Mikhail Kolyada

With the experience of an Olympic year in his back pocket, this season is like a fresh start for Mikhail Kolyada.

Last season, the two-time Russan champion qualified for a Grand Prix Final for the first time and captured the bronze medal in Nagoya. He followed that up with two more third-place finishes at the European and World Championships.

At the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Kolyada placed eighth in his individual competition. However, he went home with a silver medal from the Team Event.

Though there has never been any doubt about his potential, a lack of consistency has been his nemesis. “Last season was a huge learning experience. I definitely grew up a lot. There are some things that I look at — at competitions — in a completely different way now,” said Kolyada. “I just started to feel differently inside.

“There is a moment for everyone when they realize that their youth has ended and adult life has