By: Pj Kwong

The upcoming ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan is an opportunity to see how figure skating’s top contenders in both Junior and Senior disciplines stack up against each other one last time before the start of the second half of the skating season. Will I be parked in front of a live stream watching it? You bet! (and you should too!)

For those who might not have heard of it, what follows is a quick overview. The ISU Grand Prix Final, established in 1995 under the name Champions Series Final, was the culmination of the newly created Grand Prix Series, and quickly became one of figure skating’s most prestigious annual events. Bringing together the top six point-earning skaters or teams from the autumn Grand Prix circuit, the Final was designed to create a true “best of the best” showdown ahead of major championships.

Over the years, it has been the stage for groundbreaking technical milestones, legendary rivalries, and the rise of future world and Olympic champions. More on that in just a minute. The event has evolved to include Junior Grand Prix qualifiers as well, making it a showcase for both elite and emerging talent on both levels.

In terms of elite and emerging talent, Ontario has reason to be #SkateOntarioProud as eight of the twelve skaters headed to Japan representing Canada are from this section.

When reached for comment, Lisa Alexander, Executive Director, Skate Ontario said, “We’re so proud that half of Canada’s competitors at the ISU Grand Prix Final come from Skate Ontario. Their hard work, talent, and the support of our amazing coaches and communities truly shine on the world stage. Go Team Ontario!”

This season has seen the highest Junior Grand Prix medal count in Pairs in the last 20 years that have included two JGP gold medals for reigning Canadian Junior Pair Champions Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov. Joining them in Nagoya are two-time Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medallists with two silver medals from this season’s series, Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher. Competing in the Junior Ice Dance event, fresh off of a Gold medal at the Junior Grand Prix in Riga, are the 2024 junior national champions Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys.

Remember when we mentioned Olympic medal hopefuls in the third paragraph? Senior Ice Dancers, defending national champions and three-time World medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are headed to the Final for the sixth time and are looking to add to the Gold and the Bronze that they’ve already earned at previous events. Piper and Paul won a record-setting sixth consecutive title at the recent Skate Canada International and earned a silver medal last weekend at the Finlandia Grand Prix. I wondered how the skaters and their coaches were framing the Final: “We’re treating it as just another stepping stone on our way to the Olympics,” said longtime Gilles and Poirier coach Carol Lane. “We’ve done a couple of upgrades since coming home and we’re looking forward to skating once again in this prestigious event.”

In an Olympic season there is a ‘ripple effect’ for the interest generated for non-participants to take up a sport that they might not have otherwise. Figure skating is no exception, and I turned to Skate Ontario Director of Sport, Christopher Mabee for his thoughts on the influence that skaters like Piper and Paul might have. “Having teams like Piper and Paul on a stage as big as the Grand Prix Final absolutely impacts our younger athletes. It highlights the excellence we have in ice dance here in Ontario, and it shows them what’s possible. When they see Canadians performing at that level, with that creativity, resilience, and success. It makes the dream feel real and encourages them to push a little harder, stay committed, and believe they can get there too.”

Whatever the results, we are all #SkateOntarioProud. Follow us on your favourite social media platforms using @skateontario to be kept up to date on all the news from our section.