| 2025 Cup of China | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type: | Grand Prix |
| Date: | 24 – 26 October |
| Season: | 2025–26 |
| Location: | Chongqing, China |
| Host: | Chinese Skating Association |
| Venue: | Chongqing Huaxi Culture and Sports Center |
| Champions | |
Men's singles: Shun Sato | |
Women's singles: Amber Glenn | |
Pairs: Anastasiia MetelkinaandLuka Berulava | |
| Ice dance:Madison Chock andEvan Bates | |
Navigation | |
| Previous: 2024 Cup of China | |
| Next: 2026 Cup of China | |
| Previous Grand Prix: 2025 Grand Prix de France | |
| Next Grand Prix: 2025 Skate Canada International | |
The2025 Cup of China is afigure skating competition sanctioned by theInternational Skating Union (ISU). Organized and hosted by theChinese Skating Association (simplified Chinese:中国滑冰协会;traditional Chinese:中國滑冰協會), it was the second event of the2025–26 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held from 24 to 26 October at the Chongqing Huaxi Culture and Sports Center inChongqing.[1] Medals were awarded inmen's singles, women's singles,pair skating, andice dance. Skaters earned points based on their results, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline at the end of the season will be invited to then compete at the2025 Grand Prix Final inNagoya, Japan.Shun Sato of Japan won the men's event,Amber Glenn of the United States won the women's event,Anastasiia Metelkina andLuka Berulava of Georgia won the pairs event, andMadison Chock andEvan Bates of the United States won the 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 after the six qualifying events, the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to compete at the Grand Prix Final.[2] TheCup of China debuted as a Grand Prix event in 2003 as a replacement for theBofrost Cup on Ice.[3] The Cup of China has been interrupted three times in its history: in 2018 when the Chinese Skating Association elected to forgo hosting any international skating events in order to prepare its venues for the2022 Winter Olympics,[4] and then in 2021 and 2022 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] The Cup of China has been held inChongqing since 2019.[7]
TheInternational Skating Union published the initial list of entrants on 6 June 2025.[8]
| Discipline | Withdrew | Added | Notes | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Skater(s) | Date | Skater(s) | |||
| Pairs | 13 August | 14 August | — | [9][10] | ||
| Men | — | 18 August | Host picks | [11] | ||
| Women | ||||||
| Pairs | ||||||
| Ice dance | ||||||
| Pairs | 22 August | — | [12] | |||
| 24 September | 25 September | [13][14] | ||||
| Men | 13 October | 14 October | Injury (Pulkinen) | [15][16] | ||
| Women | 14 October | 15 October | Injury (Repond) | [17][16][18] | ||
| 21 October | — | Injury | [19] | |||
Men and women competing insingle skating performed theirshort programs on Friday, 24 October.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[20] the short program had to include the following elements:
For men: onedouble or triple Axel; onetriple or quadruple jump; onejump 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; onecamel spin orsit spin with a change of foot; onespin combination with a change of foot; and astep sequence using the full ice surface.[21]
For 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; onelayback 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.[21]
Men and women performed theirfree skates on Saturday, 25 October.[1] The free skate performance for both men and women could last no more than 4 minutes,[20] and had to include the following: 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 achoreographic sequence.[22]
Couples competing inpair skating performed theirshort programs on Friday, 24 October.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[20] the short program had to include the following elements: onepair lift, onedouble or triple twist lift, onedouble or triple throw jump, onedouble or triple solo jump, onesolo spin combination with a change of foot, onedeath spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[23]
