This weekend (5th-8th December) marks the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating, taking place in Grenoble. It’s an important conclusion to the previous rounds, and a key opportunity to see who will come out on top at the World Championships next year in Boston and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. This article will cover the previous rounds, predict what I think will happen, and provide you with ways to watch this incredible showdown!

Breakdown

As in previous rounds, Ilia Malinin is confidently the top contender for the men’s singles title, armed with his skilled quadruple axels that place him above the rest of the competition, but Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato weren’t too far behind—the host nation will also be represented by Kevin Aymoz at the Patinoire Polesud arena where he first came to skate at five years of age.

As the international federation ban for Russian athletes continues, Kaori Sakamoto will lead the women’s singles field, joined by a strong group of her compatriots (from Hana Yoshida to Wakaba Higuchi), and the USA’s Amber Glenn. The American won both of her Grand Prix events at the Grand Prix de France and the Cup of China, and her consistent form will present a strong challenge against Sakamoto’s world championship win earlier this year.

In terms of the pairs, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara remain favourites. In the ice dance, Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA will face fierce competition from Team GB and Skate Canada.

Predictions

The men’s singles competition is not hard to predict. Malinin beat his competition even without performing a quadruple axel, and therefore I am confident that it will be an easy win for him.

The women’s singles is the one I am most excited for, with Amber Glenn’s breakthrough creating an interesting competition against Sakamoto. Personally, I think that it’s too close to call but I will definitely be tuning into both events!

Although I don’t tend to keep up with ice dance or the pairs competition, I think that the gold will go to Chock and Bates, and Miura and Kihara respectively.