After the brilliant display by two-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu at Skate Canada Int’l last week, America’s two-time World Champion Nathan Chen will be back on the ice this week in Paris for the Internationaux de France in Grenoble.
Chen won at Skate America, scoring 299.09, but then Hanyu scored a stunning 322.59 – second only to Chen’s mark at the 2019 World Championships under the new scoring system – to win last week. What will Chen’s response be?
The ISU Grand Prix allows skaters to appear twice to pile up points to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. This will be Chen’s second appearance; he will face a quality opponent in PyeongChang silver winner Shoma Uno of Japan. The top entries, which includes World Champions Chen, Russia’s Alina Zagitova and France’s Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron:
Men:
● Nathan Chen (USA) ~ 2018-19 World Champion; won Skate America
● Shoma Uno (JPN) ~ 2018 Olympic silver; 2017-18 Worlds silvers
● Alexander Samarin (RUS) ~ 2019 European silver medalist
● Tomoki Hiwatashi (USA) ~ 2019 World Junior Champion
Women:
● Wakaba Higuchi (JPN) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
● Maria Sotskova (RUS) ~ Eighth at 2017-18 Worlds
● Alina Zagitova (RUS) ~ 2018 Olympic Champion; 2019 World Champion
● Mariah Bell (USA) ~ Ninth at 2019 Worlds; U.S. Nationals bronzes 2017 & 2019
Pairs:
● Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) ~ 2019 World Junior Champions
● Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy Leduc (USA) ~ Ninth at 2019 Worlds; U.S. Champs
● Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA) ~ 2017 U.S. Champs; 2015-19 U.S. silvers
Ice Dance:
● Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) ~ 2015-16-18-19 World Champions
● Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) ~ Eighth at 2019 Worlds
● Tiffani Zagorski/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) ~ Eighth at 2018 Worlds
● Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) ~ 2015 Worlds silver; 2016 Worlds bronze
The competitions run from Friday through Sunday at the Patinoire Pole Sud. Prize money of $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 is available to the top five placers. Detailed results will be available here.
