The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2011/2012 cumulate with the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final from December 8 to 11 in Quebec, Canada. A total of 72 skaters (48 entries) from 11 ISU members are competing in the two Finals.


ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final

24 skaters/couples out of ten countries are competing in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Six skaters/couples in each category qualified in the six events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series: Hilton HHonors Skate America in Ontario, Skate Canada International in Mississauga, Cup of China in Shanghai, NHK Trophy in Sapporo (JPN), Trophée Eric Bompard in Paris (FRA) and Rostelecom Cup in Moscow (RUS), and are now vying for a prize money of U.S. $ 272,000.

The prize money is awarded to winners and placed skaters/couples as follows:

Men and Ladies, Pairs and Ice Dance (per couple)

1st  place USD $ 25,000

2nd place USD $ 18,000

3rd place USD$ 12,000

4th place USD$ 6,000

 5th place USD$ 4,000

6th place USD$ 3,000

Reigning World Champion Patrick Chan (CAN) struck gold at his home Grand Prix in Canada and at the Trophée Bompard on his way to the Final. Chan has a seasons best of 253.74 points and is the only man to advance with two victories. Three men won one event each and placed third in the other: 2010 World Champion Daisuke Takahashi (JPN/seasons best 259.75 points). Jeremy Abbott (USA/seasons best 229.08 points) and Michal Brezina (CZE/seasons best 226.35 points). Javier Fernandez (ESP) collected two silver medals and not only qualified for his first Final, but is also the first skater from Spain to do so (seasons best 250.33 points). Finally, Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) booked his ticket to Quebec with a gold and a fourth-place finish (seasons best 241.66 points). Like Brezina and Fernandez, he will compete in his first Grand Prix Final. He had won the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in December 2009.

Nan Song (CHN), Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) and Adam Rippon (USA) are the substitutes. 

Reigning World Junior silver medallist Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS) is the top qualifier in the Ladies' event with two victories at Skate Canada and Trophée Bompard. The 14-year-old comes with a seasons best of 182.89 points to Quebec and will debut in the Grand Prix Final. She was the silver medallist in the Junior Final last year. Two-time World Champion Mao Asada (JPN/seasons best 184.19 points), reigning World bronze medallist Carolina Kostner (ITA/seasons best 182.14 points) and Akiko Suzuki (JPN) with the highest seasons best at 185.98 points booked their ticket to Canada with a gold and a silver from the series. Defending Grand Prix Final Champion Alissa Czisny (USA) picked up a gold and a bronze en route to the Final (seasons best 179.15 points). Alena Leonova (RUS) claimed one silver and one bronze (seasons best 180.45 points). The substitutes are Adelina Sotnikova (RUS), Mirai Nagasu (USA) and Ashley Wagner (USA).

Three pair teams come with two gold medals each to the Final: 2011 World silver medallists Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov (RUS/seasons best 201.38 points), reigning World Champions Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER/seasons best 208.69 points) and Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov (RUS/seasons best 197.84 points). Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang (CHN) earned two silver medals (seasons best 178.66 points). Narumi Takahashi/ Mervin Tran (JPN) are headed with a silver and a fourth-place finish to Quebec. They are the first pair team to represent Japan in the Grand Prix Final, but before medalled already at the Junior Final (seasons best 172.09 points). Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford (CAN) are also newcomers and qualified with two bronze medals (seasons best 176.62 points). The Japanese and Canadian team and also Volosozhar/Trankov are newcomers, but Volosozhar and Trankov had competed with their previous partners in the Final.

The substitutes are Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch (CAN), Vera Bazarova/Yuri Larionov (RUS) and Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) who all were in the Final one year ago.

