| 2025–26 Grand Prix Final | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type: | Grand Prix |
| Date: | December 4 – 7 |
| Season: | 2025–26 |
| Location: | Nagoya, Japan |
| Host: | Japan Skating Federation |
| Venue: | Aichi International Arena |
| Champions | |
Men's singles: Ilia Malinin(Senior)&  Seo Min-kyu(Junior) | |
| Women's singles:Alysa Liu(Senior) &  Mao Shimada(Junior) | |
| Pairs:Riku Miura andRyuichi Kihara(Senior) &  Guo RuiandZhang Yiwen(Junior) | |
| Ice dance:Madison Chock andEvan Bates(Senior) & Hana Maria AboianandDaniil Veselukhin(Junior) | |
Navigation | |
| Previous: 2024–25 Grand Prix Final | |
| Next: 2026–27 Grand Prix Final | |
| Previous Grand Prix: 2025 Finlandia Trophy | |
The2025–26 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is afigure skating competition sanctioned by theInternational Skating Union (ISU), and was organized and hosted by theJapan Skating Federation. It was the culminating event of the2025–26 Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It was held from December 4 to 7 at theAichi International Arena inNagoya, Japan. Medals were awarded inmen's singles, women's singles,pair skating, andice dance. Skaters had earned points based on their results at qualifying competitions during the season, and the top six skaters or teams in each discipline were then invited to compete at the Grand Prix Final.Ilia Malinin andAlysa Liu of the United States won the men's and women's events, respectively.Riku Miura andRyuichi Kihara of Japan won the pairs event, andMadison Chock andEvan Bates of the United States won the ice dance event.
The competition was held concurrently with the2025 Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, the culminating event of the2025–26 Junior Grand Prix series.Seo Min-kyu of South Korea won the junior men's event,Mao Shimada of Japan won the junior women's event,Guo Rui andZhang Yiwen of China won the junior pairs event, andHana Maria Aboian andDaniil Veselukhin of the United States won the junior ice dance event.
TheISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of seven events sanctioned by theInternational Skating Union (ISU) and held during the autumn: six qualifying events and theGrand Prix of Figure Skating Final. This allows skaters to perfect their programs earlier in the season, as well as compete against the skaters whom they would later encounter at the World Championships. Skaters earn points based on their results in their respective competitions and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to compete at the Grand Prix Final.[1]
| Date | Event | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 17–19 |  2025 Grand Prix de France | Angers, France | [3] |
| October 24–26 | 2025 Cup of China | Chongqing, China | [4] |
| October 31 – November 2 |  2025 Skate Canada International | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada | [5] |
| November 7–9 | 2025 NHK Trophy | Osaka, Japan | [6] |
| November 14–16 | 2025 Skate America | Lake Placid, New York, United States | [7] |
| November 21–23 |  2025 Finlandia Trophy | Helsinki, Finland | [8] |
TheISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) was established by the ISU in 1997 and consists of a series of seven internationalfigure skating competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. While all seven competitions feature the men's, women's, and ice dance events, only four competitions each season feature the pairs event.[9]
| Date | Event | Location | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 20–23 |  2025 JGP Latvia | Riga, Latvia | N/a | [10] |
| August 27–30 |  2025 JGP Turkey | Ankara, Turkey | [11] | |
| September 3–6 |  2025 JGP Italy | Varese, Italy | Nopairs | [12] |
| September 9–13 |  2025 JGP Thailand | Bangkok, Thailand | N/a | [13] |
| September 24–27 |  2025 JGP Azerbaijan | Baku, Azerbaijan | Nopairs | [14] |
| October 1–4 |  2025 JGP Poland | Gdańsk, Poland | N/a | [15] |
| October 8–11 |  2025 JGP United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Nopairs | [16] |
The 2025 Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix Finals were held from December 4 to 7 at theAichi International Arena inNagoya, Japan.[17]
The top six skaters or teams in each discipline were determined based on the results of the six qualifying Grand Prix competitions.[1]
| No. | Men[18] | Women[19] | Pairs[20] | Ice dance[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 |
The top six skaters or teams in each discipline were determined based on the results of the seven qualifying Junior Grand Prix competitions.[9]
| No. | Men[22] | Women[23] | Pairs[24] | Ice dance[25] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 |
Men and women competing insingle skating first performed ashort program. Junior men and women performed their short programs on Thursday, December 4. Senior men competing in single skating performed their short programs on Thursday, December 4, while senior women performed theirs on Friday, December 5.[17] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[26] the short program had to include the following elements:
For junior men: onedouble or triple Axel; onedouble or triple loop; onejump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump or two triple jumps; oneflying sit spin; onecamel spin with a change of foot; onespin combination with a change of foot; and astep sequence using the full ice surface.[27]
For senior men: one double or triple Axel; onetriple or quadruple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, two triple jumps, or a quadruple jump and a double jump or triple jump; oneflying spin; one camel spin orsit spin with a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[28]
For junior women: one double Axel; one double or triple loop; one jump combination consisting of two double jumps, one double jump and one triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying sit spin; onelayback spin,sideways leaning spin, or camel spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[29]
For senior women: one double or triple Axel; one triple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[28]
