Figure skatingUpset brewing at Grand Prix Final

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Carolina Kostner's ability to rise to the occasion makes her a contender for the ladies crown in Beijing. (Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images)

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is set to take place this weekend in Beijing, where only the top six finishers in each of the four disciplines in the Grand Prix series will compete. It's the best of the best.

Up for grabs are bragging rights, prize money and the momentum all skaters look for as they strive for the top of the podium at the world championships in Tokyo in March.

Davis, White favoured in ice dance

The only predictable title this weekend in China seems to be the ice dance. American champions and reigning Olympic and world silver medallists Meryl Davis and Charlie White should be considered the frontrunners after winning both of the Grand Prix events they entered.

French champions Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat will go head to head with Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier to round out the podium. I'm also interested to see how the greatly improved Canadian team of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje will stack up against the Russian team of Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev as both teams continue to make their presence felt.

Rival pairs square off

The pairs event pits two longtime rivals against each other for the only time this season until worlds. My pick to come out on top is the Chinese team of Qing Pang and Jian Tong, who are the reigning Olympic silver medallists and defending world champions on the strength of the construction of their programs. Their challengers are two-time world champions and current world silver medallists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany, whose technical prowess is undeniable but whose programs as a whole fail to deliver the same sophistication.

Canadians Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, and Russians Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov have enjoyed outstanding Grand Prix seasons, with two silver medals for each team. It puts them on an even playing field as they both try to reach the final podium spot in Beijing.

Upset potential in ladies event

The ladies competition to date has been less than stellar in the sense that none of the women have seemed particularly prepared, and they've all struggled in performance. Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion, should be the front-runner on paper after winning both of her Grand Prix events.

But something in the back of my mind tells me that Italian Carolina Kostner will be the one to watch in Beijing. She has been known to come out of nowhere and dazzle, and her ability to rise to the occasion helped her win the European title for the third time last season. Kostner qualified for the Final by way of winning the NHK event in Japan.

I believe that reigning world junior and Skate America champ Kanako Murakami of Japan is also poised for more success. Really, though, it's anybody's game, which will make for a great competition.

Men could steal show

One thing will separate the men from the boys in Beijing - the ability to perform when it counts. There are three Japanese men skating in the Final, and together they accounted for four of the six Grand Prix gold medals and two of the six silver medals in the series. Look for Olympic bronze medallist and defending world champion Daisuke Takahashi and teammates Takahiko Kozuka and Nobunari Oda to take the lion's share of the hardware in China.

Kozuka has appeared a little more over his blades than some of his rivals, including Takahashi, and for that reason he's my pick for the top spot in China. If there's anyone who could upset the proverbial applecart, it's Canada's Patrick Chan, the reigning and two-time world silver medallist. But he'll have to perform to the best of his ability for that to happen.

That said, 2008 Junior Grand Prix Final champion Florent Amodio of France, and Grand Prix of Russia champion Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic are also up to the challenge. In other words, the men's competition should be the premier event of the Final.

Pj's gold-medal picks

• Ice Dance: Meryl Davis and Charlie White (U.S.)
• Pairs: Qing Pang and Jian Tong (China)
• Men: Takahiko Kozuka (Japan)
• Ladies: Carolina Kostner (Italy)

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