Get ready for a thrilling ice dance showdown! The ISU Grand Prix Final 2025 is heating up in Nagoya, Japan.
Our reigning world champions, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, have just added another title to their impressive collection. They've now claimed the Grand Prix Final crown for the third time, solidifying their dominance in the figure skating world.
But here's where it gets controversial...
Chock and Bates, the seasoned USA ice dancers, delivered a stunning performance in the free dance, earning them a new season's best score of 131.68. This was an impressive 3.87 points higher than their previous best, showcasing their unwavering talent and dedication.
And this is the part most people miss...
The couple had already improved their season's best in the rhythm dance, also by a significant margin of nearly four points. This consistency and growth throughout the competition highlight their exceptional skill and strategic approach.
Going into the free dance, Chock and Bates held a narrow lead over France's Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron. However, a two-point deduction for an extended curve lift and a slip on the ice, which counted as a fall, dropped their free dance score to 126.69. This put them more than six points behind their French rivals, who finished with an overall score of 214.25.
Great Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson also delivered a remarkable performance, receiving a standing ovation and a season-best score of 126.26 for their Scottish-themed program. This helped them move up to third place, repeating their impressive placement from the previous year.
The Canadians, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, were close behind after the rhythm dance. While they also improved on their season's best score in the free dance, it wasn't enough to surpass the world bronze medallists, who beat them by a mere 0.6 points.
The world silver medallists from Canada, unfortunately, finished off the podium for the second consecutive year.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights from the ISU Grand Prix Final 2025!
- ISU Grand Prix Final 2025: Preview, full schedule, and live streaming details
- ISU Grand Prix Final and Junior Grand Prix Final 2025: All results and standings