Men and women in single skating finished their competition with thefree skating segment. Junior men and women performed their free skates on Friday, December 5, while senior men and women performed theirs on Saturday, December 6.[17] The free skate performance for junior skaters could last no more than 3 minutes 30 seconds, while that for senior skaters could last no more than 4 minutes,[26] and had to include the following:
For junior men and women: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; and achoreographic sequence.[30]
For senior men and women: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; a step sequence; and a choreographic sequence.[31]
Couples competing inpair skating also first performed a short program. Junior and senior pair teams performed their short programs on Thursday, December 4.[17] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[26] the short program had to include the following elements:
For junior couples: onepair lift, onedouble or triple twist lift, onedouble or triple toe loop or flip/Lutz throw jump, onedouble loop or double Axel solo jump, onesolo spin combination with a change of foot, onedeath spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[32]
For senior couples: one pair lift, one double or triple twist lift, onedouble or triple throw jump, onedouble or triple solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[32]
Senior couples performed their free skates on Friday, December 5, while junior couples performed theirs on Saturday, December 6.[17] The free skate performance for junior couples could last no more than 3 minutes 30 seconds, while that for senior couples could last no more than 4 minutes,[26] and had to include the following:
For junior couples: two pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, onepair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[33]
For senior couples: three pair lifts, one twist lift, two different throw jumps, one solo jump, one jump combination or sequence, one pair spin combination, one death spiral, and a choreographic sequence.[33]
Couples competing inice dance first performed arhythm dance. Senior couples competing inice dance performed their rhythm dances on Thursday, December 4, while junior couples performed theirs on Friday, December 5.[17] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds,[26] the theme of the rhythm dance this season was "music, dance styles, and feeling of the 1990s". Examples of applicable dance styles and music included, but were not limited to:pop,Latin,house,techno,hip-hop, andgrunge.[34] The rhythm dance had to include the following elements:
For junior couples: one sequence of therhumba followed immediately by one sequence of thequickstep; onedance lift; one set ofsequential twizzles; and onestep sequence while not touching.[34]
For senior couples: one pattern dance step sequence, onechoreographic rhythm sequence, one dance lift, one set of sequential twizzles, and one step sequence while not touching.[34]
All couples performed theirfree dances on Saturday, December 6.[17] The free dance could last no longer than 3 minutes 30 seconds for juniors, or 4 minutes for seniors,[26] and had to include the following:
For junior couples: two dance lifts or one combination lift, onedance spin, one set ofsynchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one turns sequence while on one skate and not touching, and twochoreographic elements.[34]
For senior couples: three dance lifts or one dance lift and one combination lift, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one turns sequence while on one skate and not touching, and three choreographic elements.[34]
For the 2025–26 season, all of the technical elements in any figure skating performance – such asjumps andspins – were assigned a predetermined base point value and were then scored by a panel of seven or nine judges on a scale from -5 to 5 based on their quality of execution.[35] The judging panel's Grade of Execution (GOE) was determined by calculating thetrimmed mean (that is, the average after deleting the highest and lowest scores), and this GOE was added to the base value to come up with the final score for each element. The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate atotal elements score.[36] At the same time, judges evaluated each performance based on three program components – skating skills, presentation, and composition – and assigned a score from .25 to 10 in .25 point increments.[37] The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the following chart; the results were added together to generate a totalprogram component score.[38]
| Discipline | Short program orRhythm dance | Free skate orFree dance |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 1.67 | 3.33 |
| Women | 1.33 | 2.67 |
| Pairs | 1.33 | 2.67 |
| Ice dance | 1.33 | 2.00 |
Deductions were applied for certain violations like time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls.[40] The total elements score and total program component score were added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.[41]
| Discipline | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | |||
| Women | |||
| Pairs | |||
| Ice dance |
| Discipline | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | |||
| Women | |||
| Pairs | |||
| Ice dance |
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Japan | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | France | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 |  Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Great Britain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (6 entries) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | |
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | China | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 4 | United States | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | France | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (7 entries) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | |
The following newrecord high score was set during this event.
