2016 Grand Prix Final: Men & Ice Dance Preview
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Get ready, because the Grand Prix Final starts in only two days! Here’s our preview of the senior men’s and ice dance fields. Featuring both decorated champions on the comeback trail and talented young newcomers, these competitions are definitely not ones to miss.
MEN
No discipline of figure skating is currently pushing technical boundaries as fast as the men; it is not an exaggeration to say that history is being written before our eyes at every competition. In the past year, men’s figure skating has seen the first successful quadruple flip landed in competition, the first successful quad loop, the first quad lutz-triple toeloop combination, the first quad flip-triple toeloop combination, and multiple records set and broken. But men’s skating is far from being merely a jumping competition - in order to reach the very top, it is absolutely necessary for a skater to have a combination of strong performance skills as well as the technical goods. And the top men in the world have exactly that. In an astonishingly deep field, this season’s Grand Prix Final will feature 2014 Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu, 2-time World Champion Javier Fernandez, and 3-time World Champion Patrick Chan. They will be challenged by two young stars of the new generation: Shoma Uno, who won bronze at the Grand Prix Final last season, and Nathan Chen, who will make his senior Grand Prix Final debut in Marseille. On the opposite end of the age spectrum is Adam Rippon, a veteran skater with a real sense of style who also qualified for his very first Grand Prix Final this season. With medals and titles on the line, and some of the most difficult programs in history being attempted this week, the men’s event promises to be a thrillingly unpredictable ride.
JAVIER FERNANDEZ
Representing: Spain
Age: 25
ISU Personal bests: SP 102.54, FS 216.41, total 314.93
ISU Season’s best: 292.98
Notable titles: 2016 & 2015 World Champion, 2-time World Bronze Medalist, 4-time European Champion, 2-time Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist
Programs: SP - Malaguena; FS - Elvis Presley Medley
A man of many historic firsts, Javier is the most successful skater in Spanish figure skating history. Since moving to Canadian coach Brian Orser in 2011, he has established himself as one of the top skaters in the world, winning four consecutive European titles and two consecutive World titles. A charismatic performer who can get the crowd worked up no matter where he competes, Javi is also known for his beautiful jumps, especially his quadruple salchow, and his jumps are capable of earning him very high Grades of Execution when he’s on. While the rest of the men’s field have upgraded their technical content (introducing more risk in the process), Javi has opted to stay with the same layout he used last season - two quads in the short program and three in the free skate (all toeloops and salchows), which is nevertheless more than enough to stay competitive at the top. This strategy seems to be working out well; Javi has been running hot so far this season, winning both of his Grand Prix events with strong performances and entering the Final as the top qualifier. While he won’t beat his training mate, Yuzuru Hanyu, if both of them are clean, his relative consistency could be the determining factor in winning the Grand Prix Final. Javi has won silver at the GPF behind Yuzuru for the last two seasons, but this might just be the season he wins his first gold - if he can deliver.
Javi is loved for his charming personality both on and off the ice. He is currently dating Miki Ando, a 2-time ladies’ World Champion from Japan, and they post many cute photos on Instagram. Javi has a cat named Effie, and loves her dearly.
PATRICK CHAN
Representing: Canada
Age: 25
ISU Personal bests: SP 98.52, FS 203.99, total 295.27
ISU Season’s best: 279.72
Notable titles: 2014 Olympic Silver Medalist, 3-time World Champion, 2-time Grand Prix Final Champion, 3-time Four Continents champion, 8-time Canadian National Champion
Programs: SP - Dear Prudence/Blackbird; FS - A Journey
In 2011, Patrick set the technical standard of the men’s field, winning his first World title with record scores and his new quadruple toeloop, which few other skaters were landing consistently at the time. Fast forward five years: Three World titles and an Olympic silver medal later, Patrick returned to competition in the 2015-16 season after a year-long break to find a drastically changed environment. Now a veteran of the field, Patrick is playing technical catch-up against skaters several years his junior, but has so far proven that he’s not ready to lie down and disappear yet. Famed for his incredible skating skills which no other man can currently match, Patrick is an all-around quality skater, capable of earning high Program Component Scores and Grades of Execution on his jumps, and these two factors will be key to him medaling at the Grand Prix Final this week. Patrick added the quadruple salchow to his free skate this season for a total of three quads in that segment, and although he has yet to land the quad sal cleanly, he skated an otherwise stunning free skate at Cup of China, making up a large deficit after the short program to win the title. Similar to last season, Patrick’s main weakness this season has been his tendency to make mistakes in his short programs; since he only attempts one quad in the short, it will be even more vital for him to skate a clean short program at the Grand Prix Final to put himself in medaling position going into the free skate.
