nd straight European title. Jason Brown makes his sixth appearance at worlds for the United States. His best finish was fourth back in 2015. South Korea’s Cha Junhwan finished a surprising 2nd at last year’s worlds, but suffered injury problems that had him miss his second Grand Prix assignment. He returned to action at 4CC, finishing 3rd. China’s Boyang Jin made a return to the ice this season, with a win in the Challenger Series in Zagreb and missing the podium at last month’s 4CC. Other contenders include Switzerland’s Lukas Britschgi, Canada’s Wesley Chiu and Latvia’s Dennis Vasiljevs. In all, 40 men will compete this week.

FULL ENTRIES HERE! 

Smooth’s Pick: This is Malinin’s title to lose.
1. Ilia Malinin (USA)
2. Yuma Kagiyama (JPN)
3. Shoma Uno (JPN)

Women: 35 skaters will make their mark in Montreal this weekend, with the Japanese and South Koreans the heavy favorites to dominate the three podium spots. Kaori Sakamoto goes for a three-peat, having defended her crown twice over. She has been dominant all season long, winning each of her assignments, and taking home her 4th national championship. But this year could pose a problem for her. Teammate Mone Chiba is coming off a win at the Four Continents Championship last month, and looks to parlay that into success this weekend. She finished 2nd behind Sakamoto at Japanese Nationals. South Korea’s Lee Haein finished a surprising 2nd last year, and looks to improve her standing. However, she had a poor performance in this year’s Grand Prix, with two 4th place finishes, and a disastrous 4CC showing last month, finishing 11th. Teammate Kim Chaeyeon finished 6th at last year’s worlds, but this year took home silver at Skate Canada and finished 2nd at last month’s 4CC.

Skaters to Watch: Belgium have two skaters who could make more history this weekend. Loena Hendrickx continues to dominate, winning at Skate America, finishing 2nd in the Grand Prix Final, and bringing home the country’s first European women’s championship in 77 years. But teammate Nina Pinzarrone’s rise has been dramatic, beating out Hendrickx for the national championship, placing 2nd at Grand Prix de France and 3rd at NHK Trophy qualify for the final, just missing the podium in 4th. Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova was unsuccessful in repeating at European women’s champion, finishing 2nd, but still put together a personal best score. The United States has two contenders with Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn. Both women fought it out at nationals to a stunning finish, where Glenn would win her first national title on Levito’s missteps. Other skaters looking to make the top 10 include Canada’s Madeline Schizas, Switzerland’s Kimmy Repond, Poland’s Ekaterina Kurakova and Estonia’s Nina Petrokina.

FULL ENTRIES HERE!!

Smooth’s Pick: Predicting a photo finish, with an “upset special” brewing.
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN)
2. Amber Glenn (USA)
3. Loena Hendrickx (BEL)

Pairs: Defending champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan have had much difficulty this season, having to withdraw from Grand Prix assignments due to a back injury suffered by Kihara. They will be hard pressed to repeat as champions. With the competition taking place at the Bell Centre, Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps have the home ice advantage. The pairs team won both their Grand Prix assignments this season, and took home gold at the Four Continents Championship last month. They look to improve on last year’s fourth place finish. Their main competition will be from Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin. The German pair have only skated together in eight competitions, and have been successful six times, winning gold. Their last event at Europeans had a disappointing fifth place showing. Italy has two contenders this weekend. Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise were the surprise winners at Europeans this past January. They barely missed the Grand Prix Final, finishing at 2nd at NHK Trophy and 3rd at Skate Canada. Teammates Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii were the favorites at Euros, until a poor performance dropped them to 6th place. They look to improve on their bronze medal.

Teams to Watch: Canada has two other teams that will contend this week. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud had a successful Grand Prix season with a silver finish at Skate America, and winning their first gold in Angers, qualifying for the Final, where they finished 6th. Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier will skate in their first world championships this week, having finished 3rd at nationals. China’s Cheng Peng and Lei Wang continue to work their way to the top of the world pairs standings in only their fifth competition as a couple. They finished 6th at 4CC last month. Americans have three slots this weekend, with Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe with the best chance to reach the podium. In all, 24 teams will compete for medals.

FULL ENTRIES HERE!

Smooth’s Pick: It will be close, but I give the edge to the Canadians to take home gold.
1. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps (CAN)
2. Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA)
3. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER)

Ice Dance: It will be a fierce competition between Canadian and American teams, with the slight favorites going to defending champs, Madison Chock and Evan Bates. They’ve dominated the field, winning all of their Grand Prix assignments and winning their 5th national title. They declined an invite to the Four Continents Championship in February to prepare for this week’s worlds. They will have a challenge by Piper Gillies and Paul Poirier, who look for their first world championship this week on home ice. They took home third at worlds last year, and in 2021. Two other teams stand to fight for podium spots. Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri were last year’s runner-up. They took home their second European championship, and finished 2nd in the Grand Prix Final this season. Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson gave the Italians a run for their money this season with a win at NHK Trophy and a second-place finish at Euros.

Teams to Watch: 31 other teams will take part in ice dance this week, with a few looking to make a move on their Olympic ambitions. One such team is Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who won their first Grand Prix medals and won the country’s first European medal (bronze). Finland’s Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis have also made strides this season, placing 3rd at Grand Prix Espoo. Controversy developed with Canada’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen, as they were forced to withdraw from nationals due to sexual assault allegations. They did however participate at 4CC, where they finished 2nd. Other teams in contention are France’s Loicia Demougeot and Theo Le Mercier; Japan’s Misato Komatsubara and Tim Koleto, and Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko.