| Date | Skater | Disc. | Segment | Score | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6 | Ilia Malinin | Men | Free skate | 238.24 | [44] |
Ilia Malinin of the United States made an uncharacteristic error and finished in third place after theshort program. Malinin attempted aquadruple Axel-triple toe loop jump combination. "I just wanted to try this [combination] out," Malinin said afterward. “It was the first time in a competition and it didn’t work out, so I had to just continue with the program."[45] This allowedYuma Kagiyama of Japan to finish in first place, whileShun Sato, also of Japan, finished second. Kagiyama set a new season-best score in the short program, successfully performing a quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combination, aquadruple Salchow, and a triple Axel. "I went in with the mindset that I am the best and it really helped," Kagiyama said. "It felt like the Beijing Olympics."[45] Kagiyama won the silver medal at the2022 Winter Olympics.[45]
Malinin rebounded in thefree skate, setting a new world record and becoming the first skater to successfully perform sevenquadruple jumps in competition. He performed all sixfigure skating jumps – toe loop, Salchow,loop,flip,Lutz, and Axel – plus an extra Lutz, as quadruples; both Lutzes and the Salchow were in combination and in the second half of his routine.[46] His free skate score of 238.24 was a new world record; the previous record was set by Malinin one month earlier at the2025 Skate Canada International.[47] "I’m really satisfied with my performance and I know that I’m able to get these jumps under pressure and now that I’m able to figure that out, I can add a lot more to the program to really make it one piece," Malinin stated afterward.[46] His total score was nearly thirty points higher than silver medalistYuma Kagiyama of Japan.[46] Figure skating commentator Philip Hersh described Malinin thusly: "Everyone should revel in watching a generational talent, one who is taking full advantage of the way the sport is scored and judged today, one who has leapt past presumed athletic barriers. Malinin issui generis, one of a kind."[47]
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Ilia Malinin | United States | 332.29 | 3 | 94.05 | 1 | 238.24 |
 | Yuma Kagiyama | Japan | 302.41 | 1 | 108.77 | 4 | 193.64 |
 | Shun Sato | Japan | 292.08 | 2 | 98.06 | 3 | 194.02 |
| 4 | Daniel Grassl | Italy | 288.72 | 4 | 94.00 | 2 | 194.72 |
| 5 | Adam Siao Him Fa | France | 258.64 | 5 | 78.49 | 5 | 180.15 |
| 6 | Mikhail Shaidorov |  Kazakhstan | 242.19 | 6 | 71.30 | 6 | 170.89 |
Alysa Liu of the United States set a new season best score to win the women's event. There was less than two points separating Liu fromAmi Nakai of Japan, who finished in second place.Kaori Sakamoto, also of Japan, rallied back from a fifth place finish in theshort program, scoring the highestfree skate of the evening to ultimately finish in third place.Mone Chiba, also of Japan, had been in first place after the short program, but ultimately finished in fifth place after numerous errors in her free skate. "I’m still not sure of how I feel at the moment but today I felt weak like I never have before," Chiba stated afterward. "This is the worst humiliation I’ve felt all season. I betrayed myself and that’s incredibly disappointing and sad."[49]
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alysa Liu | United States | 222.49 | 2 | 75.79 | 3 | 146.70 |
| Ami Nakai | Japan | 220.89 | 3 | 73.91 | 2 | 146.98 |
| Kaori Sakamoto | Japan | 218.80 | 5 | 69.40 | 1 | 149.40 |
