2018 GP Helsinki: Men's Pre-game Chat

[GS Forum Staff]

Entries as of 10/30/18

Boyang JIN	CHN
Michal BREZINA	CZE
Valtter VIRTANEN	FIN
Phillip HARRIS	GBR
Alexei BYCHENKO	ISR
Yuzuru HANYU	JPN
Keiji TANAKA	JPN
Junhwan CHA	KOR
Mikhail KOLYADA	RUS
Andrei LAZUKIN	RUS
Alexei KRASNOZHON	USA

 

[AlexRus]

Men in order of season best of this season.
In ( ) - personal best of previous seasons, for them who has not season best of this season.

1 Boyang JIN CHN (303.58)
2 Mikhail KOLYADA RUS 274.37
3 Yuzuru HANYU JPN 263.65
4 Junhwan CHA KOR 259.78
5 Andrei LAZUKIN RUS 243.45
6 Michal BREZINA CZE 239.51
7 Keiji TANAKA JPN 221.92
8 Phillip HARRIS GBR (208.22)
9 Alexei BYCHENKO ISR 197.47
10 Alexei KRASNOZHON USA 194.10
11 Valtter VIRTANEN FIN 162.85

WD 8 Alexey EROKHOV RUS 214.59
Probably no substitute, too late.

 

[Colonel Green]

Will this be the year that Hanyu breaks the streak, or will he yet again find a way to lose?

We haven’t seen Jin at all so far this season, so he’s a big question mark.

 

[TallyT]

Well, Helsinki is one of Yuzuru's good places.....

 

[Shedi0806]

This is a jam-packed field. Cannot wait to witness the competition live at the arena.

 

[laiyamanika]

wow, it's a war zone :eeking::eeking::eeking:

best line-up among all of the GP series

I think I need a defibrillator on standby for this

 

[s_parks]

Helsinki is insane, Hanyu, Jin, Kolyada in one event- plus Cha who is ready to pounce should one of the aforementioned three make a major mistake. As well as other interesting dark horses...

 

[Danny T]

I'm very excited about this line-up. Easily the best men's event of the entire GP by far. I'm still dying for Yuzu to break streak and win. In case he got silver again though, my prediction's gonna score well. Win-win

This has the potential to be completely fantastic or entirely disastrous LOL. If we are real here, Hanyu-Kolyada-Jin all have it in them to melt down catastrophically. Can't wait

 

[chasingpolaris]

This event will be a blood bath. There's way too many guys I want to see on the podium. I don't usually warm up to Hanyu's programs until like mid season but I have no doubt that he will be on the podium. Junhwan is also proving himself to be very medal worthy this season.

 

[Jaana]

I´d suppose the fight about gold will be between Hanyu and Kolyada. Jin´s performance I have not seen this season and my guess is that Brezina will be Brezina, because he already has one a medal. I hope for clean performances from Cha, that would get his PCS rise a bit.

 

[La Rhumba]

As far as I know Britain's Phil Harris will retire from competition after this event, to coach and choreograph.
He's been hanging on especially, as it's his first ever GP, but he hasn't competed at all this season, and isn't staying on for the British Championships in early December, so I do wonder how he'll do in Helsinki?

 

[lusk8]

Male field is considerably packed for this competition.

I'm team Hanyu all the way...continue with wings my man. Gold.

For silver I'm team Kolyada, I really like him, wish him all the best in this competition. He'll be having both of his GPs under Pooh-nado watch, that is not easy, I want him to make it to the GPFinal.

For bronze I'd say Boyang, who does have amazing jumps and his SS have been on an upward trajectory, I want him to find his stride this season. Or, Mr Bronze man of the season, Junhwan. I'm still traumatized (a little, ok, a lot) by that "Julieeeeeeeet" music but his growth as a skater is noticeable and he has a cool EX.

Sentimental favorites: Bychenko, Brezina, Erokhov and Tanaka. Wish all of them the best skates.

See, packed field for me.

 

[elektra blue]

erokhov is out, not a great start of his senior career

 

[lusk8]

erokhov is out, not a great start of his senior career

Oh damn!!! That's not good, I hope he is OK and not having any big health issues, he was out of test skates too but then skated a competition.

 

[rikaquegira]

I’m sad there are only three medals. Yuzuru, Kolyada, Jin and Junhwan are the ones I’m rooting for!
I’m curious to see how Boyang will skate, that will be very interesting.
Yuzuru should win gold but who knows, he can flop his way to the bottom! [emoji23] I just want to see the improvements in his programs(that to me are already incredible). If he skates clean I don’t see anyone else getting the gold.
I also need to see the Junliet again! That program is becoming iconic! So bad but so good! [emoji23] I love it!!!!
I’m expecting Kolyada to put a strong performance here, he can do it!

This will be a great men’s event! Can’t wait!

 

[blue_idealist]

As far as I know Britain's Phil Harris will retire from competition after this event, to coach and choreograph.
He's been hanging on especially, as it's his first ever GP, but he hasn't competed at all this season, and isn't staying on for the British Championships in early December, so I do wonder how he'll do in Helsinki?

Funny time to retire, but all the best to him. I thought I'd seen him at a smaller competition this fall, but maybe I'm thinking of Graham Newberry.

 

[Ice Dance]

Interestingly, it sounded as though the one performance Jin competed in this summer went better than it has the past few years. I have no idea what to expect but I won't be crossing him off my list because I haven't seen him. Just no idea what to expect.

 

[Yuzuruu]

I think Boyang can get silver easily if he's fairly clean (assuming Yuzuru wins ofc). His SS are already much better from what I've seen in some instagram posts and he is visibly getting more and more emotive. Also his jumps are great, the 4Lz is pure perfection so I'm guessing he'll get +GOE for most of them (maybe not +5, but +3 and +4 are in his range).
As much as I am a fan of Mikhail I feel like he won't go clean and therefore he might lose to a clean Junhwan tbh. Anyways I am SUPER excited because I'll be there watching live and this line up for men is bomb, definitely the best of all events

Ganbatte Yuzuru-kun, you can do this! :clapper: Helsinki is where magic happens after all :luv17:

 

[elektra blue]

Oh damn!!! That's not good, I hope he is OK and not having any big health issues, he was out of test skates too but then skated a competition.

he's out of rostelecom as well so i believe he might be injured

 

[MaiKatze]

I don't see anyone but Yuzuru win this thing. Go Yuzuru! And I look forward to the ever smiley Mikhail Kolyada, what a sunshine in this cold season. Also Boyang Jin, where does he stand? It feels like years since we saw him last compared to Junhwan Cha....less than three days ago in Canada, now in Finland. Busy, busy.... Anyway, I'm excited, bring it on!