Reigning World Champions and defending ISU Grand Prix Final Champions Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA) arrive in Quebec with two gold medals from Hilton HHonors Skate America and Rostelecom Cup and a seasons best of  179.06 points. Their arch rivals, Olympic Champions and current World silver medallists Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) claimed the gold at Skate Canada and Trophee Bompard (seasons best 178.34 points). The only newcomers in this year's Final are World bronze medallists Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani (USA), who earned one gold and one silver (seasons best 151.85 points). Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev (RUS) picked a gold in a bronze their events (seasons best 163.52 points). Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat (FRA/seasons best 164.56 points) and Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (CAN/seasons best 161.18 points) collected two silver medals in their events.

The substitutes are Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte (ITA), Elena Ilinykh/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) and Isabella Tobias/Deividas Stagniunas (LTU).

ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final

24 skaters/couples from six ISU members are competing in the Junior Final. Six skaters/couples in each category qualified in the seven events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series in Riga (LAT), Brisbane (AUS), Brasov (ROU), Innsbruck (AUT), Milan (ITA), Gdansk (POL) and Tallinn (EST). The prize money made available by the ISU is 105,000 USD $.

The prize money is awarded to winners and placed skaters/couples as follows:


Junior Men and Ladies                                       Junior Pairs and Dance (per couple)

1st place USD $ 6,000                                       1st place USD $ 9,000

2nd place USD $ 5,000                                      2nd place USD $ 7,500

3rd place USD$ 4,000                                        3rd place USD$ 6,000

4th place USD$ 3,000                                        4th place USD$ 4,500

5th place USD$ 2,000                                        5th place USD$ 3,000

6th place USD$ 1,000                                        6th place USD$ 1,500


Some skaters are coming back to the Junior Final, but there are also many new faces from the next generation of junior skaters.

The top qualifiers in the Junior Men’s category are Han Yan (CHN) and Joshua Farris (USA)  who claimed the gold in their two events. Jason Brown (USA), Maxim Kovtun (RUS) and Ryuju Hino (JPN) advanced with one gold and one silver to the Final. World Junior silver medallist Keiji Tanaka (JPN) placed second and third.

Two Junior Ladies qualified for the Final by winning both of their Junior Grand Prix competitions:

Julia Lipnitskaya (RUS) and Polina Shelepen (RUS). Shelepen is competing in her third consecutive Junior Final. She won the silver in 2010. Vanessa Lam (USA) comes with a gold and a silver from the circuit to Québec. Risa Shoji (JPN) and Zijun Li (CHN) qualified with two silver medals. Polina Korbeinikova (RUS) made it with a silver and a fourth-place finish.

Two-time World Junior Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) collected two more gold medals on the Junior Grand Prix and lead the Junior Pairs standings. Britney Simpson/Matthew Blackmer (USA), Katherine Bobak/Ian Beharry (CAN) and Xiaoyu Yu/Yang Jin (CHN) all claimed two medals in their events. The last two qualifiers are Ekaterina Petaikina/Maxim Kurduykov (RUS) and Tatiana Tudvaseva/Sergei Lisiev (RUS). Tudvaseva/Lisiev replaced Jessica Calalang/Zack Sidhu (USA) who withdrew due to injury.

The two top junior dance teams from the junior series are Victoria Sinitsina/ Ruslan Zhiganshin (RUS) and Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin (RUS) who claimed victory in two events each. Anna Yanovskaia/Sergei Mozgov (RUS) and Marina Nosulia/Yevgen Kholoniuk (UKR) took a gold and a silver each while

Anastasia Galyeta/Alexei Shumski (UKR) got two silver medals. Alexandra Aldrigde/Daniel Eaton (USA) come with silver and bronze to the Final.

The full list of entries is available at www.isu.org


The schedule of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (Junior & Senior) is as follows:
Thursday, December 8: Junior Short Dance, Junior Pairs, Junior Men, Junior Ladies Short Programs

Friday, December 9: Junior Ladies Free Skating, Junior Pairs Free Skating, Men, Ladies and Pairs Short Programs, Short Dance

Saturday, December 10: Junior Men, Men, Ladies, Pairs Free Skating

Sunday, December 11: Free Dance, Exhibition Gala