Nagoya, Japan hosts the 2017-18 Grand Prix Finals (junior and senior). The top six skaters in each discipline — in both the senior and junior ranks — will go head-to-head in one of the most important pre-Olympic showdowns. Historically, skaters and/or teams that win this prestigious event are clear favourites to take the gold at the next Olympic Winter Games.
The competition begins Thursday, Dec. 7 with the junior pairs, men′s and ladies short programs, followed by the senior pairs and men′s short programs with the short dance concluding Day 1 of the action.
The odds-on favorite singles skaters who are the top contenders for Olympic gold in PyeongChang, Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu and Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia, are both currently sidelined by ankle injuries and will not contest this event.
Germany′s Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot will be chasing gold in the pairs discipline, looking to stay ahead of the Chinese and Russian teams that are hot on their heels. The performances of the German team this season lend belief that they are capable of winning it all.
The young American Nathan Chen is the headliner in the men′s event in Nagoya. Though he has his sights set on Olympic gold two months from now that will be a major — and likely impossible — challenge for the teenager who has no Olympic experience. However, a win at the Final is all but guaranteed.
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron will go up against their training mates and rivals Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada – who, to date, have never won a Grand Prix Final title. No doubt the duo will be looking to add that to their resumes so the dance final will be a battle royale. Bronze is up for grabs in this discipline but Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani have to be the favorites.
See also:
SENIOR GRAND PRIX FINAL
JUNIOR GRAND PRIX FINAL
OFFICIAL WEBSITE (Japanese only)