Patrick’s free skate music this season was composed by fellow Canadian skater Eric Radford. He is a car enthusiast and has his own line of ice wine, which is only available in Canada.
YUZURU HANYU
Representing: Japan
Age: 21 (22 at GPF)
ISU Personal bests: SP 110.95, FS 219.48, total 330.43
ISU Season’s best: 301.47
Notable titles: 2014 Olympic Champion, 2014 World Champion, 3-time Grand Prix Final Champion, 4-time Japanese National Champion
Programs: SP - Let’s Go Crazy; FS - Hope & Legacy
Since turning senior at the tender age of 15, Yuzuru has accomplished so much that it’s almost mind-boggling to realize that he’s barely 22 at this coming Grand Prix Final. After winning his first World medal in 2012, Yuzuru moved to Canadian coach Brian Orser and since then, his career has hit milestone after milestone. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, he became the youngest male Olympic Champion in decades, and the first Japanese skater to win the Olympic title in men’s singles skating. Never one to rest on his laurels despite his successes, and inspired by new juniors-turned-senior such as China’s Boyang Jin, Yuzuru increased his technical difficulty last season and gave two clean, record-setting performances at 2015 NHK Trophy, breaking the 300-point barrier in skating for the first time. He shattered his own records again at the 2015 Grand Prix Final, winning his third GPF title in a row. With his combination of huge, beautiful jumps, excellent spins, complex programs full of difficult transitions, and his performance ability, Yuzuru has set the benchmark for men’s skating as both a technical and artistic skater.
However, despite the media’s claims of perfection, Yuzuru is still human and still very capable of mistakes, and has often been hampered by injuries in the past. Although he won the Grand Prix Final three times in a row, he lost the last two World Championships to training partner Javier Fernandez, and missed a large chunk of training time during the off season due to a foot injury. He added the quadruple loop to his programs upon his return to training, and this season, became the first skater to land the jump in competition, adding yet another historical record to his collection. Yuzuru now attempts two quads in his short program and four quads in his free skate, but has yet to land all of them cleanly in either segment so far this season. He lost Skate Canada to Patrick Chan after making major errors in the short program, but seemed to be getting back in form at NHK Trophy a couple of weeks ago, where he broke the 300-point total score barrier, setting the highest season’s best score in the men’s field so far. Entering the Grand Prix Final as the 3-time and reigning champion, Yuzuru will be unbeatable if he’s clean, but in this incredibly deep field, he won’t have too much room for error. Like most of the other men in this field, he has huge scoring potential, but also a high potential for mistakes, and everything will come down to how the skaters perform on the day of the competition.
Yuzuru is one of the most popular skaters in the world and is a superstar in his native Japan. Besides his skating, fans also love him for his friendly off-ice personality. He is fond of Winnie the Pooh and is never seen at competitions without his trusty Pooh tissue box. Yuzuru also loves video games, stating recently that he likes to play video games until obscene hours of morning during his free time.
