The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2008/2009 cumulate with the SBS ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and the SBS ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Goyang City, Republic of Korea, from December 11 to 14. The Finals of the two ISU Grand Prix Series are held together for the first time. A total of 84 skaters (56 entries) from twelve ISU members are competing in the two Finals.
SBS ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final
24 skaters/couples out of eleven countries are competing in the SBS 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: Skate America in Everett, Homesense Skate Canada in Ottawa, Samsung Anycall Cup of China in Beijing, Trophee Bompard in Paris (FRA), Cup of Russia in Moscow and NHK Trophy in Tokyo (JPN) 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 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
Yu-Na Kim (KOR) and Joannie Rochette (CAN) both advanced with the maximum of 30 points to the Final after claiming gold medals in their two events. Kim won in Everett and Beijing and got a seasons best of 193.45 points at Skate America. Rochette claimed the title in Ottawa and in Paris and comes with a seasons best of 188.89 points to the Final. Kim is the defending Grand Prix Final Champion while Rochette competed in the Final only once in 2005 where she earned the bronze medal. Reigning World Champion Mao Asada advanced with a silver medal from Paris and a gold from Tokyo the Final (seasons best 191.13 points). She was the silver medalist last year in Torino. European Champion Carolina Kostner comes back to the Final after taking the bronze last year in her native Italy. She won the Cup of Russia and placed fourth at Skate Canada. Yukari Nakano (JPN/seasons best: 172.53 points) comes back to the Final after placing second at Skate America and third at NHK Trophy. 2007 World Champion Miki Ando (JPN/seasons best 170.88 points) made it to the Final with a bronze medal in Everett and a silver in Beijing.
The substitute skaters are: Fumie Suguri (JPN), Rachael Flatt (USA) and Alissa Czisny (USA).
Patrick Chan (CAN) is the only man to advance with two victories to the Final. He claimed the gold at Skate Canada and Trophee Bompard, where he scored his new personal best of 238.09 points. Takahiko Kozuka comes to Goyang City with a gold medal from Skate America and a silver from Paris (seasons best 230.78 points). Kozuka competes in the Final for the first time in his career. Johnny Weir (USA) comes back to the Final after earning two silver medals on the circuit in Everett and Tokyo (seasons best 225.20 points). 2008 World silver medalist Brian Joubert (FRA) advanced to the Final with a victory in Moscow and a fourth-place finish in Paris (sesaons best 230.78 points). Jeremy Abbott (USA) and Tomas Verner (CZE) are both newcomers to the Final. Abbott secured his spot after claiming the title at the Cup of China and placing fourth at the Cup of Russia (seasons best 233.44 points). Verner earned a bronze medal in Beijing and the silver in Moscow (seasons best 222.94 points).
The substitutes are: Alban Préaubert (FRA), Evan Lysacek (USA) and Yannick Ponsero (FRA).
Reigning World Champions Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER) and World silver medalists Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang (CHN) both qualified for the Final with two victories. The German couple won their events in the USA and France while the Chinese took the gold in China and Russia. Savchenko/Szolkowy posted a seasons best of 188.50 points and Zhang/Zhang have a seasons best of 182.22 points. The Germans are the defending Grand Prix Champions and the Chinese couple are the defending silver medalists. Yuko Kawaguchi/Alexander Smirnov (RUS) come back to the Final with a gold medal from Skate Canada and a silver from the Cup of Russia (seasons best 176.97 points). Qing Pang/Jian Tong (CHN) booked their ticket to Korea with a victory at NHK Trophy and a bronze medal at the Cup of China (seasons best 186.06 points). Tatiana Volosozhar/Stanislav Morozov (UKR) and Maria Mukhortova/Maxim Trankov (RUS) are competing in their first Grand Prix Final. Volosozhar/Morozov (seasons best 175.05 points) were ranked second in Beijing and third in Moscow while Mukhortova/Trankov (seasons best 170.87 points) placed third in Everett and second in Paris.
The substitutes are: Keauna McLaughlin/Rockne Brubaker (USA), Jessica Dubé/Bryce Davison (CAN) and Rena Inoue/John Baldwin (USA).
Reigning World Champions Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA) are the top qualifiers in the Ice Dancing event with two gold medals from Skate America and Trophee Bompard (seasons best 187.64 points). The French were bronze medalists last year in the Grand Prix Final. European and defending Grand Prix Champions Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin (RUS) took the gold in Beijing and the silver in Moscow (seasons best 186.77 points). Federica Faiella/Massimo Scali (ITA) qualified for the Final for the first time in their career with a victory in Japan and a silver medal in France (seasons best 179.58 points). Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski (RUS) come back to the Final after claiming victory at the Cup of Russia and earning the bronze at the Cup of China (seasons best 187.62 points). Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA) are newcomers to the Final. They secured their spot with a gold medal in Ottawa and a bronze in Moscow (seasons best 178.89 points). Defending Grand Prix Final silver medalists Tanith Belbin/Benjamin Agosto (USA) qualified for Goyang City with two silver medals from Skate America and Cup of China (seasons best 186.53 points).
