Vincent Zhou has what it takes to guarantee the United States a third spot at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The question is if he can follow through.
For figure skating fans, Zhou can be one of the most frustrating skaters to watch. He has the skills to compete with the likes of Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu, however, he has gained a reputation for inconsistencies. The biggest problem with Zhou’s reputation is the impact it has on his scoring. He is known for underrotating his jumps. Judging panels will review a clean jump from Zhou to look for his classic mistake. They will take a closer look at jumps that would not get a second glance if they came from another skater.
Last season Zhou returned to the ice after sitting out for most of the 2019-20 season. The results for Zhou bordered on disappointing and were just straight bad. The problems with Zhou’s skating were most evident at the 2021 World Championships, where he did not even qualify for the free program. During his short, Zhou fell on two of his jumping passes and was called for an under-rotation on the other.
To put in perspective how unexpected that was, Zhou placed sixth at the 2018 Olympics, placed third at the 2019 World Championships, and has been on the podium at the U.S. Championships four times in five years. Now, he has a second chance to claim the third spot for the United States at the 2022 Olympics that he lost at the World Championships. On Monday, the US Figure Skating announced that Zhou would be competing in the Nebelhorn Trophy, which takes place on September 22-25.
The Nebelhorn Trophy is part of the ISU Challenger Series, just a step below the Grand Prix where Zhou is also slated to compete. It is also the last opportunity the United States has to max out the spots they can claim in the men’s competition of the upcoming Winter Olympics. However, it will not be easy for Zhou to claim one of the six spots up for grabs. He will have to go back to old form and shake off any memory of the competition that landed him here.
The importance of this spot to the United States and Vincent Zhou cannot be overstated. While fellow U.S. skater Nathan Chen’s spot in Beijing is practically guaranteed, Zhou’s spot is up in the air. If Zhou does not claim the third spot for the U.S., there will be a tough battle for the second spot at the Olympics. Barring any unexpected circumstances, the competition for the second spot would likely be between Zhou, Jason Brown, and Tomoki Hiwatashi. These three often fill podiums behind Chen.
When he’s at the top of his game, Zhou can easily outskate Brown and Hiwatashi. Zhou has much higher technical skills than Brown and much better component skills than Hiwatashi. However, Brown often outdoes Zhou in competitions where Zhou does not land his jumps clean. Brown does not have the technical skills to compete with the men who can land quads, but when others make mistakes, he can capitalize on that using his artistry. The best-case scenario for Zhou is to land a clean skate at the Nebelhorn Trophy to open the door for both him and either Brown or Hiwatashi to take a spot for Beijing. But for a skater like Zhou, it’s not a question of can he, it’s a question of will he.