Team USA built on their Day 1 lead as the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating continued in Tokyo (JPN) Friday with the Pairs Short Program, the Free Dance and Women’s Free Skating. The ISU World Team Trophy features the top six teams of the 2022/23 season.
Knierim/Frazier, Chock/Bates build big lead for Team USA
Team USA is poised for gold after taking maximum points in two more events on Day 2 of the ISU World Team Trophy.
They go into the final day on 90 points – 15 points ahead of Korea, who themselves hold a slender one-point lead over hosts Japan in third.
Reigning World Pairs silver medalists Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier got their team off to the best possible start by winning the Short Program with a personal best score of 82.25 points and 12 team points.
Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier brought home Team USA's third maximum score of the ISU World Team Trophy in the Pairs Short Program. @ ISU
Their precise performance to “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” featured a triple twist, side by side triple toe, throw triple flip and four level-four elements.
ISU World Ice Dance Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates then built on the lead further, claiming another 12 points with their first place in the Free Dance after giving a mesmerizing performance to “Souffrance” and “Les Tectoniques”.
Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) added another 12 points with a record score in the Free Dance to cement the USA lead. @ ISU
The ISU Four Continents Champions collected a level four on all elements to achieve a new record score of 138.41 points, surpassing the previous highest score of Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) from the ISU World Championships a year ago.
In the Women’s Free Skating, ISU Grand Prix Final silver medalist Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn finished fourth and sixth respectively to add nine and seven points to the impressive team score.
“Today I got to be there from start to finish, every single event. To get to cheer on everyone was just incredible and amazing,” team captain Jason Brown noted.
“Especially starting off with the pairs, Alexa and Brandon were just absolutely stunning. What a way to kick off the day. Then it was really exciting to see my other teammates, the dancers and the ladies, wrap up their season.”
Team USA's star-spangled captain Jason Brown (standing, centre) leads the cheers as Chock/Bates' triumph is confirmed. @ ISU
Brown has taken on the role as Team Trophy captain for the USA for the second time.
“I think the biggest thing with kind of being a leader is about bringing the team together and creating this unity,” he explained.
“So often we're so focused on what we need to do as athletes, and especially on competition day. But then in those times in between, it's about coming together, supporting one another.
“We have a group text with the entire team that goes back and forth, sharing pictures, sharing good luck wishes. I had Team USA shirts made, matching shirts for the whole team and hats. So just kind of bringing the team together, getting them excited, rallying behind one another.
“You could see in the kiss and cry, we just have such a blast cheering one another on.”
Korea hold onto second with Free Skating podium double
Korea defended their second place on day two with ISU World silver medalist Haein Lee and ISU Grand Prix Finalist Yelim Kim taking first and third in the Women’s Free Skating. Lee completed six clean triples and level-four spins and footwork in her routine to “The Phantom of the Opera” to post a new personal best of 148.57 points and secure 12 team points.
Haein Lee (KOR) posted a personal best to win the Free Skating, ahead of teammate Yelim Kim in third. @ ISU
Kim’s performance to “Summer of 42” featured six clean triple jumps as well and she achieved a personal best of 143.59 points for 10 team points.
ISU World Junior silver Ice Dance medalists Hannah Lim/Ye Quan debuted at the senior level and were sixth in the Free Dance (109.27 points/seven team points). Pair Skaters Hyejin Cho/Steven Adcock competed in their first international event and also ranked sixth in the Short Program (60.55 points/seven team points).
“It was such fun to cheer for team Korea and for the other skaters,” said Team Korea captain Junhwan Cha.
“And wow, Team Korea, what they showed me today was amazing. And not because of the score or how they skate, but when they're skating, I can feel their enjoyment and happiness. They showed me great energy and fighting spirit. I was so happy for them and I'm so proud of them today.
“Tomorrow will be the last day, so we'll keep it up and I will cheer for all,” he added.
Junhwan Cha, far left, has forged a strong team spirit among a Korea team which blends experienced skaters and debutants. @ ISU
This is the first time Korea have qualified for the World Team Trophy and the skaters have fully embraced the idea of creating a true team spirit.
“I was thinking how can I support my teammates”, Cha said.
“I was just thinking of making something fun and I gave them a lot of ideas. From the start we can made some videos together and we can talk about how we're going to cheer for each skater and what we are going to do at the kiss and cry.”
Japan eye silver ahead of final day
2023 ISU World Pairs Champions Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara lifted Japan, third overnight, into second place after the first segment. They secured 11 points for the hosts as they finished second in the Short Program with a solid performance to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” – very suitable for this Team event.
