The fields for December’s Grand Prix Final are starting to take shape, and the news lies with the skaters who won’t be there.
Particularly on the men’s side. It’s likely that the three men who combined to win the last seven world championships (and 2014 Olympic gold) won’t be in Nagoya at the final.
Yuzuru Hanyu and Patrick Chan are definitely out. Javier Fernandez, in this week’s France Grand Prix field, is virtually eliminated, too.
In an Olympic season, this is big. The Grand Prix Final is the second-most-important annual event behind worlds.