The World's best Figure Skaters including Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), reigning World Champions Nathan Chen (USA), Anna Shcherbakova (RUS), Anastasia Mishina/Alexander Galliamov (RUS) and Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS), European Champions, Olympic, World and European medalists are getting ready to compete in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series 2021/22 in the Olympic season.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2020/21 events were primarily domestically run events with domestic skaters. Four events took place. This season a full Grand Prix season is planned if the circumstances allow it. The ISU will monitor the situation constantly and make sure that events can be held safely.The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series consists of six events: Skate America in Las Vegas (USA) October 22-24, Skate Canada International in Vancouver (CAN) October 29-31, Cup of China in Chongqing (CHN) November 5-7, NHK Trophy in Tokyo (JPN) November 12-14, Internationaux de France in Grenoble (FRA) November 19-21 and Rostelecom Cup in Sochi (RUS) November 26-28. The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final will take place in Osaka (JPN) December 9-12.
Overview of the events
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Skate America
Nathan Chen (USA) at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021©International Skating Union (ISU)
The ISU Grand Prix starts with Skate America in Las Vegas and with three-time World Champion Nathan Chen (USA), 2018 Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno (JPN), 2019 World bronze medalist Vincent Zhou (USA), 2021 World bronze medalist Alexandra Trusova (RUS), Bradie Tennell (USA), two-time World medalist Satoko Miyahara (JPN), 2020 European Champions Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS), Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) as well as with two-time World Ice Dance medalists Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA) and two-time Four Continents Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA).
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Skate Canada International
Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN) at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating (CHN) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
Skate Canada International in Vancouver is headlined by Chen, Jason Brown (USA), Keegan Messing (CAN), 2021 World silver medalist Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS), 2020 European Champion Alena Kostornaia (RUS), 2020 World Junior Champion Kamila Valieva (RUS), two-time Four Continents Champion Rika Kihira (JPN). The Pairs are led by 2018 Olympic silver medalists Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) and 2020 Four Continents bronze medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro (CAN) while 2021 World bronze medalists Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) and 2019 European bronze medalists Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) are the top contenders in the Ice Dance competition.
The new Pair Skating team of Vanessa James/Eric Radford (CAN) will debut at the Grand Prix while 2020 ISU World Junior bronze medalist Alysa Liu (USA) debuts on the senior circuit.
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Cup of China
Anna Shcherbakova (RUS) ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021©International Skating Union (ISU)
The next event is the Cup of China in Chongqing and features 2021 World Champion Anna Shcherbakova (RUS), Loena Hendrickx (BEL), Tennell, two-time Word bronze medalist Boyang Jin (CHN), 2021 World silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama (JPN), 2018 World bronze medalist Mikhail Kolyada (RUS), 2020 European Champion Dmitri Aliev (RUS), Sui/Han, 2020 Four Continents silver medalists Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN) as well as four-time Ice Dance World Champions Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) and four-time European medalists Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin (RUS).
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - NHK Trophy
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JPN) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
NHK Trophy takes place in Tokyo. Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) leads the line up and is joined by Uno, Junhwan Cha (KOR), while the Ladies event features Trusova, Kihira, 2018 Four Continents Champion Kaori Sakamoto (JPN). The Pairs event includes 2021 World Champions Anastasia Mishina/Alexander Galliamov (RUS) and two-time World Pairs silver medalists Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (RUS). 2021 World Champions Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) and Chock/Bates compete in the Ice Dance event
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – Internationaux de France
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating (FRA) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
The series moves then to Europe for the Internationaux de France in Grenoble. Top contenders include ISU Grand Prix Finalist Kevin Aymoz (FRA), Kagiyama, Aliev, Shcherbakova, Kostornaia, 2018 World silver medalist Wakaba Higuchi (JPN), Karen Chen (USA), Boikova/Kozlovskii, James/Radford, Peng/Jin, Papadakis/Cizeron, Gilles/Poirier, Stepanova/Bukin.
2020 World Junior Champion Andrei Mozalev (RUS) will debut on the ISU Grand Prix.
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Rostelecom Cup
Anastasia Mishina Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating (RUS) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
The last spots for the Final will be decided at the Rostelecom Cup in Sochi with Hanyu, Kolyada, 2020 European bronze medalist Morisi Kvitelashvili (GEO), Tuktamysheva, Valieva, Mishina/Galliamov, Moore-Towers/Marinaro, 2020 European bronze medalists Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin (RUS), Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise (ITA), Sinitsina/Katsalapov, Guignard/Fabbri competing.
38 Men, 44 Ladies, 25 Pairs and 34 Ice Dance couples representing 21 ISU Members currently have been invited. The maximum number of entries for each event is 12 Ladies, 12 Men, 8 Pairs and 10 Ice Dance couples.
Selection Criteria
The skaters are seeded and invited to the six Grand Prix of Figure Skating events based on the results of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021. Skaters/couples who have placed 1 to 6 in each of the four categories are seeded and assigned to two events. Skaters/ couples who have placed 7-12 at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships are selected for two ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events, and skaters with a top 24 Seasonal Best Scores (from either the 2019/20 or 2020/21 season) as well as those placed in the top 24 of the World Standings (from previous 3 seasons – 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21) can also be invited. If available medalists from the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final gold medalists can also be selected.
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 2019/20, 2020/21 or current 2021/22 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 2021 and are as follows: Ladies: 139.90, Men: 192.53, Pairs: 136.55, Ice Dance: 132.70.
Prize Money
Competitors collect points in their Grand Prix events towards the qualification for the Grand Prix Final. The global prize money per individual event of the Grand Prix is US $ 180,000 and the prize money is awarded to winners and placed skaters/couples at the events as follows:
1st place US $ 18,000 2nd place US $ 13,000 3rd place US $ 9,000
4th place US $ 3,000 5th place US $ 2,000
The points are awarded as follows:
1st place 15 points 2nd place 13 points 3rd place 11 points
4th place 9 points 5th place 7 points 6th place 5 points
7th place 4 points 8th place 3 points
The General Announcement of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series will be available in due time at the ISU website. The individual announcements are published under the respective events. For full entry lists and further information regarding the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series please visit here.