Sochi, Russia

#FigureSkating      #GPFigure

The last spots for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final are on the line this week at the  Rostelecom Cup in Sochi (RUS), the sixth and final event of the ISU Grand Prix series 2021/22. ISU World Champions Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) and Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS), along with ISU World silver medalist Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS), headline the event and hope to secure their tickets to Osaka (JPN) for the Final next month.

 Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov GettyImages 1353168294

Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) at NHK Trophy © International Skating Union (ISU)

Overview of the competitors

2020 World Junior Champion Kamila Valieva (RUS) and 2021 World silver medalist Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) will face each other again in the Women’s event after taking gold and silver respectively at Skate Canada last month. Both are vying for one of the open places for the Final. Gran Premio d’Italia silver medalist Maiia Khromykh (RUS) and bronze medalist Loena Hendrickx (BEL) also have a shot at the Final. Other competitors in Russia include Mariah Bell (USA), who’ll want to improve on her sixth-place finish at last week’s Internationaux de France, Ekaterina Ryabova (AZE), who came seventh in Grenoble, and Eva-Lotta Kiibus of Estonia.

In the Men’s competition, 2021 Gran Premio d’Italia silver medalist Mikhail Kolyada (RUS) goes for another medal in Sochi, and for qualification for the Final. Competition should come from training mate and 2021 Skate Canada bronze medalist Evgeni Semenenko (RUS), who also has a chance to reach Osaka, as well as from 2019 European bronze medalist Matteo Rizzo (ITA) and 2020 European bronze medalist Morisi Kvitelashvili (GEO). Others to watch include Michal Brezina (CZE), Kazuki Tomono (JPN), Roman Sadvosky (CAN) and Mark Kondratiuk (RUS).

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Kazuki Tomono (JPN) in Turin earlier this month © International Skating Union (ISU)

ISU World Champions Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) lead the Pairs and are after another gold medal following their victory at NHK Trophy a fortnight ago. Skate Canada silver medalists Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin (RUS) hope for their second medal on the circuit this season – and a ticket to Japan. Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise (ITA), Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro (CAN) and Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer (AUT) are expected to challenge for the podium.

World Ice Dance Champions Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) are the top contenders in their event and plan to add a second Grand Prix gold medal this season to the title they won at NHK Trophy. Skate Canada silver medalists Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) will fight for their spot in the Grand Prix Final. Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorensen (CAN), the Skate America bronze medalists, will challenge, along with Sara Hurtado/Kirill Khaliavin (ESP), Anastasia Skoptcova/Kirill Aleshin (RUS) and Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA), who enter their only Grand Prix event this season after injury forced their withdrawal from NHK Trophy.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen GettyImages 1348786181

Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorensen (CAN) at Skate America © International Skating Union (ISU)

Schedule of the event

Friday, November 26: Men’s Short Program, Rhythm Dance, Pairs & Women’s Short Programs

Saturday, November 27: Men’s Free Skating, Free Dance, Pairs & Women’s Free Skating

Sunday, November 28: Exhibition Gala

Viewers are able to watch the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series either via their national broadcaster / channel or via the Skating ISU YouTube Channel for countries where there is no broadcaster agreement in place. For more information please see here.

The General Announcement of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series is available at the ISU website. The individual announcements are published under the respective events. For full entry lists and further information regarding the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series please visit here. The ISU has an anti-Covid protocol in place to keep all participants of the events as safe as possible.

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series consists of six events: Guaranteed Rate Skate America in Las Vegas (USA) October 22-24, Skate Canada International in Vancouver (CAN) October 29-31, Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin (ITA) November 5-7, NHK Trophy in Tokyo (JPN) November 12-14, Internationaux de France in Grenoble (FRA) November 19-21 and Rostelecom Cup in Sochi (RUS) November 26-28. The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final will take place in Osaka (JPN) December 9-12. 

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 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.