The substitutes are: Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat (FRA), Vanessa Crone/Paul Poirier (CAN) and Sinead Kerr/John Kerr (GBR).
SBS ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final
32 skaters/couples from eight ISU members are competing in the Junior Final. Eight skaters/couples in each category qualified in the eight events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series in Courchevel (FRA), Merano (ITA), Mexico City, Ostrava (CZE), Madrid (ESP), Gomel (BLR), Cape Town (RSA) and Sheffield (GBR). 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:
Men and Ladies 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.
Kristine Musademba (USA) is the only Junior lady to advance with the maximum of 30 points to the Final after claiming gold medals in her two events in Courchevel and Madrid. Musademba was ranked fourth in the Junior Final last year. Yukiko Fujisawa (JPN) and Alexe Gilles (USA) qualified with a victory and a silver medal for Goyang City. Fujisawa won in Ostrava and was second in Sheffield while Gilles was a silver medalist in Mexico City and won in Cape Town.
Kanako Murakami (JPN) and Amanda Dobbs (USA) booked their ticket to Korea after claiming a gold and a bronze medal on the circuit. Becky Bereswill (USA) qualified with two silver medals, while Angela Maxwell (USA) and Diane Szmiett (CAN) made it to the Final with a silver and a bronze.
Richard Dornbush (USA) is the top qualifier in the Junior Men with two gold medals from his events in Mexico and South Africa. Armin Mahbanoozadeh (USA), last year’s bronze medalist, comes back with a silver medal from France and a gold medal from Spain. Alexander Johnson (USA) and Florent Amodio (FRA) qualified with a victory and a bronze medal. Ivan Bariev (RUS), who was ranked seventh in the Junior Final in 2007, earned his spot with two silver medals on the circuit. Denis Ten (KAZ) is the first skater from Kazakhstan to qualify for the ISU Junior Final. He did so by winning the event in Belarus and coming fourth in France. Elladj Baldé (CAN) advanced with a silver and a bronze medal. Artur Gachinski (RUS) replaces Michal Brezina (CZE), who withdrew citing a knee injury. Gachinski finished second in Madrid and fourth in Sheffield.
Russia qualified five pair teams for the Junior Final. World Junior silver medalists Lubov Iliushechkina/Nodari Maisuradze top the Junior standings with two gold medals from Ostrava and Gomel. Anastasia Martiusheva/Alexei Rogonov qualified with a gold from Sheffield and bronze in Mexico City. Sabina Imaikina/Andrei Novoselov secured their spot with two silver medals from the Czech Republic and England. Reigning World Junior Champions and Junior Grand Prix Final Champions Ksenia Krasilnikova/ Konstantin Bezmaternykh won in Mexico and finished fourth in Belarus. Ksenia Ozerova/ Alexander Enbert took the bronze in Ostrava and the silver in Gomel. Narumi Takahashi/Mervin Tran (JPN) qualified with a fourth-place finish in Mexico City and bronze medal in England. Yue Zhang/Lei Wang (CHN) placed fifth in Mexico and third in Belarus. Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir (USA) were ranked fourth in Ostrava and Sheffield.
The dance competition features eight couples from four ISU members. Madison Hubbell/Keiffer Hubbell (USA) and Madison Chock/Greg Zuerlein (USA) advanced with the maximum of 30 points to the Final. Hubbell/Hubbell, who won the Junior Final in 2006 but then didn’t compete in the Junior Grand Prix series last season due to injury, now come back with gold medals from Mexico and South Africa. Chock/Zuerlein, who were ranked fifth last year in the Final, won their two events in Italy and Great Britain. Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani (USA) come with a gold from France and a silver from Spain to Korea. Ekaterina Riazanova/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) and Alisa Agafonova/Dmitri Dun (UKR) took as well a gold and a silver medal on the circuit. Kharis Ralph/ Asher Hill (CAN) qualified with two silver medals for the Final. Ekaterina Pushkash/Dmitri Kiselev (RUS) got into the Final with a silver medal and fourth place finish. Marina Antipova/Artem Kudashev (RUS) are replacing Piper Gilles/Zachary Donohue (USA) who withdrew due to injury. Antipova/Kudashev were ranked second and fourth in their two Junior Grand Prix events.
The full list of entries is available at www.isu.org
The schedule of the SBS ISU Grand Prix Final & SBS Junior Grand Prix Final is as follows:
Thursday, December 11: Junior Original Dance, Junior Men, Pairs and Ladies Short Programs
Friday, December 12: Junior Pairs and Junior Men Free Skating, Senior Original Dance, Senior Men, Ladies and Pairs Short Programs
Saturday, December 13: Junior Free Dance, Junior Ladies Free Skating, Senior Free Dance, Senior Men, Ladies and Pairs Free Skating
Sunday, December 14: Exhibition Gala