| 4 | Amber Glenn | United States | 211.50 | 6 | 66.85 | 4 | 144.65 |
| 5 | Mone Chiba | Japan | 210.22 | 1 | 77.27 | 6 | 132.95 |
| 6 | Rinka Watanabe | Japan | 207.14 | 4 | 70.68 | 5 | 136.46 |
Riku Miura andRyuichi Kihara finished in first place, narrowly beating outSara Conti andNiccolò Macii of Italy, andMinerva Fabienne Hase andNikita Volodin of Germany, who finished second and third, respectively. Kihara is from theNagoya area, which he said helped give him and Miura an emotional boost. "We wouldn’t have been able to finish the skate the way we did without the crowd getting behind us," Miura said. "We owe it to those who have supported us from the beginning of our partnership."[51] Conti and Macii scored new personal bests in both theshort program andfree skate, successfully landing all of their jumps while landing in second place. "Today we fought for first place, and I think because of how we skated, we won," Macii said afterward. "For how we skated and how we felt with the pressure, so it's a good rehearsal for the Olympic Games."[51] Hase and Volodin, the reigning Grand Prix Final champions, had an error-ridden short program which left them in fifth place, but rallied back to finish first in the free skate, ultimately finishing the competition in third place. "We were hoping the whole season for a free program like that," Hase explained. "Today was the first time everyone saw our intention and I think we can still do better in a lot of things, but it was a great start."[51]
| Rank | Team | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 225.21 | 1 | 77.32 | 2 | 147.89 | |
| Italy | 223.28 | 2 | 77.22 | 3 | 146.06 | |
| Germany | 221.25 | 5 | 71.68 | 1 | 149.57 | |
| 4 |  Georgia | 211.53 | 3 | 75.04 | 4 | 136.49 | |
| 5 |  Hungary | 208.33 | 4 | 72.84 | 5 | 135.49 | |
| 6 | Canada | 194.36 | 6 | 71.07 | 6 | 123.29 | |
In their first match-up withLaurence Fournier Beaudry andGuillaume Cizeron of France,Madison Chock andEvan Bates emerged victorious, setting new season best scores in both therhythm dance andfree dance in the process. However, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron received two deductions during their free dance, leaving them six points behind Chock and Bates. "I think there is no explanation. It's something that happened on the moment. It's something that never happens in practice," Fournier Beaudry said afterward, referring to her having fallen during the routine. "I don't know exactly what really happened... I know we were both really into our performance and we really enjoyed our moment out there."[53] It was the first time the two teams had competed against each other this season.[53] Cizeron had competed for years withGabriella Papadakis, winning fiveWorld Championship titles and the gold medals at the2022 Winter Olympics before they ended their partnership in December 2024.[54] Fournier Beaudry had competed for Canada withNikolaj Sørensen before Sørensen received a six-year suspension from competitive skating in October 2024. Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron announced their new partnership in March 2025 with a stated goal of competing at the2026 Winter Olympics inMilan.[55]Lilah Fear andLewis Gibson of Great Britain finished in third place. "I'm very proud of both performances we did and excited to move ahead with confidence and a clear vision," Fear stated.[53] She and Gibson had been in fourth place behindPiper Gilles andPaul Poirier of Canada after the rhythm dance, separated by less than one point, but were able to make up the difference during the free dance to ultimately finish third.[53]