FULL ENTRIES HERE! 

Smooth’s Pick: Even though Canadians have home ice, the Americans have the edge.
1. Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA)
2. Piper Gillies and Paul Poirier (CAN)
3. Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA)

Smooth’s Podium Picks: 2024 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

Shanghai, China will be the setting for the regional competition representing non-European countries in Americas (North America and South America), Africa, Asia and Oceania. Located on the central coast, the city has grown enormously within the last 30 years, overtaking Beijing as the country’s biggest city, and is considered a global financial hub. The tournament has been dominated by the United States, Canada, Japan and China, having won 277 out of 288 medals since 1999.

Men: Japan stands to dominate the competition, with 2022 Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama the leading contender this week. He’s fresh off a 2nd place finish at Japanese nationals, and had a successful Grand Prix season, winning NHK Trophy gold and finishing third in Angers and the Grand Prix Final in Beijing. Shun Sato is his biggest competitor, having had a 2nd place finish in Espoo and a 3rd place finish at Skate America. Sota Yamamoto finished 3rd at nationals and won at Skate Canada in October, but missed a Grand Prix Final with a 6th place finish at Cup of China. There are a few skaters that could prevent a Japanese sweep. South Korea’s Junhwan Cha won his 7th national championship, and was 9th at Skate Canada. The rest of the field of 27 will be looking to try and grab at least a top 10 finish. They include Canada’s national champion Wesley Chiu, and teammate Roman Sadovsky, Americans Andrew Tornashev, and 4th place US national finisher, Maxim Naumov.

FULL LIST OF SKATERS

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Yuma Kagiyama (JPN)
2. Sota Yamamoto (JPN)
3. Shun Sato (JPN)4

Women: Like the men, Japanese women have the edge in this week’s event, with South Korea looking to make a stand. The top skater is Mai Mihara, who won twice in 2017 and 2022. However, she’s had a disappointing season, where she finished 5th at nationals and placed 8th at NHK Trophy. Rinka Watanabe finished 5th at last year’s 4CC, and was 6th at nationals. Mone Chiba looks to reach the 4CC podium after last year’s 3rd place finish. She also finished 2nd behind eventual Japanese champ, Kaori Sakamoto. As for the Koreans, defending champion Haein Lee looks to re-take the crown, however a 3rd place finish at nationals could make it a challenge. Chaeyeon Kim stands to make the biggest splash, having missed the podium last year in 4th place. Seoyeong Wi makes her 4CC debut this weekend. Other skaters to watch out for is American Ava Zeigler, who bypassed US Nationals last week in order to compete at 4CC. She won her first senior Grand Prix event, taking home gold at NHK Trophy. Canadian Madeline Schizas looks to bounce back from being denied a third straight national title.

FULL LIST OF SKATERS

Smooth’s Pick: Bypassing US Nationals for Zeigler may be the right decision.
1. Ava Zeigler (USA)
2. Mai Mihara (JPN)
3. Haein Lee (KOR)

Pairs: Since winning the World Championships last year, Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have had bad luck this season, from experiencing injuries, to losing luggage that prevented them from competing. Their only appearance this season was a 2nd place finish at the Autumn Classic Challenger Series. This weekend, the defending 4CC champs will determine if they’re back, of if it’s another setback. 12 teams will compete, including Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who bronze in the same event last year. Canada has two other teams skating this weekend, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, who had a successful Grand Prix season, winning in Angers and finishing 2nd at Skate America. China, which is usually a perennial powerhouse in pairs, will have three teams being represented. The top team is Cheng Peng and Lei Wang, who finished third at this season, Cup of China. Yuchen Wang and Lei Zhu only have one international competition, while Siyang Zhang and Yongchao Yang were 8th at last year’s 4CC. Americans will have three teams who competed at nationals last week, including newly crowned champions Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea.

FULL LIST OF TEAMS

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps (CAN)
2. Cheng Peng and Lei Wang (CHN)
3. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (JPN)

Ice Dance: Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates withdrew from the competition on Sunday after winning their fifth US championship to focus on Worlds. That leaves Canadians Piper Giles and Paul Poirier as the odd-on favorites. They were dominant the last few weeks, having won their third straight national championship and winning Grand Prix assignments at Skate Canada and Cup of China, along with bronze in the GP Final. Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko are fresh off a silver medal at last week’s nationals, and had two fourth place finishes in Grand Prix action (Angers and Espoo). Teammates Caroline Green and Michael Parsons missed the podium at last week’s nationals, and are also contenders. Canadians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolai Sorensen figure to contend this week, but still face questions on viability due to allegations of misconduct against Sorensen that forced the team to pull out of Canadian nationals. Teammates Marie-Jade Lauriault and Roman Le Gac look to increase their international standing. Other teams contending in the 16-team field includes Japan’s Misato Komatsubara and Tim Koleto & South Korea Hannah Lim and Ye Quan.

FULL LIST OF TEAMS

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Piper Giles and Paul Poirier (CAN)
2. Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (USA)
3. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolai Sorensen (CAN)

Smooth’s Podium Picks: 2024 US Figure Skating Championships

Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this year’s United States Figure Skating Championships. A few interesting facts about the city. It was named after Italian explorer Christopher Columbus at the city’s founding in 1812. It’s also the state capital, with over 900,000 residents. It’s also the home of The Ohio State University, as well as the home of MLS’ Columbus Crew who won the soccer league championship in 2023. And of course, the home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, who play at the Nationwide Arena, where the event will take place. Medals will be awarded to the top four skaters in each disciplines on the Junior and Senior levels.

