The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continued Saturday with the Free Dance, Ladies and Men’s Free Skating.
Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (CAN) dance off with gold
Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje of Canada danced off with the Ice Dance gold medal. Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) took the silver and Italy’s Anna Cappellin/Luca Lanotte secured the bronze.
Weaver/Poje put out a smooth performance to “On the Nature of Daylight” and “Run” that featured four level-four and three level-three elements. The 2015 World bronze medalists set a new personal best with 109.91 points and totaled 182.86 points to defend their Grand Prix Final title. “We were really in the zone today, I think we were missing some emotion at Cup of Russia and today that was really what we injected into it. We skated with our hearts and when you skate with your heart on the line like that you can go home happy”, Weaver commented.
Dancing to Sergei Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2, Chock/Bates produced level four lifts and level three footwork, but Chock wobbled on a twizzle. The 2015 World silver medalists still got a seasons best of 105.91 points, were third in the Free Dance but overall remained in second place with 177.55 points. “I think we’ve had a really, really challenging time getting this program ready for this event. We’ve rechoreographed about half this program in the last three weeks. To come to a Grand Prix Final where you’re expected to be in tip top shape with a program that feels so new is challenging. We made some mistakes and there are improvements to be made. It’s going to be a lot of work”, Bates said.
Cappellini/Lanotte turned in an entertaining performance to “La Dolce Vita”, completing difficult lifts and footwork. The 2014 World Champions earned 106.23 points which added up to 176.37 points overall. “It is rather special for us to be at this final as it is our first time qualifying again after last year and our first medal, so this is one competition we won’t forget easily. It was not a very easy performance today so we are definitely looking to improve a few things, especially in the short program but also the free as we feel we left a few points on the table so we definitely want to change that for the future”, Cappellini told the post-event press conference.
Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani (USA) finished fourth (174.92 points). Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev (RUS) pulled up one spot to fifth (166.73 points), overtaking Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA), who had 163.20 points.
Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) skates to Ladies gold
Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia skated to Ladies gold, one year after she had won the Junior Grand Prix Final title. Teammate Elena Radionova came second and Japan’s Satoko Miyahara finished third.
Mevedeva gave a flawless performance to the “W.E.” soundtrack, hitting seven triples including two triple-triple combinations, level-four spins and footwork. The 2015 World Junior Champion posted a new personal best with 147.96 points and accumulated 222.54 points overall. This is the second highest score any lady has achieved. “I didn’t expect to win this competition, but I’ve worked hard for this result. I am so happy that I was able to skate two clean programs. That is a success for me. It was a goal for me and I fulfilled it. My next goal is to skate well at Russian Nationals and then I will set new goals for myself”, the 16-year-old noted.
Skating to “Un Sospiro” by Franz Liszt, Miyahara pulled off seven clean triple jumps as well and showed excellent spins. The 2015 World silver medalist achieved a new personal best score as well with 140.09 points and moved up from fourth to second place at 208.85 points. “I am satisfied with my performance, I didn’t think I would get 140 points, so I am really happy. Of course this (success this season) gives me confidence and I carry that with me in the program, but there is always room to improve”, the 17-year-old from Kyoto shared.
Radionova landed six triples in her routine to “Titanic”, but she fell on an underrotated triple loop. The 2015 European silver medalist was ranked fourth in the Free Skating with 131.70 points and dropped from second to third at 201.13 points. “I don’t feel very good today because I made some mistakes, but I will try harder in the future. I have really grown a lot this year, seven centimeters or something like that. Really when you are smaller it is easier to do things, but I haven’t felt that, I can see more pluses that come with age than minuses, I just need to get used to my body”, the two-time World Junior Champion offered.
Ashley Wagner (USA) moved up from sixth to fourth place (199.81 points). Gracie Gold (USA) remained in fifth place (194.79 points) while Mao Asada (JPN) dropped from third to sixth after several errors (194.32 points).
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) strikes gold
Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan struck gold and repeated as Grand Prix Final Champion. Spain’s Javier Fernandez claimed the silver medal and Shoma Uno of Japan moved up from fourth to earn the bronze in his debut at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.
Hanyu reeled off a quadruple Salchow, quadruple toeloop, quadruple-triple toeloop and six triple jumps including two Axels in his program to “Seimei”. The 2014 Olympic Champion broke his own record score in the Free Skating with 219.48 points and overall with 330.43 points. “I always want to perform my best and be number one of course, but for the free program today I put pressure on myself from getting the world record and my performance at NHK Trophy. But during the free program I was actually released from this pressure, and I felt like I can only do what I can do for now and so I managed to perform quite well I think”, the 2015 World silver medalist said.
Fernandez stumbled on his opening quad toeloop, but then recovered to nail a quadruple Salchow-triple toeloop combination, a quadruple Salchow, triple Axel and five more triple jumps in his program to “Guys and Dolls”. The reigning World Champion scored 201.43 points for the Free Skating, becoming the second skater after Hanyu to crack the 200 points barrier, and racked up 292.95 points overall. He repeated as silver medalist in the Final. “I really enjoyed my program today and I am glad my people could enjoy it too. It was always supposed to be a high scoring program but I couldn’t really nail it so I am pleased I could do it here. It is the first time I broke 200 points (for the free) and that is really a big deal”, Fernandez offered.
Uno’s program to “Turandot” featured a quadruple-double toeloop, another quadruple toeloop as well as seven triple jumps. The 2015 World Junior Champion earned 190.32 points, improving his personal best significantly and had 276.79 points overall. “I’m very pleased with today’s performance, especially the jumps which are my best so far. I was surprised to get over 190 points. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done today but this is not a goal it’s just a starting point”, the 2014 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champion explained.
Patrick Chan (CAN) pulled up from sixth to fourth (263.45 points) while Boyang Jin (CHN) slipped from third to fifth (263.45 points). The better Free Skating score was the tie-breaker in favor of Chan. Daisuke Murakami (JPN) placed sixth (235.49 points).