SHOMA UNO
Representing: Japan
Age: 18
ISU Personal bests: SP 98.59, FS 190.32, total 285.07
ISU Season’s best: 285.07
Notable titles: 2015 Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, 2015 Junior World Champion, 2-time Japanese National Silver Medalist, 2016 Skate America Champion
Programs: SP - Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra (from Ladies in Lavender); FS - Buenos Aires Hora Cero/Balada para un loco
Ask anyone who was watching skating more than two years ago, and they would probably tell you that they never expected Shoma Uno to become a top contender. Although he was praised since his junior days for his musicality and maturity as a skater beyond his years, weak jump technique and low technical content prevented him from breaking out on the junior scene. Things took a miraculous turn in 2014, when Shoma acquired a quadruple toeloop and subsequently a triple axel - which he had struggled to land for years - and his career began to blast off to astronomical levels. After winning the Junior World title in 2015, Shoma turned senior in the 2015-16 season and immediately inserted himself into the equation as one of the world’s top skaters. An incredible free skate at last season’s Grand Prix Final won him the bronze medal behind Yuzuru Hanyu and Javier Fernandez, and although the second half of his season didn’t go quite as well, he capped off his senior debut season by landing the world’s first quadruple flip at 2016 Team Challenge Cup. Shoma now includes the quad flip in both of his programs, and attempts a total of five quads across both programs. This season, he landed three quads in his free skate at Skate America en route to winning the title by a wide margin, and produced strong performances at Rostelecom Cup, placing second behind Javier Fernandez. He has worked hard to improve the quality of his jumps, adding difficult entries and exits to them. But despite his considerably improved jumps, Shoma’s greatest strengths still lie in the non-jump aspects of skating - his speed and smooth skating skills, and his musicality, presentation, and polished movements. His overall package makes him a very viable threat to the top men, but he will still need to skate nearly perfectly in order to repeat his medal at the Grand Prix Final this season. Shoma is a relatively consistent skater, given his high technical content, but in this field, he cannot afford to make any mistakes.
Shoma’s skating hero is Daisuke Takahashi, who has influenced him to become a well-rounded and artistic skater who always puts the performance first. He began skating at the age of five after meeting Mao Asada at his local ice rink, and trains with the same coaches who coached Mao when she was a junior. He detests vegetables and loves to eat meat. Fans love his on-ice/off-ice contrast - clumsy and shy when he’s not skating, the intensity switch flips on as soon as Shoma steps onto the ice. Shoma is also an intense video game enthusiast.
NATHAN CHEN
Representing: USA
Age: 17
ISU Personal bests: SP 92.85, FS 180.97, total 268.91
ISU Season’s best: 268.91
Notable titles: 2015 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion, 2014 Junior World Bronze Medalist, 2013 Junior Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, 2016 US National Bronze Medalist
Programs: SP - Le Corsaire; FS - Polovtsian Dances
No one puts the “quad” in s(quad) quite as much as Nathan does. As a junior skater last season, he made history at the 2016 US Nationals by becoming the first man to land four clean quads in his free skate, winning the bronze medal and a spot on the 2016 World and Junior World teams. Nathan looked poised to take the senior level by storm - but his debut would have to wait. A jump attempt gone wrong at the US Nationals gala seriously injured his hip, and he was forced to miss the second half of the season and undergo surgery. Anyone else might’ve taken it easy after that. Nathan Chen is not “anyone else”. Upon his return to training, he began working on a quad lutz and quad flip - the two hardest quad jumps currently being attempted in competition - and casually landed both a few months after he started training them. His senior Grand Prix debut at Trophee de France this season met and exceeded everyone’s expectations - Nathan made history once again, becoming the first skater to land both a quad lutz and quad flip in his short program, breaking the 90-point barrier at his very first senior Grand Prix. He then attempted an unprecedented five quads in his free skate, although he fell on two of them. At his second Grand Prix event, NHK Trophy, Nathan made history by accident - unable to add a triple toeloop to his quad lutz after falling on it in his short program, he performed a quad flip-triple toeloop combination instead, the first time that combination was successfully completed in competition. Despite mistakes in both segments of the competition, Nathan’s massive base values helped him win the silver medal at NHK Trophy, qualifying him for his first Grand Prix Final, where he will be the youngest competitor in the field.
