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Ghiilardi PAIRS 1 MEDIUM

Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini (ITA) win gold in the Pairs at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating at Espoo (FIN) © ISU

Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini struck the Pairs gold and secured their spot in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. It was the first ISU Grand Prix title for an Italian Pair Skating team since Stefania Berton/Ondrej Hotarek had won Skate Canada International in 2013. Germany’s Alisa Efimova/Ruben Blommaert climbed from fourth to earn the silver, while Anastasiia Metelkina/Daniil Parkman of Georgia earned the bronze, the first ISU Grand Prix medal in the Pairs category for their country. 

Ghilardi/Ambrosini put on an entertaining performance to “The Barber of Seville” that featured a triple twist, throw triple loop and Lutz as well as level four lifts. However, their double Axel-double Axel sequence was shaky. The Italians scored 122.43 points and totaled 189.74 points, to take the first ISU Grand Prix medal of their career. 

“We were in our performance from the beginning to the end,” Ghilardi said. For Ambrosini, the feeling was right today. “We worked in the last months to feel like one person, one movement, and today we had that feeling,” said Ambrosini. 

The couple are excited to compete in their home country in the Grand Prix Final.

“We go to Turin. The Final is a big goal for us. We want to come back home and work - it’s in two weeks,” Ghilardi said. 

Skating to “Private Investigations” and “Sold My Souls”, Efimova/Blommaert produced a triple twist, throw triple loop and flip and got a level four for three elements. However, the Finlandia Trophy 2022 silver medalists struggled with their solo jumps. The team earned 108.29 points and moved up two spots to 170.75 points overall. 

 Efimova PAIRS 1 MEDIUM

Efimova/Blommaert (GER) take silver in the Pairs at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating at Espoo (FIN) © ISU 

“This is our second Grand Prix event and the first one we can skate to the end. For us, this competition showed that it is important to communicate during the competition and to always fight until the end,” Efimova said. 

The couple had to withdraw from their first event after the Short Program due to injury. 

The ice in the Metro Arena in Espoo proved to be lucky for the team from Oberstdorf, as they had already won the silver medal, at the ISU Challenger event Finlandia Trophy, here last month. 

“We were second both times, and we are looking forward to coming back here for Europeans,” Blommaert said.

Metelkina/Parkman completed a triple twist, throw triple flip and loop in their routine to “Lamentations”, but they doubled the side by side Salchow and had no jump combination. The Georgians picked up 103.97 points and accumulated 166.56 points overall. 

 

Metelkina PAIRS 1 MEDIUM

Metelkina/Parkman (GEO) take bronze in the Pairs at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating at Espoo (FIN) © ISU

“Unfortunately, we didn’t show our best,” Parkman admitted. “We always have the one goal to show the best and to progress. Today we made one big mistake and it cost a lot of points, so we cannot say we are happy. 

“Our next competition will be Europeans, and the goal is to fix all mistakes we made here and to improve and be better.”

Anastasiia Smirnova/Danylo Siianytsina (USA) dropped from second to fourth place with 165.12 points, as they made errors on the solo jumps and aborted a lift. Daria Danilova/Michel Tsiba (NED) finished fifth on 146.15 points. 

 

Schedule of the event

The schedule is as follows:


Friday, November 25:              Pairs, Women’s & Men’s Short Programs, Rhythm Dance
Saturday, November 26:          Pairs, Women’s & Men’s Free Skating, Free Dance
Sunday, November 27:            Exhibition Gala

 

The Grand Prix Espoo in Espoo (FIN) November 25-27 is the sixth and last event in the 2022/23 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.

More than 150 Skaters/Couples representing 29 ISU Members have been invited to the Series. The maximum number of entries for each event is 12 Ladies, 12 Men, 8 Pairs and 10 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.

Subscribe to the ISU YouTube Channel to receive all the latest videos and follow the conversation with #GPFigure.

 

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)

 

About ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series started in 1995 (previously known a s the ISU Champions Series) and consists of six invitational international senior events and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. The top six of the past World Championships are seeded. Competitors collect points in their Grand Prix events towards the qualification for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Only the top six Skaters / Couples in each discipline can qualify for the Final.