Figure Skating: 10 Skaters to Watch for the Upcoming Season
By Isobel Moody
3. Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT), Men
Latvia has never been much of a country for turning out top skaters. Their best known up until now is the infamous Oleg Shliakov. But Deniss Vasiljevs might be about to change that.
For the past three seasons he’s worked his way up the junior scene. He has attracted attention as a bit of a character skater, showing off his developing showman skills in his shorts. He is gaining further popularity with the Tron free skate he’s used the past two years. This past fall, on his home ice in Latvia, he even won the short at his first Junior Grand Prix event en route to silver. He would go on to win silver at his second event, and also the Youth Olympics in January. Sadly, he narrowly missed out on the Junior Grand Prix finale, to much lamentation from fans. He came in a disappointing eighth at Junior Worlds. But he ended the season with a show-stealing short and a very good free at Senior Worlds, where he finished 14th.
As he prepares for his first full season as a senior, Vasiljevs is not yet in top tier technically. His triple axel last year was hit or miss, and he made no attempts at the quad. But he’s young enough he’ll develop further technically before he’s done. Meanwhile he’s likely to become even more of a fan favorite with the rising of his profile.
Next: Polina Tsurskaya (RUS), Ladies