The 2021 Grand Prix series closes out its regular events this weekend with Rostelecom Cup, aka the Cup of Russia. This year's installment will take place in Sochi, Russia, in the same venue used for the 2014 Winter Olympics, making it the second former Olympic venue to host a Grand Prix event this season after the Torino Palavela hosted the Grand Premio d'Italia. Can you tell it's an Olympic season?

We're reaching the closing stages of the 2021 Grand Prix and the picture for the Final is coming more and more into focus. Quite a few skaters could punch their ticket to Osaka this weekend and some will surely face bitter disappointment. Fortunately, we still have full fields in every discipline rather than the plethora if injuries that plagued NHK, so hopefully the most dramatic part of the event will be finding out what strange prize the French skating federation will be giving out in place of real medals this year. I'm guessing it won't be nearly as fun as the giant blocks of cheese medalists recieved in Italy, but there's always something surprising about the event organization at the French Grand Prix.

This year's NHK Trophy had seen plenty of drama before the event has even started, with s plethora of withdrawals, including two home favorites for gold, leaving us with some very interesting fields. Former winners of this event, Yuzuru Hanyu and Rika Kihira, both withdrew last week due to ankle injuries, which will come as… Continue reading NHK Trophy 2021 Preview