The ISU Four Continents Champions completed a triple twist, triple toe and a throw triple Lutz to earn 80.47 points and list the hosts to the silver medal position.
Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara briefly lifted hosts Japan into silver medal position with their second place in the Pairs Short Program . @ ISU
In the Women’s Free Skating, World Champion Kaori Sakamoto kept her team in touch with second place by coming second, either side of the Koreans, whose combined 22 points was enough to push Japan down to third.
Skating to “Elastic Heart”, the Olympic bronze medalist produced six triple jumps, but fell on a triple toe in combination with a double Axel. She earned 145.75 points and 11 team points. ISU Grand Prix Final Champion Mai Mihara came fifth with 131.21 points to earn eight team points.
2022 ISU Four Continents Ice Dance silver medalists Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi were fifth with an emotional performance to “Phantom of the Opera” with 116.63 points and eight team points.
“I was focused on my performance and I couldn’t really cheer for the others today,” team captain Sakamoto commented.
“But during the day I was paying attention to social media and I was seeing the results of pairs and ice dance and I wanted to do my best, too.
Team Japan captain Kaori Sakamoto proves that strength lies in numbers as she and her teammates have fun in the kiss and cry. @ ISU
“The role of the captain is very important and challenging to take on for the first time. First, I wondered if I could fulfill the role and thought about how a captain should be. Skaters are usually nervous before they get on the ice, so the captains are the people who should be pushing and supporting and saying good luck.
“I have my own character and own way of trying to cheer up others around me. I have to exert my strength and at the same time I have to look around and link in to the other skaters' situation and that's difficult. It's a good experience to take the role as a captain,” she continued.
Japan lie third on 74 points, just a point behind Korea’s tally of 75 with the Pairs and Men’s Free Skates to come tomorrow.
France and Italy battle for European supremacy
France remained in fourth place with 60 points. Ice Dancers Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud were the top scorers of their team by placing fourth in the Free Dance with their Edith Piaf medley. They earned 118.52 points and nine team points.
Team Italy sits in fifth place on 55 points. World silver Ice Dance medalists Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri once again impressed in their passionate Free Dance to “My Love Will Never Die” with a personal-best performance of 132.34 points. They pocketed 11 points for Italy. In the Pairs, World Championship bronze medalists Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii ranked fourth in the Short Program with 69.84 points (nine team points).
Canada is in sixth place with 51 points. 2023 ISU World Ice Dance bronze medalists Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier came third with their “Evita” Free Dance to pick up 10 points for their team while ISU Four Continents Pairs bronze medalists Deanna Stellato/Maxime Deschamps finished third in the Pairs Short Program on 70.20 points to add 10 team points to the score. Their Tango routine was highlighted by a difficult lift and a set of triple toes, but she touched down with her hands on the throw triple loop.
Competition format and qualifying
The ISU World Team Trophy format is based on a competition consisting of the six best national teams from ISU Members with a special provision for the host ISU Member to be included. Each team will be composed of two Men, two Ladies, one Pair Skating couple and one Ice Dance couple, i.e. a total of eight skaters per team.
The team event consists of two phases of competition, the Short Program/Rhythm Dance and the Free Skating/Free Dance. Teams are awarded 12 to 1 team points (12 points for first place, 1 point for 12th place) for Men and Ladies and respectively 12 to 7 points for Pairs and Ice Dance couples in the Short Program/Rhythm Dance and in the Free Skating/Free Dance. The standings are calculated according to the sum of the team points achieved in each phase of the event. Several tie breakers are in place.
The teams qualified based on a scoring scale used for the ISU World Standing points are scored by their best two Women and Men, their best Pair and best Ice Dance couple primarily at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events and Final season 2022/23 and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2023, plus possibly the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2023, ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2023, the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2023 and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating season 2022/23.
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).
Schedule of the event
The schedule of the ISU World Team Trophy is as follows:
Thursday, April 13: Rhythm Dance, Women & Men’s Short Program
Friday, April 14: Pairs Short Program, Free Dance & Women’s Free Skating
Saturday, April 15: Pairs & Men’s Free Skating
Sunday, April 16: Exhibition Gala
For full entries and results, please see the ISU event page. Follow the discussion on social media using #WTTFigure and #FigureSkating.
Where to watch the ISU World Team Trophy 2023:
The ISU World Team Trophy will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news here.
Subscribe to the Skating ISU YouTube Channel to receive alerts when the live streams start and when new videos are posted.
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