Men: Ilia Malinin had a nearly flawless Grand Prix season winning at Skate America in October, and the Grand Prix Final in Beijing. The one blemish was at Grand Prix de France, where he was upset by French skater, Adam Siao Him Fa, having to settle for silver. He’s the odds-on favorite to win in Columbus this week, but his competition still will give him a challenge. Jason Brown will compete in his 13th US Nationals this season. He finished 2nd last year, and looks to reach the top of the podium for the first time since 2015. He hasn’t competed in Grand Prix action since 2021. Camden Pulkinen finished a disappointing 8th at last year’s nationals, but had two 5th place finishes in Angers and NHK Trophy this season. Jimmy Ma was 5th in 2023, and was 9th (Angers) and 11th (Espoo, Finland) in GP action this season. Other skaters to watch out for are Lucas Broussard, Andrew Torgashev and Liam Kapeikis.

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Ilia Malinin
2. Jason Brown
3. Lucas Broussard

Women: Isabeau Levito put together a near-flawless performance at Skate America that resulted in a 2nd place finish. A win at Grand Prix de France clinched her first Final appearance, where she finished 5th. She looks to take home her 2nd straight National title, but there are a few skaters that will stand in her way. Amber Glenn gave one of the best free skates of her career at Grand Prix Espoo, climbing for 11th to 2nd, coming home with her second GP medal. She looks for her first US title this week, after 2nd and third place finishes. Lindsay Thorngren brought home her first Grand Prix medal at NHK Trophy with a surprising 2nd place finish. The former 2020 junior US champion was 6th last year. Starr Andrews missed the podium in 4th last year, and hopes to reach it this time around. Audrey Shin finished well off the podium in 13th place at last year’s Nationals, but was able to compete in Grand Prix action at Skate Canada (7th) and Cup of China (9th). One skater who won’t compete this week is Ava Zeigler, who will instead focus on the Four Continents Championships later this month. She was expected to give defending champ Levito the biggest challenge of the competition.  Other skaters to look out for are Josephine Lee, Wren Warne-Jacobsen, Clare Seo and Elyce Lin-Gracey.

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Amber Glenn
2. Isabeau Levito
3. Lindsay Thorngren

Pairs: With defending champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frasier out this year ‘s tournament, the pairs field is wide open, with the winner guaranteed to take home their first national championship. At the top of the list are Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez, who are currently ranked 11th in this season’s world standings. They missed the podium in both of their Grand Prix assignments, finishing 4th at Skate America and Grand Prix de France, but will look to improve on their 5th place finish at nationals. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea finished 3rd at last year’s nationals, but only competed in one Grand Prix events, finishing 6th at Espoo. Likewise, Maria Mokhova and Ivan Mokhov also have one GP appearance this season, finishing 8th. They finished 7th at last year’s nationals. One team that is expected to contend is Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, who were 2nd at last year’s nationals and had a 2nd place finish at last season’s 4CC, but were forced to withdraw from their 2023 Grand Prix assignments due to injury. Other teams to watch out for are Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov; Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman, and Megan Wessenberg and Edoardo Caputo.

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Emily Chan and Spencer Howe
2. Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez
3. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea

Ice Dance: Defending champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates look to win their 3rd straight and 5th overall national ice dance title. So far this season, they’ve cruised through their Grand Prix assignments, winning at Skate America, Eshoo and the Grand Prix Final. With recent withdrawals (Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker & Lorraine McNamara and Anton Spiridonov both out of this weekends competition), they’re now considered the heavy favorites to take the crown. But there are still other teams looking to reach the podium. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons finished 2nd at last year’s nationals, and took home bronze at Cup of China. Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko finished 3rd in 2023, and have two 4th place finishes in Grand Prix competition this season (Angers and Espoo). Eva Pate and Logan Bye were 5th last year and were 6th in both of their GP assignments (Cup of China and NHK Trophy). Other teams looking to score in the top three are Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville; Oona Brown and Gage Brown & Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Madison Chock and Evan Bates
2. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons
3. Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko

And here are my selections for junior nationals

Men: Beck Strommer

Women: Jessica Jurka

Pairs: Olivia Flores and Luke Wang

Ice Dance: Leah Neset and Artem Markelov

FULL LIST OF JUNIOR AND SENIOR PARTICIPANTS HERE:

Smooth’s Podium Picks 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships

Canadian Nationals takes place in the city of Calgary, Alberta. The Olympic Saddledome (now called Scotiabank Saddledome) was the setting for the 1988 Winter Olympics, where Elizabeth Manley surprised everyone, overcoming all adversity to bring the host country a silver medal performance and became “Canada’s Sweetheart”. Katarina Witt would win her second straight Olympic gold, while Debi Thomas would become the first African-American figure skater to win an Olympic medal, bringing home bronze. In an exciting men’s Olympic final, American Brian Boitano out skated Canadian Brian Orser for gold. And the Soviet Union would win its final gold medals in pairs and ice dance before breaking up into individual countries.

This year, the smaller 2,500 seat WinSport Arena is the where the main skating competitions will take place this weekend, and for the first time ever, Synchronized Skating will be decided on the senior and junior level during the same weekend.

