Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier of Canada captured the lead in the Rhythm Dance at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Torino on Friday, but it will be tight race in the Free Dance with Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) and Italy’s Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri close behind in second and third place respectively.
“I think it's so nice to have all the teams so close together and really make it a competition,” Poirier said. “I think everyone here in this field is so good and so strong and it makes it an exciting and great event for the audience.”
Cha Cha champions? Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) skate into the lead after the Rhythm Dance © ISU
Gilles/Poirier put out a precise and characteristic performance to the Cha Cha “Do What I Do”. The Skate Canada Champions picked up a level four for the twizzles and the rotational lift while the pattern dance step sequence and the midline step sequence were rated a level two. The 2021 ISU World bronze medalists earned 85.93 points.
“Every performance this season has felt a little bit different, especially in the Rhythm Dance,” Poirier said. “Today the level of performance was the highest it's been throughout the whole season. We really felt inside the performance and that was a really great feeling. Today we both felt a little bit hesitant on a few of the turns in the step sequences and we did get a bit lower levels than the previous competition. We thought that was a fair assessment.”
Performing to “Let’s Dance”, Chock/Bates put out an entertaining and technically demanding program. The Skate America champions and three-time ISU World medalists produced level-four twizzles and a level-four curve lift as well as level-three step sequences to achieve a season’s best of 85.49 points.
Madison Chock/Evan Bates have 'super fun' on their way to second place (USA) © ISU
“It was super fun, we felt a great energy between Evan and myself and the audience was wonderful and gave us lots of energy at the end,” Chock said. “It was great performance for us. We came to put our skates forward and win the Grand Prix Final but based on how the season has been so far we are just really proud of how much work we accomplished in such a short amount of time and it feels really good to be able to perform these programs at their best and that’s what we are going do tomorrow at the free.”
Guignard/Fabbri entertained the crowd with their upbeat dance to Samba, Rhumba and Salsa, picking up a level four for her twizzles and the curve lift and a level three for the pattern dance type step sequence. The Grand Prix de France Champions scored 84.55 points.
Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) entertain their home crowd with their upbeat routine © ISU
The Italians have changed the last piece of music since their second Grand Prix event in November. Fabbri explained: “We felt the choreo step and the lift were the weakest elements and we did not get so not good points. We decided the last music was not as strong as the other music and we decided to make the change.”
Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Soerensen (CAN) are in fourth place on 83.16 points, Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR) fifth (80.75) and Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA) sixth (79.50).
Schedule of the event
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, December 8: Junior Men, Junior Pairs, Junior Women’s Short Programs, Pairs & Men’s Short Programs
Friday, December 9: Junior Rhythm Dance, Junior Women’s & Pairs Free Skating, Rhythm Dance & Women’s Short Program
Saturday, December 10: Men’s, Junior Pairs & Junior Men’s Free Skating, Junior Free Dance, Free Dance, Women’s Free Skating
Sunday, December 11: Exhibition Gala
The ISU Grand Prix series started with Skate America in Norwood (USA) and continued with Skate Canada in Mississauga, followed by the Grand Prix de France in Angers and the John Wilson Trophy in Sheffield (GBR). The series then stopped at NHK Trophy in Sapporo (JPN) and Grand Prix Espoo (FIN). Great Britain hosted an ISU Grand Prix event for the first time. A total of 151 Skaters/Couples representing 29 ISU Members competed in the series: 44 Men, 45 Women, 26 Pairs and 36 Ice Dance couples.
The General Announcement of the 2022/23 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series is available here. The individual announcements are published under the respective events. Full entry lists and further information are available on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series page.
Selection Criteria
In order for a Skater/Couple to be eligible to compete at an ISU Grand Prix event, a minimum total score must have been achieved in the 2021/22 or current 2022/23 season in an ISU event (Grand Prix, Junior Grand Prix, Championships) or a Challenger Series event. Exceptions apply to host country Skaters, previously ranked Skaters or split ranked Couples who return with new partners. The minimum total score is 3/5 of highest score per discipline at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022 and are as follows: Women: 141.65, Men: 187.49, Pairs: 132.65, Ice Dance: 137.89.
Following the IOC recommendation and in order to protect the integrity of ice skating competitions and for the safety of all the participants of international ice skating competitions, the ISU Council based on Article 17.1.q)i) of the ISU Constitution, agreed that with immediate effect and until further notice, no Skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia (Russian Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (Skating Union of Belarus) shall be invited or allowed to participate in International ice skating competitions including ISU Championships and other ISU Events. The same applies to Officials listed in the respective ISU Communications and/or Regulations under Russia and Belarus (see ISU Communication 2469).
Grand Prix Standings
Men Women Ice Dance Pair Skating
Where to Watch
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events will be live streamed on the official ISU YouTube Channel in most countries. Find out where to watch the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating competitions.
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ISU Grand Prix Schedule
The schedules of each ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events are available below:
21 - 23 Oct, 2022 Skate America, Norwood (USA)
28 – 30 Oct, 2022 Skate Canada International, Mississauga (CAN)
04 - 06 Nov, 2022 Grand Prix de France, Angers (FRA)
11 - 13 Nov, 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy, Sheffield (GBR)
18 - 20 Nov, 2022 NHK Trophy, Sapporo (JPN)
25 - 27 Nov, 2022 Grand Prix Espoo, Espoo (FIN)
08 - 11 Dec, 2022 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, Torino (ITA)
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