Nathan’s list of quad-related accomplishments is nothing short of ridiculous, but since his junior days, he’s also been known for his maturity as a skater. His presentation has improved with each competition this season, and his future potential as a well-rounded skater is nearly limitless. Nevertheless, against older, more polished skaters at the Grand Prix Final, Nathan will be disadvantaged when it comes to Program Component Scores and will need to rely on his heavy arsenal of jumps in order to have a shot at the podium. Attempting the hardest jump layouts in the world can be a double-edged sword, as his sometimes messy performances have shown - his scoring potential is incredibly high, but his risk of error equally so. It remains to be seen whether he will attempt four quads in his free skate, or five. Nathan will also need to overcome his nemesis jump, the triple axel, which he has often struggled with in the past. A medal at the Grand Prix Final is certainly possible depending on the performances of the rest of the field, but in any case, Nathan can take this competition as a learning experience as he looks ahead to US Nationals and a spot on the World team.
Nathan is the youngest of five siblings. He enjoys playing guitar in his free time, and also plays piano and hockey. Out of the young sQUAD, which also includes teenage quadsters Boyang Jin and Shoma Uno, he has the least chill.
ADAM RIPPON
Representing: USA
Age: 27
ISU Personal bests: SP 87.32, FS 182.28, total 267.53
ISU Season’s best: 267.53
Notable titles: 2016 US National Champion, 2015 US National Silver Medalist, 2010 4CC Champion, 2-time Junior World Champion
Programs: SP - Let Me Think About It; FS - O (by Coldplay)
Once a promising 2-time Junior World Champion, Adam never quite broke out on the senior stage until last season, when, at the ripe age of 26, he won his first US National title and placed 6th at 2016 Worlds with personal best performances. Now 27 and one of the oldest skaters in the entire men’s field, Adam brings experience and his own unique artistry to the table. Unlike the other men in this field, whose quad-filled jump layouts range from impressive to frankly insane (coughnathancough), Adam will only attempt one quad toeloop in his free skate and may or may not attempt a quad at all in his short program. What he lacks in technical content, he makes up for in performance ability and consistency. At Trophee de France, he skated two clean programs - including a mesmerizing free skate to Coldplay’s “O”, which earned a standing ovation from the audience - to win his second Grand Prix bronze medal of the season, qualifying him for the first Grand Prix Final of his career. Due to his lower technical content, Adam is unlikely to win a medal at the Final unless he is perfectly clean and other skaters make major mistakes, but qualifying for the Final after making so many improvements late in his career is already an accomplishment in itself. If he can continue the consistent performances that he’s given so far this season, watch out. In Adam’s own words, “I’m like a witch and you can’t kill me” - after persevering through numerous ups and downs in his long career, he’s seen it all, and he’s still alive and kicking.
Adam sometimes works as a choreographer and has created programs for several other American skaters, including Mirai Nagasu and his best friend and training mate, Ashley Wagner. He is very fond of mesh costumes and takes advantage of recent rule changes to wear a sleeveless shirt in his short program.
ICE DANCE
Sequined dresses, gorgeous lifts, and drama - ice dance has it all. The Grand Prix Final will be the site of the second showdown between legendary Canadian veterans Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir - the 2010 Olympic Champions and 2014 Olympic Silver Medalists who returned to competition this season after a two-year break - and Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron, the young two-time and reigning World Champions from France who rapidly rose to prominence after the Sochi Olympics. The score is currently 1-0 in Virtue/Moir’s favor, having decisively won NHK Trophy a couple of weeks ago against Papadakis/Cizeron. But the Final will take place in France, Papadakis/Cizeron’s home turf, and the fight for gold could be very close indeed. Meanwhile, the battle for bronze is wide open. Reigning World Silver Medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani of the USA will be looking to continue their upward trend, while Madison Chock/Evan Bates, who lost their status as USA’s no.1 team to the Shibutanis last season, will be looking to regain that status with a medal at the Grand Prix Final. Russia’s Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev have also set personal best scores this season and look ready to challenge for the top. With three teams capable of snatching the last spot on the podium, there will be no room for mistakes.
