With the conclusion of the sixth and last qualifying event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012/13, the six finalists in each category have been determined. 24 skaters/couples from nine ISU members have qualified and will compete at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Sochi (RUS) December 6-9. The Final features reigning World Champions Patrick Chan (CAN) and Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) as well as six reigning World medalists.

 

A total of 119 skaters/couples representing 19 countries from Azerbaijan to the USA competed in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012/13. The six events of the series were Hilton Hhonors Skate America in Kent/Seattle (USA), Skate Canada in Windsor (CAN), Cup of China in Shanghai (CHN), Rostelecom Cup in Moscow (RUS), Trophée Bompard in Paris (FRA) and NHK Trophy in Miyagi (JPN).

World Champion Patrick Chan (CAN), World bronze medalist Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) and Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) each won one event and finished second in the other. Chan took silver at Skate Canada and won Rostelecom Cup, Hanyu ranked second at Skate America and struck gold at NHK Trophy while Kozuka claimed victory at Skate America and finished second in Russia. Tatsuki Machida (JPN) advances with a gold from Cup of China and a bronze from Skate America to Sochi. World silver medalist Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) took silver in China and in Miyagi. Javier Fernandez (ESP) made it with a victory in Canada and a fourth-place finish in Japan. Machida is the only newcomer to the Final. The substitutes are Jeremy Abbott (USA), Florent Amodio (FRA) and Takahito Mura (JPN).

 

Ashley Wagner (USA) and Mao Asada (JPN) top the Ladies’ standings. They are the only ones to qualify with two victories. Wagner won Skate America and Trophee Bompard while Asada struck gold at Cup of China and NHK Trophy. Kiira Korpi (FIN) claimed gold in Moscow and bronze in Shanghai. Akiko Suzuki (JPN) qualified with two silver medals from Skate Canada and NHK Trophy. Julia Lipnitskaia (RUS) earned silver in China and bronze in France. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) placed fourth in Windsor and second in Paris. Korpi and Lipnitskaia will compete in their first Final. The substitutes are Christina Gao (USA), Mirai Nagasu (USA) and Kanako Murakami (JPN).


Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov (RUS) lead the Pairs standings and are the only couple to advance with two gold medals from the events in the USA and Russia to the Final. Vera Bazarova/Yuri Larionov (RUS), Qing Pang/Jian Tong (CHN) and Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov (RUS) collected a gold and a silver each on their way to Sochi. Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford (CAN) qualified with two silver medals while Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch (CAN) booked their ticket to the Final with a silver medal and a fourth-place finish. All couples have competed in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final before. The substitutes are Caydee Denney/John Coughlin (USA), Stefania Berton/Ondrej Hotarek (ITA) and Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov (RUS).


Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA), Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) and Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat (FRA) qualified with two gold medals from their two events. Davis/White won in the USA and in Japan, Virtue/Moir struck gold in Canada and in Russia while Pechalat/Bourzat were victorious in China and in France. Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev (RUS) and Elena Ilinykh/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) as well as Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte (ITA) picked up two silver medals en route to the Final. Ilinykh/Katsalapov will compete in their first Final. The substitutes are Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (CAN), Ekaterina Riazanova/Ilia Tkachenko (RUS) and Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani (USA).


For full standings of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012/13 please refer to www.isu.org under Single& Pair Skating/Ice Dance then select Grand Prix.