Grand Prix Finland, the fifth of six stops in the Grand Prix Series, is broadcast live peacock We start on Friday with the places at stake for December’s Grand Prix Final.

Some figure skaters have already finished competing in the series and qualified for the Grand Prix Final, including world champion Ilia Malinin, 19-year-old American ice dancing couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates from Virginia, and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto.

More may join them this week.

The Grand Prix Final features the top six per discipline (men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs and ice dancing) from the six-event Grand Prix Series, where the world’s best skaters compete twice. The final is the first event of the season, bringing together the world’s best skaters, and is often a preview of the world championships the following March.

Olympic and world silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama, the biggest threat to Malinin, could clinch his place in the final in Finland this week. A finish anywhere on the podium would probably be enough.

Kagiyama cruised to victory at the NHK Trophy in Japan last weekend. His points total here puts him second in the world this season behind Malinin. The Final will be the first time they’ve faced each other since last March’s worlds.

Japanese women have finished on the podium in two of the four Grand Prix races so far, with Rino Matsuike (second at Skate Canada), Hana Yoshida (third at Skate Canada) and Mai Mihara (winner of the 2022 Grand Prix Final) doing the same this week. they were able to. .

Canada features the top pair in the field (world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps) and the dance pair (three-time world medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier), who won their previous Grand Prix at Skate Canada.

2024 Grand Prix Finland Broadcast Schedule

Japanese figure skater Mai Mihara became the best in the world after being hospitalized at the age of 23.