Couples performed theirfree skates on Saturday, 25 October.[1] The free skate performance could last no more than 4 minutes,[20] and had to include the following: three pair lifts, of which one has to be a twist lift; two different throw jumps; one solo jump; one jump combination or sequence; onepair spin combination; one death spiral; and a choreographic sequence.[24]
Couples competing inice dance performed theirrhythm dances on Friday, 24 October.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds,[20] 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.[25] The rhythm dance had to include the following elements: onepattern dance step sequence, onechoreographic rhythm sequence, onedance lift, one set ofsequential twizzles, and onestep sequence.[25]
Couples then performed theirfree dances on Saturday, 25 October.[1] The free dance performance could last no longer than 4 minutes,[20] and had to include the following: three dance lifts, onedance spin, one set ofsynchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one step sequence while on one skate and not touching, and threechoreographic elements.[25]
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.[26] The judging panel's Grade of Execution (GOE) was determined by calculating thetrimmed mean (that is, an 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 a total element score.[27] 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.[28] 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 total program component score.[29]
| Discipline | Short progam 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.[31] The total element score and total program component score were added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.[32]
| Discipline | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Shun Sato |  Daniel Grassl |  Mikhail Shaidorov |
| Women | Amber Glenn | Alysa Liu | Rinka Watanabe |
| Pairs | |||
| Ice dance |
Shun Sato of Japan won the men's event; hisfree skate was "faultless" and included aquadruple Lutz and twoquadruple toe loops.[34] "There was anxiety in heading into the Cup of China while not hitting my form, but the support from everyone helped me overcome," Sato said afterward. "I'm really feeling happy."[34]Daniel Grassl of Italy finished in second place with a free skate performance that included a quadruple Lutz, aquadruple loop, aquadruple Salchow, and twotriple Axels.[35]Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan finished in third place. "I am satisfied with my skate, even though I was a bit nervous. There were some small mistakes, but I didn't really feel them myself," Shaidorov stated.[36]
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Shun Sato | Japan | 278.12 | 1 | 94.13 | 1 | 183.99 |
 | Daniel Grassl | Italy | 269.43 | 2 | 90.42 | 2 | 179.01 |
 | Mikhail Shaidorov | Kazakhstan | 262.67 | 3 | 88.33 | 3 | 174.34 |
| 4 | Tomoki Hiwatashi |  United States | 245.71 | 6 | 79.07 | 4 | 166.64 |
| 5 | Jin Boyang |  China | 232.81 | 5 | 86.62 | 7 | 146.19 |
| 6 | Vladimir Litvintsev |  Azerbaijan | 222.64 | 8 | 73.84 | 6 | 148.80 |
| 7 | Jacob Sanchez | United States | 221.21 | 9 | 72.40 | 5 | 148.81 |
| 8 | Cha Jun-hwan |  South Korea | 217.53 | 7 | 75.61 | 8 | 141.92 |
| 9 | Sōta Yamamoto | Japan | 211.67 | 4 | 87.57 | 11 | 124.10 |
| 10 | Deniss Vasiļjevs |  Latvia | 204.51 | 11 | 66.54 | 9 | 137.97 |
| 11 | Dai Daiwei | China | 197.54 | 12 | 61.82 | 10 | 135.72 |
| 12 | Peng Zhiming | China | 184.52 | 10 | 67.41 | 12 | 117.11 |
