Looking Ahead to Skate America
The Grand Prix series heads to Lake Placid this weekend and I'll be in attendance.
Four down, two to go for the 2025-26 ISU Grand Prix season to set up the Grand Prix Final. Skate America is normally the first event in the Grand Prix season, but it was moved to the fifth slot this year, meaning there will be a lot on the line this weekend in Lake Placid.
But, before we get to that, a quick little Public Service Announcement: if you’re going to be in Lake Placid on Friday, I’ll be moderating a conversation with Layne Fargo, author of The Favorites, at the Lake Placid Public Library. We’ll talk about the best-selling novel, ice dance, and there might even be treats for those in attendance (and if you can’t make it, I’ll be posting a Q&A on here eventually).
As for the skating, there have been a few changes to the lineup since the Grand Prix assignments were first dished out. Let’s break it down by discipline, starting with women’s singles and the reigning world champion.
Oh, and I’ve also put together Apple Music playlists (sorry Spotify users, but as a former Apple employee, I have my allegiances) with the program music for everyone involved. I can’t promise they’re 100% complete, since some songs were missing (and I still need to update them with the latest lineup changes), but they’ll get me in the mood on my five-hour drive to Lake Placid.
Women’s Singles
The Americans: Starr Andrews, Josephine Lee, Alysa Liu
Liu won gold at worlds in Boston in March, then finally got her first senior Grand Prix medal (a silver) at Cup of China last month. A strong performance here should put her in the Grand Prix final. Both Andrews and Lee are competing in their first (and only) GP of the season. For Lee, this will be her senior GP debut. Andrews last appeared at a Grand Prix in 2023-24 (Skate Canada) and won silver at Skate Canada in 2022.
The Non-Americans: Léa Serna (France), Anastasiia Gubanova (Georgia), Lara Naki Gutmann (Italy), Wakaba Higuchi (Japan), Rinka Watanabe (Japan), Hana Yoshida (Japan), Ekaterina Kurakova (Poland), Chaeyeon Kim (South Korea), Hae-in Lee (South Korea).
Higuchi is the defending champion here, but has been dealing with foot pain this season and will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing ninth-place finish at NHK Trophy. She could use a strong performance here to build momentum for Japanese nationals and help secure a spot in Milan in what she has said will be her final season. Gubanova is off to a strong start this season, winning silver at Skate to Milano and finishing fourth at Cup of China, and still has an outside shot at reaching the Final (though she’ll need at least a silver here and some very specific outcomes at next week’s Finlandia Trophy).
I’m also very excited to see Lee, who I got to see skate at An Evening With Champions earlier this year, and Kurakova, who I’ve really enjoyed watching ever since seeing her at Worlds last season. And of course, Gutmann’s Jaws program is a must see (and yes, I have a plush shark ready to toss on the ice after).
Prediction: Despite being forced to re-use her programs from last season, Liu takes home gold and clinches her spot in the GP Final.
Playlist - Women’s Singles Short Program
Playlist - Women’s Singles Free Skate
Men’s Singles
The Americans: Jason Brown, Liam Kapeikis
Nope, that’s not a mistake, there are only two Americans in the field. For some reason, USFS chose to give up one of its host spots. I bet they’re regretting that now after Maxim Naumov’s gold-medal winning performance last week at Ice Challenge. As for the two Americans who are here, Brown could (and likely will) end up on the podium. Kapeikis is back on the Grand Prix circuit for the first time since 2023-24, when he finished 8th at Skate Canada and 9th in Finland.
The Non-Americans: Vladimir Litvintsev (Azerbaijan), Dai Daiwei (China), Kévin Aymoz (France), Luc Economides (France), Corey Circelli (Italy), Daniel Grassl (Italy), Nikolaj Memola (Italy), Kazuki Tomono (Japan), Tatsuya Tsuboi (Japan), Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan).
Apparently we’re getting a preview of the men’s event at Italian nationals here. Grassl and Memola are both contenders to end up on the podium. Aymoz would be if not for the injury issues he’s been dealing with, but it’s always a pleasure to see him skate. Shaidorov is the reigning world silver medalist, but settled for bronze in his first GP assignment this season (Cup of China). Silver here could get him into the GP Final. Gold would basically make it a certainty.
Prediction: Shaidorov edges Brown for the top spot, everything else is, as usual for the men, complete chaos.
Playlist - Men’s Singles Short Program
Playlist - Men’s Singles Free Skate
Pairs
The Americans: Emily Chan/Spencer Howe, Olivia Flores/Luke Wang, Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez
Chan and Howe were a late add, replacing Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy just this week. They won a pair of GP silver medals in 2022, but finished sixth last week in Japan. Flores and Wang are making their senior GP debut after winning silver at the JGP final last season. Plazas and Fernandez return to the GP circuit after missing last season due to an injury. They have a “Lion King” free skate choreographed by Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, so I am excited for that.
The Non-Americans: Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin (Armenia), Kelly Ann Laurin/Loucas Éthier (Canada), Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava (Georgia), Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel (Germany), Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (Japan).
This field might actually be cursed. In addition to Chan/Howe, mentioned above, Akopova and Rakhmanin were also just added this week. That’s 25% of the entries that didn’t know they’d be competing in Lake Placid until days ago.
That said, Metelkina/Berulava and Miura/Kihara are both coming in with gold medals in their previous GP assignment this season, Metelkina/Berulava in China and Miura/Kihara in France. A 1-2 finish here, in either order, should send them both on to the GP Final.
Prediction: The reigning senior world champs, Miura and Kihara, edge the reigning junior world champs, Metelkina and Berulava. The home ice advantage gets Chan and Howe onto the podium.
Playlist - Pairs Short Program
Playlist - Pairs Free Skate
Ice Dance
The Americans: Oona Brown/Gage Brown, Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko, Madison Chock/Evan Bates.
Chock and Bates are the reigning world champs, and it’d be a shock if they ended up with anything but gold here. The real challenge is whether their free dance score will be in range of the 133.02 put up by Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron in France. Chock and Bates had a 123.81 in the free dance at Cup of China (which was still enough to get them gold there). The Browns actually already won gold here earlier this summer, at the Lake Placid Ice Dance event, while CPom are coming off a bronze at Cup of China.
The Non-Americans: Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha (Canada), Alicia Fabbri/Paul Ayer (Canada), Kateřina Mrázková/Daniel Mrázek (Czechia), Loïcia Demougeot/Théo le Mercier (France), Célina Fradji/Jean-Hans Fourneaux (France), Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud (France), Phebe Bekker/James Hernandez (Great Britain).
Three French teams and 1.5 French-Canadian teams (Ayer is from Calgary). Je peux beaucoup parler français ce week-end! Both LaLa and Lopareva/Brissaud already have a bronze in hand this GP season and could improve their chances at the final with a silver. Like the two pairs teams mentioned above, Fabbri and Ayer were a late add, replacing Noemi Maria Tali and Noah Lafornara, who had to withdraw due to Lafornara’s injury (and I’m so bummed they won’t get to make their senior GP debut this season). I am thrilled, though, that I get to see Bekker and Hernandez again, after they thrilled the crowd at An Evening With Champions earlier this year.
Prediction: Chock and Bates take gold, with a significantly higher score than they got in China. Outside of that, your guess is as good as mine.
Playlist - Rhythm Dance
Playlist - Free Dance