TheGrand Prix of Finland is an annualfigure skating competition sanctioned by theInternational Skating Union (ISU). It is organized and hosted bySkating Finland, and part of theISU Grand Prix Series. The first competition was held in 2018 inHelsinki as a replacement for theCup of China. It returned in 2022 as a replacement for theRostelecom Cup after Russia was banned from international figure skating competitions. The Grand Prix of Finland has been held under several names: theGrand Prix of Helsinki, theGrand Prix of Espoo, and theFinlandia Trophy. Medals are awarded inmen's singles, women's singles,pair skating, andice dance. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at theGrand Prix of Figure Skating Final.
Beginning with the 1995–96 season, theInternational Skating Union (ISU) launched theChampions Series – later renamed theGrand Prix Series – which, at its inception, consisted of five qualifying competitions and theChampions Series Final. This allowed skaters to perfect their programs earlier in the season, as well as compete against the same skaters whom they would later encounter at the World Championships. This series also provided the viewing public with additional televised skating, which was in high demand.[1] Skaters earned points based on their results in their respective competitions and the top skaters or teams in each discipline were then invited to compete at theChampions Series Final.[1]
No competitions were held from 2019 to 2021 since the Grand Prix of Finland – at that point called the Grand Prix of Helsinki – had been a one-time substitute for the Cup of China. Following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in international figure skating competitions.[5][6] The ISU also ordered that no international competitions would be held in Russia or Belarus. Therefore, theRostelecom Cup, which had been scheduled for that November, was cancelled.[7] As such, the Grand Prix of Finland – now retitled the Grand Prix of Espoo – was staged to serve as a replacement.[8] In 2024, the Grand Prix of Finland adopted the nameFinlandia Trophy,[9] which had previously been the name of Finland'sChallenger Series event.[10]
Finland
Yuzuru Hanyu
Michal Březina
Cha Jun-hwan
Ilia Malinin
Kévin Aymoz
Daniel Grassl
Stephen Gogolev
Alina Zagitova
Loena Hendrickx
United States
Germany
Hungary
Georgia
Great Britain
