Figure skatingVirtue, Moir set to battle Davis, White at 4 Continents

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Tessa Virtue, left, and Scott Moir are making their season debut this week in Taiwan. (Chiang Ying-ying/Associated Press)

The 2011 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships are taking place this week in Taipei City. This event boasts the star power of any international competition this season by hosting the four defending world champions.

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated event in these championships will be the ice dance event pitting the defending world and Olympic champions from Canada, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, against their rivals from the United States, Meryl Davis and Charlie White. The Americans, who are the reigning world and Olympic silver medallists, are looking to capitalize on the momentum they have created by winning all of the events they have entered this season including the Grand Prix Final and the U.S. championships.

The Canadian dance champions, Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier, and Canadian national silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje always seem to run neck and neck in competition. The Canadian teams seem the likely candidates to challenge for the other podium spot. Weaver and Poje are also the defending Four Continents champions and will not go down without a fight.

Chinese pair goes for 5th title

The pairs event will see the defending and two-time world champions from China, Qing Pang and Jian Tong, look for their fifth Four Continents title. As the reigning Olympic silver medallists, the Chinese are in a class of their own in this field with the experience and the technical prowess to dominate. The podium could see the continued rise of newly crowned Canadian champions Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. Fellow Canadians and national silver medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford have shown that they have the potential to make the podium. Duhamel and Radford will have to perform solidly in both the short and the free to stay ahead of the promising Japanese team of Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran, who were Junior Grand Prix champions.

Phaneuf winning battle of nerves

In the ladies event, the defending world champion from Japan, Mao Asada, has her work cut out for her to stay ahead of the two-time American and Grand Prix Final champion from the United States, Alissa Czisny.  All season long Asada has struggled with the new jumping technique imposed on her since changing coaches to legend Nobuo Sato. In a recent interview, she spoke of being able to once again perform triple Axels in both her short and free programs. On the strength of her fiercely competitive spirit, my money is on her to take the title in Taipei.  History shows that not unlike Carolina Kostner of Italy, Czisny has trouble competing at her optimum too many times in a row. As such, I think that the sting of finishing in third place after being in first after the short at the U.S. nationals will see American Mirai Nagasu head to the podium. The steady improvement in the battle of the nerves of Canadian two-time champion Cynthia  Phaneuf also gives her an edge for a podium finish.

Sawyer looks to build on nationals

There will be lots going on in the men's field, with the defending world champion and Olympic bronze medallist from Japan, Daisuke Takahashi, having only the slightest edge.  His biggest challenge should come from Grand Prix Final bronze medallist Takahiko Kozuka, whose season's best score is about 15 points more than Takahashi's. American Adam Rippon is the defending Four Continents men's champion and will be looking to make up for a fifth-place finish at the recent U.S. nationals. Canadian silver medallist Shawn Sawyer is looking to build on the momentum he created with an amazing outing at the recent national championships.  Conversely, after a very disappointing nationals, look for Canada's Kevin Reynolds to set the record straight, and if he includes the quads he has planned in the short and free he could definitely become the dark horse in this event.

Pj's gold-medal picks:

Men: Daisuke Takahashi  (Japan)
Ladies: Mao Asada (Japan)
Pairs: Qing Pang and Jian Tong (China)
Dance: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (Canada)

Programming note: Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, watch streaming coverage of the free dance at the ISU Four Continents event in Taiwan, where Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are making their season debut. Enhance your viewing experience by joining our live chat with CBC analyst Pj Kwong in the iAsk forum, presented by Artistry.

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