Men: The retirement of Keegan Messing throws the men’s category into the hands of skaters with limited international experience. In fact, the highest position for Canadian men in the world standings this season is at #22, which is occupied by Wesley Chiu. Chiu’s best finish this Grand Prix season was 7th at Skate Canada. He also had an 11th place finish at NHK Trophy. Stephen Gogolev has been struggling with injuries for the last three years, and hasn’t reached his full potential. His best finish this season was 7th at Grand Prix de France. Roman Sadovsky also had an injury plagued season, as he was unable to participate in Grand Prix competition. He finished 8th at last year’s nationals. The skater with the best chance at winning is Conrad Orzel, who finished 2nd to Messing last year. He only competed at Skate Canada where he finished 10th. Thirteen other skaters will participate, of those to watch out for is Aleksa Rakic, who was the Canadian Junior Men’s title holder in 2019.

FULL LIST OF SKATERS 

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Roman Sadovsky
2. Wesley Chiu
3. Stephen Gogolev

Women: The field is in better shape than in year’s past, though it could use more international experience. The top skater is Madeline Schizas, who is gunning to win her third straight national championship. She’s still looking for her first Grand Prix medal, with her best finish at Cup of China in 4th. Her main competition will be from Kaiya Ruiter, who finished 2nd at last year’s nationals. She finished 10th at Skate Canada earlier this season. The rest of the 18-skater field is wide open, with Fiona Bombardier (who will also participate in pairs with Gabriel Farand) and Sara-Maude Dupuis being the other two skaters that stands the best chance of landing a podium spot. Dupuis was 4th in last year’s nationals, while Bombardier took bronze. As for skaters to watch, keep your eyes on Justine Miclette, who won the Canadian women’s junior title in 2022, and had a 3rd place finish in this year’s Autumn Classic.

FULL LIST OF SKATERS

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Madeline Schizas
2. Kaiya Ruiter
3. Justine Miclette

Pairs: Canadian pairs continue to flourish with three of the four top teams in the world competing. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are the defending national champions, and are currently 3rd in the world pairs standings. They won Grand Prix gold at Skate Canada and Cup of China; and finished 3rd at the Grand Prix Final. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud had a successful GP season, taking silver at Skate American and winning at the Grand Prix de France. Their Grand Prix Final showing was a disappointing 6th. Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier look to climb onto a podium spot after finishing 4th at nationals last year. They were 5th at this year’s Skate Canada and finished 7th at NHK Trophy. A fourth team won’t participate, with Brooke MacIntosh and Benjamin Mimar bowing out due to injury. A total of 10 teams will compete for podium spots.

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps
2. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud
3. Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier

Ice Dance: The competition was rocked by accusations of sexual misconduct against ice dancer, Nikolaj Soerensen. The alleged assault took place in 2012, while he competed for his home country of Denmark. Because of the ongoing investigation, he and partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry withdrew from the competition, and won’t defend their national title. This was the second withdrawal of ice dancers this week. Earlier this month, Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha pulled out of the competition because of injury. That leaves 11 teams that will compete this weekend. At the top of the list are Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. The team had to withdraw last year due to emergency surgery made on Gilles. They were able to return to action and generate wins at Skate Canada and Cup of China. In the Grand Prix Final, they finished with bronze. Three teams look to join them on the podium this weekend. Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac finished 3rd in last year’s nationals, and had their best Grand Prix finish in Angers (5th). Molly Lanaghan and Dmitre Razgulajevs look to improve on their 8th place finish last year; and Alicia Fabbri & Paul Ayer finished 7th at this year’s Skate Canada. One team to watch out for is Haley Sales and Nikolas Wamsteeker, who were 5th at last year’s nationals.

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier
2. Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac
3. Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer

And here are our picks for Canadian Juniors this weekend;

Men: Liam Schmidt

FULL LIST OF SKATERS

Women: Mély-Ann Gagne

FULL LIST OF SKATERS

Pairs: Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Ice Dance: Chloe Nguyen and Brendan Giang

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Podium Picks: 2024 European Figure Skating Championships

The city of Kaunas, which is the second largest in the country of Lithuania is the setting of the European championships.

A few fun facts about the location.  The city was founded in 1413, and for a time served as a Governorate capital of the Russian Empire between 1843 and 1915. In between WWI and WWII, it served as a temporary capital of Lithuania after the current capital (Vilnius) was captured and controlled by Poland. Today, Kaunas has been noted for it’s rich cultural and academic life. It’s interwar architecture is regarded as among the finest examples of European Art Deco and has received the European Heritage Label. In addition, Kaunas was designated as the first city in Central and Eastern Europe as a UNESCO City of Design.

Men: Adam Siao Him Fa of France had a highly successful Grand Prix season, upsetting World #1 ranked Ilia Malinin of the United States at the Grand Prix de France and two-time World champion Shoma Uno at the Cup of China. But his fortunes ran out with a poor showing at the Grand Prix Final, where he finished 4th. He comes into Euros as the favorite this week. Teammate Kevin Aymoz will be his main competitor, having much better success this season than in previous years. He was 2nd at Skate America and 3rd at the Grand Prix Espoo in Finland. He qualified for the GP Final, where he finished 6th. Also gunning for the podium is Switzerland’s Lukas Britschgi, who won his first Grand Prix medal (3rd at NHK), Italy’s Matteo Rizzo who found the podium at Skate Canada (3rd) and Deniss Vasiljevs of Latvia, who had mid-level finishes in Grand Prix action (7th NHK, 9th Skate America). In all, the men’s field will have 32 skaters participating.