TESSA VIRTUE / SCOTT MOIR
Representing: Canada
Ages: 27/29
ISU Personal bests: SD 79.47, FD 116.37 total 195.84
ISU Season’s best: 195.84
Notable titles: 2010 Olympic Champions, 2014 Olympic Silver Medalists, 2012 & 2010 World Champions, 2012 & 2008 Four Continents Champions, 4-time Grand Prix Final Silver Medalists, 6-time Canadian National Champions
Programs: SD - Kiss/Five Women/Purple Rain; FD - Pilgrims on a Long Journey/Latch
Virtue/Moir won the adoration of Canada and the world after their captivating gold medal-winning performances at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and they are often recognized as one of the best ice dance teams in recent history. Although they looked set to retire after winning the silver medal at the 2014 Olympics, Virtue/Moir decided to return to competition earlier this year, choosing Marie-France Dubrueil and Patrice Lauzon - the same coaches as Papadakis/Cizeron - as their new coaches upon their return. Although they’ve made mistakes here and there, their comeback has been strong overall. At NHK Trophy less than two weeks ago, Virtue/Moir defeated training mates Papadakis/Cizeron at their first face-off of the season, and they enter the Grand Prix Final as the top qualifiers and co-favorites with their French teammates. Known for their electric on-ice chemistry, synchronization, speed, and great skating skills, Virtue/Moir will nevertheless need to be at their best in order to defeat Papadakis/Cizeron on their home turf and win the Grand Prix Final, the only title still missing from their collection.
Virtue/Moir are well-known in their native Canada and have starred in a reality TV show, Tessa and Scott.
MAIA SHIBUTANI / ALEX SHIBUTANI
Representing: USA
Ages: 22/25
ISU Personal bests: SD 74.70, FD 113.73, total 188.43
ISU Season’s best: 185.75
Notable titles: 2016 World Silver Medalists, 2016 US Champions, 2016 Four Continents Champions, 2011 World Bronze Medalists
Programs: SD - That’s Life, FD - Evolution
A brother and sister team, the Shibutani siblings (“Shibs” or “ShibSibs” for short) seemed to be poised for greatness when they won a surprise bronze medal at their very first senior World Championships in 2011. But the unexpected medal might have come too early, and they struggled to repeat their success in the years after, until the 2015-16 season, when their stunning free skate to Coldplay’s “Fix You” won over audiences and judges and propelled them back onto the World podium for the first time in years. Having proven the value of perseverance and establishing themselves as one of the top ice dance teams in the world, the Shibutanis will be aiming for major podiums again this season. They won both of their Grand Prix events, entering the Final as the second qualifiers, but in Marseille’s incredibly deep field, they will need to clean up any technical errors and skate two brilliant performances in order to stand on the podium. They will face strong competition from Russia’ Bobrova/Soloviev and USA’s Chock/Bates, who will no doubt be thinking ahead to US Nationals and the battle for the National title. Strong performances and a medal at the Grand Prix Final will set the Shibutanis up internationally and help retain their status as the top American team.
Fans love the Shibs for their musical skating and their off-ice personalities. Both Maia and Alex are active on social media, interacting with fans through Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. They often post vlogs and other fun videos on their Youtube channel, giving fans a glimpse of skaters’ backstage lives at competitions and shows.
GABRIELLA PAPADAKIS / GUILLAUME CIZERON
Representing: France
Ages: 21/22
ISU Personal bests: SD 78.26, FD 118.17, total 194.46
ISU Season’s best: 193.50
Notable titles: 2015 & 2016 World Champions, 2015 & 2016 European Champions, 2014 Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalists
Programs: SD - Bittersweet/Diga Diga Doo; FD - Stillness/Oddudua/Happiness Does Not Wait
As the reigning two-time World Champions competing at home in France, all signs point to Papadakis/Cizeron having the advantage to win - as long as they can deliver. The last two seasons have seen this talented young team skyrocket to the top of the standings, with two European titles, two World titles, and the highest-ever free dance score already under their belts. Undefeated in competition since the 2014 Grand Prix Final, Papadakis/Cizeron seem to have finally met their match with the return of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. At NHK Trophy, the last Grand Prix event before the Final, Papadakis/Cizeron made costly errors in both programs and lost to the Canadians by a wide margin. They will no doubt be looking for revenge in Marseille; like Virtue/Moir, the Grand Prix Final is the only major competition that they haven’t yet won. If they can produce the clean programs that they’re capable of in front of a home crowd, they have a very good chance of adding a GPF gold to their shelves, but they will need to be at their best in order to defeat their Canadian teammates.