| Rank | Team | Nation | Total points | RD | FD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 220.42 | 1 | 88.74 | 1 | 131.68 | |
| France | 214.25 | 2 | 87.56 | 2 | 126.69 | |
| Great Britain | 208.81 | 4 | 82.55 | 3 | 126.26 | |
| 4 | Canada | 208.75 | 3 | 82.89 | 4 | 125.86 | |
| 5 |  Lithuania | 199.61 | 5 | 79.48 | 5 | 120.13 | |
| 6 | United States | 193.61 | 6 | 75.78 | 6 | 117.83 | |
Seo Min-kyu became the first men's singles skater from South Korean to win a gold medal at the Junior Grand Prix Final. He defeatedRio Nakata of Japan, who had been in the lead after theshort program. Seo set new personal best scores in both thefree skate and overall total. "I'm very happy to have achieved my personal best and delivered a perfect performance in free skating," he said afterward.[57]Lucius Kazanecki of the United States finished in third place.[57]
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seo Min-kyu | South Korea | 255.91 | 2 | 84.82 | 1 | 171.09 |
| Rio Nakata | Japan | 249.70 | 1 | 86.48 | 2 | 163.22 |
| Lucius Kazanecki | United States | 225.85 | 4 | 72.13 | 3 | 153.72 |
| 4 | Denis Krouglov |  Belgium | 225.60 | 3 | 74.29 | 4 | 151.31 |
| 5 | Taiga Nishino | Japan | 202.60 | 6 | 64.01 | 5 | 138.59 |
| 6 | Choi Ha-bin | South Korea | 200.70 | 5 | 70.94 | 6 | 129.76 |
Mao Shimada of Japan won a record fourthJunior Grand Prix title, scoring nearly twenty points higher than silver medalist,Kim Yu-jae of South Korea. "The season up to this point has been difficult so this make me really happy," Shimada said afterward.[59] This was Shimada last competition at the junior level; next year, she will compete at the senior level.[59]
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mao Shimada | Japan | 218.13 | 1 | 73.45 | 1 | 144.68 |
| Kim Yu-seong | South Korea | 198.66 | 5 | 64.06 | 3 | 134.60 |
| Japan | 195.82 | 2 | 68.21 | 5 | 127.61 | |
| 4 | Kim Yu-jae | South Korea | 195.38 | 6 | 60.02 | 2 | 135.36 |
| 5 | Sumika Kanazawa | Japan | 195.23 | 4 | 66.16 | 4 | 129.07 |
| 6 | Mayuko Oka | Japan | 189.63 | 3 | 67.93 | 6 | 121.70 |
Guo Rui andZhang Yiwen of China won the competition, whileZhang Xuanqi andFeng Wenqiang, also of China, finished in second place.Ava Kemp andYohnatan Elizarov of Canada finished in third place despite a fourth-place finish in thefree skate. "We’re disappointed with our free skate today... Still, we made it onto the podium, so it’s encouraging to win the bronze medal,” Kemp shared afterward.[61]Jazmine Desrochers andKieran Thrasher, also of Canada, finished in fourth place.[61]
| Rank | Team | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 177.05 | 1 | 63.84 | 1 | 113.21 | |
| China | 171.57 | 2 | 62.89 | 2 | 108.68 | |
| Canada | 166.46 | 3 | 62.82 | 4 | 103.64 | |
| 4 | Canada | 162.90 | 5 | 54.45 | 3 | 108.45 | |
| 5 | China | 153.02 | 4 | 55.63 | 5 | 97.39 | |
| 6 | Canada | 145.11 | 6 | 51.88 | 6 | 93.23 | |
Hana Maria Aboian andDaniil Veselukhin of the United States finished in first place,Ambre Perrier Gianesini andSamuel Blanc Klaperman of France finished in second place, andIryna Pidgaina andArtem Koval of Ukraine finished in third.[61]
| Rank | Team | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 165.45 | 1 | 66.77 | 1 | 98.68 | |
| France | 158.28 | 3 | 62.35 | 2 | 95.93 | |
| Ukraine | 156.22 | 2 | 63.43 | 4 | 92.79 | |
| 4 | France | 149.74 | 5 | 59.90 | 5 | 89.84 | |
| 5 | Canada | 145.73 | 6 | 52.70 | 3 | 93.03 | |
| 6 | United States | 140.29 | 4 | 60.44 | 6 | 79.85 | |
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