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA)
2. Kevin Aymoz (FRA)
3. Lukas Britschgi (SUI)

Women: 33 skaters across Europe will compete this weekend, with Belgium in the lead for the top spot with three skaters competing. Loena Hendrickx is the clear favorite with a win at Skate America, a 3rd place finish at Cup of China and a 2nd place finish at the Grand Prix Final. The country has turned into a powerhouse in women’s skating, as they send Nina Pinzarrone and Jade Hovine for a possible podium sweep. However, there are a few skaters that look to find their way to the podium. Defending Euro champion Anastasiia Gubanova of Georgia returns after a disappointing Grand Prix campaign, with 6th place finishes in Angers and NHK Trophy. Switzerland’s Kimmie Repond returns to try to repeat her 3rd place finish from last year. Injuries prevented her from a full Grand Prix performance. Estonia’s Niina Petrokina also figures to make a run, after a 3rd place showing at Skate America. Poland’s Ekaterina Kurakova is also a contender this weekend, with two seventh place finishes in Grand Prix competitions.

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Loena Hendrickx (BEL)
2. Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO)
3. Kimmie Repond (SUI)

Pairs: Italy figures to contend for at least two podium spots this weekend based on the past performance of two of their top pairs teams. Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii are the defending champions, and have three 2nd place finishes in Grand Prix competitions this season (Angers, Espoo and GP Final). Teammates Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini finished 2nd last year and had 2nd (Cup of China) and 3rd (NHK Trophy) place finishes in Grand Prix competitions to reach the Final, where they finished 5th. A third team, Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise could give the country an unprecedented sweep. They finished 2nd at Skate Canada and 3rd at NHK Trophy, missing out of the final based on points. Two teams could ruin the sweep for Italy. Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin stunned the Grand Prix field by winning all three competitions, including the final. Not bad for a team with only seven competitions under their belt. France’s Camile and Pavel Kovalev have a bronze finish in Angers and look to improve on their 6th place finish at last year’s Euros.

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER)
2. Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA)
3. Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (ITA)

Ice Dance: Three teams stand out in the field of 33 this weekend. At the top are Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri, who took home gold at the Grand Prix de France, and 2nd in Osaka and the Grand Prix Final. The team they lost to at NHK Trophy will be their main competitors, Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson. In addition to their win in Japan, they also have a 2nd place finish at Skate Canada, but missed the podium at the Grand Prix final in 4th place. Lithuania will have hopes for their first medal at Europeans with Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius. They won the country’s first Grand Prix medals at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy (3rd place, bronze). Other teams competing for a spot on the podium includes Finland’s Juulia Tukkila and Matthias Versluis, who have a 3rd place finish at Grand Prix Espoo; France’s Evgenia Lopareva & Geoffrey Brissaud who have two 3rd place finishes in Grand Prix appearances (Skate America and Angers); and teammates Loicia Demougeot and Theo Le Mercier who have two 5th place Grand Prix finishes this season (Cup of China and NHK Trophy).

FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA)
2. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (GBR)
3. Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU)

“BYE BYE, BIRDIE!” Smooth Jazz and More Ends Twitter/X Participation

On December 9th, 2023; venture capitalist Elon Musk decided to reinstate far-right conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones to his social media platform, ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter). His reasoning was to continue his campaign to make X a “free speech” refuge even to the detriment of the company’s business interests.

In 2018, Twitter banned Jones and his ‘Infowars’ program after his continuous lies and false reporting of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. The shooting left 20 kids and six adults dead. Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to families of Sandy Hook victims over his bizarre and outrageous lies about the 2012 school shooting.

In 2022, Musk purchased Twitter and upon taking ownership, immediately started making radical changes to the site. They included re-instating controversial figures, many with right wing ideologies.  He made the decision after fielding a poll on the subject to his more than 165 million followers. A majority of respondents (70% of almost 2 million votes) were in favor of the move.

In comments upon the reinstatement, he responded, “I vehemently disagree with what [Jones] said about Sandy Hook, but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not? That is what it comes down to in the end. If the people vote him back on, this will be bad for X financially, but principles matter more than money.”

The reinstatement of Jones on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre was “a bridge too far” for us, and it’s that reason why we’ve decided to part ways with ‘X’.

We do believe as the owner of X; Musk has the right to do what he wants with it.  We agree that everyone is entitled to ‘freedom of speech’. But that ‘freedom of speech’ shouldn’t mean freedom of consequences. For instance, you can’t yell fire in a crowded theatre if there is no fire. But by doing so, you endanger the safety of everyone by making unfounded claims.

We also believe that we should be able to take our hard-earned money anywhere we want, that includes places that doesn’t cater to a toxic right-wing environment…and that, is what you call, ‘capitalism’.

In the meantime, you can follow Smooth Jazz and More on various social media sites.  We will reconsider joining once the company either rids itself of Musk, or the toxic right-wing atmosphere subsides.  But until them, it’s “Bye Bye, Birdie”!

Smooth’s Podium Picks 2023: Grand Prix Final (Junior and Senior)

The Grand Prix season ends with a visit to Beijing. The capital city of China holds the dubious distinction of hosting both the Summer and Winter Olympics (2008 and 2022). COVID has devastated the country for the last four years, as they haven’t been able to host Grand Prix events due to heavy restrictions on foreign visitors and their own population.

