The men’s leader at Cup of China isn’t two-time world champion Javier Fernandez. It’s not world bronze medalist Jin Boyang. Not American Vincent Zhou, the world junior champion, either.
Instead, it’s Mikhail Kolyada, who shattered his Russian record for a short program score in Beijing on Friday.
The 22-year-old tallied 103.13 points, buoyed by a quadruple Lutz, plus a quadruple toe loop in combination. Full scores are here.
Kolyada, eighth and fourth at the last two world championships, has never won a top-level international event.
He goes into Saturday’s free skate with a 9.