Papadakis/Cizeron are known for their delicate, spellbinding free dances, and their style - Guillaume designs some of their costumes. Guillaume also occasionally works as a model.
EKATERINA BOBROVA / DMITRI SOLOVIEV
Representing: Russia
Ages: 26/27
ISU Personal bests: SD 74.92, FD 111.76, total 186.68
ISU Season’s best: 186.68
Notable titles: 2013 World Bronze Medalists, 2013 European Champions, 4-time European Medalists, 5-time Russian National Champions
Programs: SD - Mercy on Me/Sing Sing Sing, FS - Prelude No.20/The Four Seasons
One of the veteran teams in the ice dance field, Bobrova/Soloviev’s career has seen some interesting twists and turns in the last few seasons. They missed the entire 2014-15 season due to Dmitri’s injury and subsequent surgery, but made a strong comeback in the 2015-16 season, winning the Russian National title for the fifth time and placing third at the 2016 European Championships. Bobrova/Soloviev looked to have picked up where they’d left off, but then shocking news broke - Ekaterina tested positive for meldonium, causing the team to miss the 2016 World Championships. Bobrova/Soloviev were allowed to compete again this season after it was decided that not enough was known about the residence time of meldonium in the body. They have given strong performances so far on the Grand Prix series, winning Rostelecom Cup with personal best scores, and have a shot at the Grand Prix Final podium if they can produce clean performances again. But against strong teams like the Shibutanis and Chock/Bates, they will need to skate their best, as any mistake could cost them a chance at a medal.
MADISON CHOCK / EVAN BATES
Representing: USA
Ages: 24/27
ISU Personal bests: SD 76.21, FD 113.31, total 188.24
ISU Season’s best: 188.24
Notable titles: 2016 World Bronze Medalists, 2015 World Silver Medalists, 2-time Grand Prix Final Silver Medalists, 2-time Four Continents Silver Medalists, 2015 US National Champions
Programs: SD - Bad to the Bone/Uptown Funk; FD - Under Pressure
Chock/Bates were the “it” team on the US ice dancing scene during the 2014-15 season, but despite some strong performances last season, they steadily lost ground to the Shibutani siblings, losing the 2016 US National title to Maia and Alex and placing behind them at the 2016 World Championships. The Grand Prix Final will serve as a preview for US Nationals later this season, as the two American teams go head-to-head for the first time this season. Chock/Bates are a technically sound team, and Madison in particular is known for her intense personality on the ice. Wanting to create a new look in their programs, they have chosen to skate to “Under Pressure” for their free dance, which has been a hit with some fans. They won the free dance at Skate Canada ahead of Virtue/Moir, although they placed second overall, but technical errors at Rostelecom Cup left them in second place once again behind Bobrova/Soloviev. If they can clean up their performances at the Grand Prix Final, they are definitely capable of standing on the podium, but they will need to be nearly perfect in this strong field.
MADISON HUBBELL / ZACHARY DONOHUE
Representing: USA
Ages: 25/25
ISU Personal bests: SD 69.36, FD 108.37, total 176.81
ISU Season’s best: 175.77
Notable titles: 2014 Four Continents Champions, 3-time US National Bronze Medalists
Programs: SD - Feeling Good/Hip Hop Medley, FD - I Wanna Dance with Somebody/Can’t Help Falling in Love/Earned It
Hubbell/Donohue have steadily risen in the ice dance world in the last few seasons, placing a career-best 6th at last season’s World Championships in Boston. This season they qualified for their second Grand Prix Final with solid performances on the Grand Prix series. With a considerably lower personal best score than the other teams in Marseille, it’s unlikely that Hubbell/Donohue will finish on the podium unless several other teams make major errors, but the Grand Prix Final will give them an opportunity to further improve their own performances and keep themselves in the conversation as one of the world’s top teams. Hubbell/Donohue are known for their on-ice chemistry and performance ability, although their short dance this season to a medley of hip-hop songs has generated some controversy among skating fans.
See also: 2016 Skate America Preview, 2016 Trophee de France Preview