In fact, the 2022 Winter games were very fortunate to be held, as the health inspectors prohibited athletes from visiting numerous locations. This year’s Cup of China marked the first time the Grand Prix was held since 2021. This weekend’s event hosts both the junior and senior categories and could be a preview of what’s to come in 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Men: The story of this Grand Prix season is the rise of France’s Adam Siao Him Fa. His stunning wins over reigning World Champion Shoma Uno of Japan and American, Ilia Malinin put him “front and center” as the favorite to take home the gold. However, 2022 Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama returned to action after injury to make the Final and will contend for the top spot. When it comes to points, Malinin’s 310.47 at Skate America scored the highest season’s best so far this season. The rest of the field includes Kao Miura and France’s Kevin Aymoz.

Smooth’s Pick: Look for a closer than expected final skate. If Malinin hits all of his marks, the gold is his.
1. Ilia Malinin (USA)
2. Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA)
3. Shoma Uno (JPN)

Women: Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto cruised into the Final by winning both of her Grand Prix assignments. She’s clearly the favorite to win her first Grand Prix Final gold medal. Her last two appearances had her ranked fourth and fifth. The field still could prevent her from the elusive title. Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx won her first Grand Prix title at Skate America, but took bronze at Cup of China, while American Isabeau Levito finished right behind winning silver, but won her first ever gold at Grand Prix de France. Nina Pinzarrone gives her country a historic second skater in the Final, qualifying with silver and bronze at her Grand Prix assignments. Japan’s Rion Sumiyoshi grabbed the last spot in the Final, winning a silver and a bronze. Her teammate, Hana Yoshida competed on the junior level a year ago, and now returns to the event on the senior level following a win at Cup of China and fourth place finish at Skate America.

Smooth’s Pick: Sakamoto is clearly in “the zone” and baring disaster, should get the one title missing from her trophy case.
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN)
2. Isabeau Levito (USA)
3. Loena Hendrickx (BEL)

Pairs: Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps picked up wins at Skate Canada and Cup of China to reach their second consecutive Grand Prix Final. Their season’s best 214.64 points puts them as the favorite this weekend over Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin. Despite the lack of international experience. Hase and Volodin won at Grand Prix Finland and at NHK Trophy in their debut season. Canada could come home with two medals, with Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud reaching the Final with gold in Angers and a silver medal at Skate America. European Champions and defending Grand Prix Final bronze medalists Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii qualified with two silver medals and look to improve their standing. Italian teammates Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini reached their second trip to the Final with a silver at Cup of China and a bronze at NHK Trophy. Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko reaches the final as first alternates after German pairs team Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel withdrew due to injury. That gives Hungary their first ever appearance in the Final.

Smooth’s Pick: Looking for Canada to take at least one medal in pairs. They have an outside chance at a 1-2 or 1-3 finish.
1. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps (USA)
2. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER)
3. Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA)

Ice Dance: Look for a battle between Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier; and Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Gilles and Poirier took home Skate Canada and Cup of China gold, while Chock and Bates claimed gold at Skate America and Grand Prix Espoo. Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri won gold in France and silver at NHK Trophy in Japan. Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson prevented the Italians from a 2nd gold by winning their first Grand Prix title in Japan. Canada has a longshot to sweep the podium this weekend with Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen; and Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha competing in their first Grand Prix Final appearance.

Smooth’s Pick: In what could be the marquee event of the weekend, the margin of victory on all teams competing are very, very small.
1. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN)
2. Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA)
3. Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA)

Smooth’s Picks for the Junior Grand Prix Final

Men: Rio Nakata (JPN)

FULL ENTRIES https://results.isu.org/events/gpf2023_JuniorMen.htm

Women: Mao Shimada (JPN)

FULL LINEUP: https://results.isu.org/events/gpf2023_JuniorWomen.htm

Pairs: Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (GEO)

FULL LINEUP: https://results.isu.org/events/gpf2023_JuniorPairs.htm

Ice Dance: Leah Neset and Artem Markelov (USA)

FULL LINEUP: https://results.isu.org/events/gpf2023_JuniorIceDance.htm

Previous Results from NHK Trophy:

Men: 0/3
Women: 0/3
Pairs: 1/3
Ice Dance: 1/3

Season to Date:

Men: 5/18
Women: 2/18
Pairs: 7/18
Ice Dance: 13/18

Smooth’s Podium Picks 2023: NHK Trophy

The sixth and final stop on the senior Grand Prix tour takes place in the “land of the rising sun”, Japan. NHK has hosted the event since 1979, and was added to the Grand Prix series in 1995. Some legendary names who’ve won at NHK have gone on the Olympic gold. They include American Brian Boitano (1985), Germany’s Katarina Witt (1986 and 87), China’s Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo (5-time pairs champions) and Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White (4-time champions).

Men: Japanese skaters Shoma Uno and Yuma Kagiyama are still reeling from upset losses to France’s Adam Siao Him Fa in their previous Grand Prix events. Uno has the slight edge, being the defending NHK Trophy champion. However, Kagiyama won the event in 2020, and is a leading contender this weekend. Both will be competing with 10 other skaters for the final two slots in Beijing next month. He finished 3rd in Angers earlier this month. Switzerland’s Lukas Britschgi is fresh off a win at Warsaw Cup last week and bolstered his chances for a medal in Osaka. American Camden Pulkinen finished 5th in Angers and is in the mix. Other skaters to watch include Latvia’s Deniss Vasiljevs and Canada’s Wesley Chu.

