The 2025 ISU Grand Prix Series wrapped up with great aplomb in Finland. Whilst some expected names pulled off breathtaking performances, the odd welcome surprise and final confirmations for Grand Prix Final qualification spots ensured that there was much drama for spectators to enjoy before Nagoya in two weeks.

Men’s

Whilst Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) and Adam Siao Him Fa (France) were favourites going into this meet, there were twists and turns right up until the end, with Kagiyama going into the free skate in third place and Siao Him Fa (all too frequently acquainted with the concept of a dodgy short program) looking strong in first. However, several errors in the free ultimately left Siao Him Fa with silver (256.98) whilst Kagiyama’s artistically moving program set to Puccini’s Turandot earned him the gold (270.45).

Canada’s Stephen Gogolev is proving himself to be one of the most exciting young skaters in the senior field, and his bronze medal (253.61) came after two fantastic skates that helped him secure his first Grand Prix podium.

Women’s

The gold medal was decided in the thrilling final moments of the women’s free skate: although Amber Glenn (USA) went into the free in first place after a stunning rhythm dance set to “Like A Prayer” by Madonna, Japan’s Mone Chiba proved why she had also earned a gold medal earlier in the series. Her Romeo & Juliet program also brought the house down, leaving the audience with a nail biting wait to see if Chiba, second after the short, would be able to maintain a lead over Glenn.

Chiba ended up with 217.22 points and the gold medal, whilst Glenn took second with 213.41. In third place with (193.21), Chiba’s compatriot Rino Matsuike pulled of an utterly delightful free skate that put many smiles on the faces of those watching. With the Japanese women’s field incredibly deep and with only three spots available for the Olympics, such a strong international performance will surely do the skater the world of good for her confidence going into Japanese Nationals.

Pairs

Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin took gold (206.88) after two performances that improved on their fantastic work in Canada where they took silver. Whilst they’re two of the less buzzy names in pairs figure skating, it was a strong reminder that the world silver medallists are undeniably in the conversation for the Olympic podium.

In second place (205.49) was Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov (USA) with two with dramatic, high-energy programs whilst Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea (USA) took bronze (199.09). Kam and O’Shea won bronze in Canada earlier in the series, and although they’re fighting hard to keep up with the teams ahead of them, they will hopefully be pleased with another two podiums this series despite narrowly missing out on qualifying for the final.

Ice Dance

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (France) and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (Canada) took gold and silver with 204.18 and 202.11 respectively, fulfilling what most predicted would occur in some form this round. Fournier Beaudry/Cizeron showed off their top skating skills that have made this newly formed team so formidable so quickly, whilst Gilles/Poirier pulled off a moving free dance, modified to improve on their work in Canada.

However, the talk of the night came from American pair Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, whose rise this season has been both rapid and enjoyable to witness. Their artistry in their Romeo & Juliet program in particular combined with improvements in their transitions made them one of the most enjoyable pairs to watch this series, and they were rewarded with not just bronze (196.02) but also their first ever qualifying spot in the Grand Prix final.

A shoutout must go to America’s Oona Brown and Gage Brown, who continue to delight with their free dance set to The Godfather, as well as the UK’s Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez, who were a last minute entry for Finlandia after a withdrawal and who brought their trademark good energy to the ring with two palpably joyful skates.

Overall

Whilst we now know the full roster that we’ll be seeing again in two weeks time for the Grand Prix Final, the past six weeks have brought us fabulous performances from the many skaters who will hopefully continue to grow and refine their programs as they battle to be ready for the Olympics in Milan next year, and it’s more than exciting to consider how some of these programs will soon be presented to the world on Olympic ice.

For now, we look forward to the Final in Nagoya with these 36 fantastic skaters, with some long time challengers and exciting newcomers amongst them. We’re set for a treat.

Grand Prix Finalists

Men’s:

1. Ilia Malinin (USA)
2. Yuma Kagiyama (Japan)
3. Shun Sato (Japan)
4. Adam Siao Him Fa (France)
5. Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan)
6. Daniel Grassl (Italy)

Women’s:

1. Mone Chiba (Japan)
2. Kaori Sakamoto (Japan)
3. Amber Glenn (USA)
4. Alysa Liu (USA)
5. Ami Nakai (Japan)
6. Rinka Watanabe (Japan)

Pairs:

1. Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara (Japan)
2. Sara Conti / Niccolò Macii (Italy)
3. Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nikita Volodin (Germany)
4. Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka Berulava (Georgia)
5. Deanna Stellato-Dudek / Maxime Deschamps (Canada)
6. Maria Pavlova / Alexei Sviatchenko (Hungary)

Ice Dance:

1. Madison Chock / Evan Bates (USA)
2. Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Guillaume Cizeron (France)
3. Lilah Fear / Lewis Gibson (Great Britain)
4. Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier (Canada)
5. Allison Reed / Saulius Ambrulevicius (Lithuania)
6. Emilea Zingas / Vadym Kolesnik (USA)