Amber Glenn andAlysa Liu, both of the United States, won the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the women's event. Glenn, who won the2024 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, successfully performed atriple Axel in both theshort program andfree skate. "I’m just really happy with the overall results and showing the consistency that I’ve been working on with my team in practice every day," Glenn stated afterward.[38] Liu, who won the2025 World Figure Skating Championships, had been in first place after the short program, but stumbled on atriple Lutz, allowing Glenn to surpass her.[38]Rinka Watanabe of Japan finished in third place despite falling on her opening triple jump combination. "I'm relieved to have made the podium," Watanabe stated.[34]
| Rank | Skater | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Glenn | United States | 214.78 | 3 | 73.04 | 1 | 141.74 |
| Alysa Liu | United States | 212.07 | 1 | 74.61 | 2 | 137.46 |
| Rinka Watanabe | Japan | 198.63 | 2 | 74.01 | 5 | 124.62 |
| 4 | Anastasiia Gubanova | Georgia | 197.88 | 5 | 66.28 | 3 | 131.60 |
| 5 | Shin Ji-a | South Korea | 195.43 | 4 | 68.01 | 4 | 127.42 |
| 6 | Rino Matsuike | Japan | 188.06 | 6 | 65.91 | 6 | 122.15 |
| 7 | Zhang Ruiyang | China | 179.54 | 10 | 61.71 | 7 | 117.83 |
| 8 | Anna Pezzetta | Italy | 178.34 | 9 | 61.89 | 8 | 116.45 |
| 9 | Lee Hae-in | South Korea | 177.32 | 7 | 65.46 | 10 | 111.86 |
| 10 | Hana Yoshida | Japan | 176.54 | 11 | 61.47 | 9 | 115.07 |
| 11 | Zhu Yi | China | 162.66 | 8 | 63.39 | 11 | 99.27 |
Anastasiia Metelkina andLuka Berulava of Georgia scored a new personal best in their short program, finishing first in both segments, despite a fall on the final jump of theirtriple Salchow-double Axel-double Axel jump sequence. "I’m glad we fought for this gold medal and didn’t give up after the mistake on the jump," Berulava stated afterward.[40]Sui Wenjing andHan Cong of China, gold medalists at the2022 Winter Olympics inBeijing, returned to competition after a three-year retirement. They placed third in theshort program after Sui fell on her opening jump,[41] and ultimately finished third after thefree skate. "I wasn’t nervous today. It’s true, we haven’t competed for a long time, but I really enjoyed that," Sui stated afterward.[40]
| Rank | Team | Nation | Total points | SP | FS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 217.24 | 1 | 77.77 | 1 | 139.47 | |
| Italy | 209.88 | 2 | 73.41 | 2 | 136.47 | |
| China | 202.92 | 3 | 72.45 | 3 | 130.47 | |
| 4 | China | 195.41 | 5 | 68.96 | 4 | 126.45 | |
| 5 | Italy | 186.85 | 7 | 64.60 | 5 | 122.25 | |
| 6 |  Germany | 183.74 | 6 | 65.22 | 6 | 118.52 | |
| 7 | United States | 181.70 | 4 | 69.18 | 7 | 112.52 | |
| WD | Italy | Withdrew | 8 | 55.67 | Withdrew from competition | ||
Madison Chock andEvan Bates of the United States, three-timeWorld Championship gold medalists, won the ice dance event in their Grand Prix debut, whileEmilea Zingas andVadym Kolesnik, also of the United States, finished in second place. "It felt really good to perform ourflamenco for the first time here," Chock stated afterward. "We feel like this was a great start to our season and we're excited to get back home and bring more work beforeSkate America."[43]Caroline Green andMichael Parsons of the United States, who had been in seventh place after therhythm dance, withdrew from the competition after sustaining an injury.[44] "We sustained an injury during the rhythm dances yesterday," Parsons stated prior to thefree skate. "I didn't feel stable or strong enough to do this program safely with my partner... We... look forward toNHK."[45]
| Rank | Team | Nation | Total points | RD | FD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 208.25 | 1 | 84.44 | 1 | 123.81 | |
| United States | 202.27 | 2 | 80.43 | 2 | 121.84 | |
|  France | 196.60 | 3 | 77.62 | 4 | 118.98 | |
| 4 |  Spain | 187.51 | 6 | 67.37 | 3 | 120.14 | |
| 5 | South Korea | 185.79 | 5 | 73.68 | 5 | 112.11 | |
| 6 | France | 184.20 | 4 | 74.32 | 6 | 109.88 | |
| 7 | China | 165.71 | 8 | 62.68 | 7 | 103.03 | |
| 8 | China | 153.17 | 9 | 59.74 | 8 | 93.43 | |
| 9 | China | 143.92 | 10 | 58.61 | 9 | 85.31 | |
| WD | United States | Withdrew | 7 | 65.83 | Withdrew from competition | ||