FULL LINEUP HERE! 

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Shoma Uno (JPN)
2. Yuma Kagiyama (JPN)
3. Camden Pulkinen (USA)

Women: The field is wide open for the taking. Japan’s Mai Mihara had to withdraw from her Grand Prix assignment at Cup of China due to a slow healing right ankle injury. She’s listed in the 12-skater field for this weekend, and if she’s at 100% percent, will find a place on the podium. She’s one of three Japanese women looking to make the podium. (A win opens two Final slots due to Mihara’s previous withdrawal.) Wakaba Higuchi made her Grand Prix return after injury finishing 5th at Angers, while Yuna Aoki makes her senior Grand Prix debut this weekend. Belgium’s Nina Pinzarrone surprised the field at that same competition winning the country 2nd women’s medal (silver). Other skaters to look out for includes defending champion Yelim Kim, who has had a disappointing Grand Prix season (6th at Cup of China), Haein Lee and Seoyeong Wi, all of South Korea, and Americans Lindsay Thorngren and Ava Marie Ziegler.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Wakaba Higuchi (JPN)
2. Mai Mihara (JPN)
3. Yelim Kim (KOR)

Pairs: Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin have competed as a team in only four tournaments this season, and won three out of four. The most recent is a win at Grand Prix Espoo last week. A win this weekend will clinch a spot at the Grand Prix Final in December. They have a very good chance of doing so, with the 8-team lineup competing. Their main competition will be from Italy’s Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini, who were 2nd at Cup of China two weeks ago. Teammates Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise were 3rd at Skate Canada, while Canada’s Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier finished 5th at that same tournament. Japan’s representative are Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi, who will skate as a team for the first time in international competition.

FULL LINEUP HERE! 

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER)
2. Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (ITA)
3. Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise (ITA)

Ice Dance: This stands to be an exciting competition, with Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri the slight favorite coming off their win in Angers. There are two teams that could upstage the Italians. One is Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, who finished 3nd at Skate Canada, and have two wins in Challenger events. The other is Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius of Lithuania, who picked up their first ever Grand Prix medal (bronze, Skate Canada). Finland’s Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis picked up their 2nd straight bronze medal in Espoo last weekend, and a win could put them in the Final. Japan’s Misato Komatsubara and Tim Koleto skate in their sixth NHK Trophy event, and won a COVID-affected gold medal in 2020. Other teams to watch are Canada’s Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac; and France’s Loicia Demougeot and Theo Le Mercier.

FULL LINEUP HERE! 

Smooth’s Picks:
1. Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA)
2. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (GBR)
3. Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU)

Last Week’s Results

Men: 3/3 (CALLED IT, 1-2-3!)
Women: 1/3
Pairs: 2/3
Ice Dance: 1/3

Season to Date

Men: 5/15
Women: 2/15
Pairs: 6/15
Ice Dance: 12/15

Smooth’s Podium Picks 2023: Grand Prix Espoo

The Grand Prix series makes its fifth stop on the tour, and the city of Espoo, Finland. The city is located west of the country’s capital, Helsinki. According to the city’s official website, it’s known as a hub of know-how, research and development, at the heart of which stands the Aalto University campus. Large natural areas are characteristic of Espoo: seashores, the archipelago, the wilderness in nature reserves and the waterways of the lake highlands. This is the second year in a row the city has hosted the event, and the third time Finland has hosted a Grand Prix event.

Men: Japan’s Kao Miura leads the 12-skater lineup. His last competition at Skate Canada garnered him silver, and a win this weekend will book his ticket to the Final in Beijing next month. His main competition will come from France’s Kevin Aymoz, who took home silver at Skate America in October. Italy’s Matteo Rizzo finished with bronze at Skate Canada and could make the final with a win. Japan’s Shun Sato also finished his last Grand Prix assignment with a bronze medal at Skate America. Other skaters looking to make the podium include Japan’s Koshiro Shimada, Estonia’s Arlet Levandi, Italy’s Nikolaj Memola and American Jimmy Ma.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick
1. Kao Miura (JPN)
2. Shun Sato (JPN)
3. Kevin Aymoz (FRA)

Women: Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto is the heavy favorite going into Finland this weekend. She’s already brought home gold by winning at Skate Canada, and can clinch a spot at the Grand Prix Final next month. South Korea’s Chaeyeon Kim was a big challenge for Sakamoto at that same Skate Canada contest, taking home silver. A win will put her in contention for a Grand Prix slot. Japanese teammate Rion Sumiyoshi took home bronze at the Grand Prix de France, and also has a shot at reaching the Final. Others skaters to watch include Americans Amber Glenn and Starr Andrews and home country favorite, Nella Pelkonen.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN)
2. Chaeyeon Kim (KOR)
3. Rion Sumiyoshi (JPN)

Pairs: Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii won gold at last year’s event in Espoo, and look to make it two in a row this weekend. The pair placed 2nd in Angers, France earlier this month in a surprise upset. They have their work cut out for them, as the lineup will be highly competitive. Hungary’s Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko won the country’s first Grand Prix medal at Skate Canada, finishing with the silver medal. A win this weekend could give the country their first Grand Prix Finalist. China’s Cheng Peng and Lei Wang won bronze last weekend at Cup of China in third international competition and could find the podium. Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase teams up with a new partner, Nikita Volodin and will compete in their first senior Grand Prix together. So far this season, they’ve won medals at two Challenger events (1st, Nebelhorn; 2nd, Lombardia). France, Camille and Pavel Kovalev could also find a place on the podium with a win, after picking up bronze at the Grand Prix de France.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick
1. Cheng Peng and Lei Wang (CHN)
2. Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA)
3. Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko (HUN)

Ice Dance: Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates look to reach the Grand Prix Final for the seventh time in their history. They won gold at Skate America, and a win will punch their ticket to Beijing. However, they face a major challenge from Canadians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen. The team has already beaten Chock and Bates at NHK Trophy last year, and looks to do the same in Espoo. The battle for the third spot on the podium should be exciting. Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis will represent their home country, and look to bring home another medal, as they did last year in 3rd place. Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko missed the podium in Angers in 4th and only have an outside chance for the Final. Other teams include Americans Emilia Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik and World Junior Champions Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek of Chechia.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick
1. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen (CAN)
2. Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA)
3. Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis (FIN)

Last Week’s Results: Big upsets during singles skating shut us out completely, but we correctly selected the gold medal team in pairs, and called it in ice dance, 1-2-3.

Men: 0/3
Women: 0/3
Pairs: 1/3
Ice Dance: 3/3

Season to Date

Men: 2/12
Women: 1/12
Pairs: 4/12
Ice Dance: 11/12

ISU GRAND PRIX STANDINGS

Next week: NHK Trophy

Smooth’s Podium Picks 2023: Cup of China

The Grand Prix Series makes it’s first appearance in China in over three years.  China initially declined to host any ISU-sanctioned figure skating event during the 2018-19 season in order to prepare its venues for the 2022 Winter Olympics.  In its place, Finland was awarded a Grand Prix event in November 2018 in Helsinki. In 2021, the Cup of China was cancelled due to travel and quarantine restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Skating Union replaced it with Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin, Italy. Last year, Sheffield, United Kingdom substituted for China and hosted its first ever Grand Prix, the MK John Wilson Trophy. Chongqing (originally pronounced Chungking) will host the event for the third time. The area is known for its fantastic mountain-river scenery and abundant historic and cultural sites, such as Three Gorges of Yangtze River.

Men

Two-time World Champion Shoma Uno of Japan makes his Grand Prix debut this season with brand new programs to skate. The Olympic bronze and silver medalist looks to win his 2nd straight Grand Prix Final title, but he has some fierce competition. France’s Adam Siao Him Fa is off to a roaring start, coming off an upset win in Angers. A win will seal his place in the Grand Prix Final next month. Japan’s Sota Yamamoto can also clinch a spot in the men’s Final, as well coming off a win at Skate Canada International. Teammate Kazuki Tomono has his sights set on the podium after narrowly missing out on the Skate Canada podium. China has three skaters competing this weekend. Their top contender is Two-time World bronze medalist Boyang Jin, who hopes to do better than his 8th place finish in Angers.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick
1. Shoma Uno (JPN)
2. Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA)
3. Sota Yamamoto (JPN)

Women

Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx leads the field and could book her ticket to the Final in Beijing following her stunning victory at Skate America last month. Her competition should come from Niina Petrokina of Estonia, who picked up the country’s first ever women’s individual Grand Prix medal. A win will put her in the final. South Korea’s Yelim Kim makes her Grand Prix season debut. She reached the Final last year, with a win at NHK and a 2nd place finish at Angers. Earlier this season, she took home gold at Finlandia Trophy. Japan’s Rinka Watanabe will look to improve on her 6th place finish at Skate Canada International. China has three skaters, including 2022 Olympian Yi Zhu. Other skaters to watch include Japan’s Hana Yoshida, who has a triple Axel in her arsenal, and Poland’s Ekaterina Kurakova.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick
1. Loena Hendrickx (BEL)
2. Yelim Kim (KOR)
3. Niina Petrokina (EST)

Pairs

Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps continue their push for a 2nd straight Grand Prix Final appearance, after a win at Skate Canada International. Germany’s Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel can also reach the Final after winning at Skate America last month. Six additional teams look to reach the podium this weekend, including Italy’s Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini, who will compete in their first Grand Prix event this season. China has three teams skating this weekend, all three make their debut in GP action, including Cheng Peng and her new partner, Lei Wang. Americans Maria Mokhova and Ivan Mokhov look to improve their international standing with an appearance in China.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps (CAN)
2. Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel (GER)
3. Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (ITA)

Ice Dance

Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier look to continue their hot streak in gold medals after winning at Skate Canada International. Another win this weekend would make it five-in-a-row and a ticket to the final. The Great White North could have two teams on the podium, with Majorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha also in contention for a Grand Prix Final spot after their 2nd place finish at Skate America. The rest of the field looks wide open for third, with Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons; Georgia’s Maria Kazakova and Giorgi Revia; and France’s Loicia Demougeot and Theo Le Mercier all in the mix looking to show.

FULL LINEUP HERE!

Smooth’s Pick:
1. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN)
2. Majorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha (CAN)
3. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons (USA)

Last Week’s Results

Men: 0/3
Women: 0/3
Pairs: 1/3
Ice Dance: 3/3 (CALLED IT, 1-2-3)

Season to Date

Men: 2/9
Women: 1/9
Pairs: 3/9
Ice Dance: 8/9

Next Stop: Grand Prix Espoo, Finland