The ISU Grand Prix season kicks off in style as skaters battle for the podium in France

Welcome back to another season of figure skating! After several Challenger competitions, fans have eagerly anticipated the return of the Grand Prix series, especially as Russian skaters have now been allowed to return to international competition as neutral athletes. The series kicked off last weekend in Angers, France, with skaters battling for podium spots and a chance to advance to the Grand Prix Final.

The women’s skating events are always some of the highlights of any competition, and in Angers, the fight for the podium spots was fierce. After the short program, Japan’s Yuna Aoki stood in first place with a nearly clean program. Her high energy throughout, especially in her step sequence, made it a joy to watch.

Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova, in second, was similarly beautiful to watch, her characteristic artistry and facial expressions on full display. Japan’s Ami Nakai came in third with a very dramatic program, which she skated with great enthusiasm despite unfortunately popping her triple axel at the start.

Ami Nakai powered her way into first overall with clean jumping passes and a return to her signature bounciness

The free skate turned this podium upside down. Ami Nakai powered her way into first overall with clean jumping passes and a return to her signature bounciness, skating to Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’.

Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann came back from fifth to get the silver medal, her gorgeous high jumps and unique choreographic spin – a new required element for this season – giving her a well-deserved podium spot.

Anastasiia Gubanova came in third with her signature beautiful step sequence and Rippon jumps. Sadly, Yuna Aoki fell entirely out of the podium places after a fall on her triple flip double toe combination jumping pass.

The men’s event had similar highs and lows. After the short program, hometown favourite Adam Siao Him Fa, paired again with choreographer Benoit Richaud this season, was in first place after successfully landing both a quad toe loop and quad salchow.

In second was Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko, who skated a high-energy program to ‘Dirty Diana’, with incredible height and distance on his jumps, particularly his triple axel.

Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov [dropped] to eleventh overall after a nightmare of a free program

Coming in third was Korea’s Minkyu Seo in his first senior season with an incredibly fast step sequence and an almost entirely clean program.

After the free, Adam Siao Him Fa stayed in first with a beauty of a step sequence and an entirely clean program.

In a surprise upset, Japan’s Kao Miura rocketed from ninth to second place with an incredibly entertaining Jekyll and Hyde program, and two successful quad jumps.

Minkyu Seo stayed in third with gorgeous artistry and beautiful movement throughout both his step and choreo sequences.

A tragedy of the men’s event was reigning Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov dropping to eleventh overall after a nightmare of a free program during which he had step-outs and falls on almost all of his jumps.

The competition in the pairs event was fierce but with less upsets than the singles events

The competition in the pairs event was fierce but with less upsets than the singles events – the podium remained unchanged between the short and free programs.

Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, silver medalists at both Worlds and the Olympics last season, came in first this time with mostly clean programs, and were the only team to break 200 with their overall score. The highlight of their short was a gorgeous death spiral, while the beautiful dynamism of their lifts and spins was on full display in their free skate.

In second was the neutral team of Aleksandra Boikova and Dimitrii Kozlovskii, coached by the notorious Eteri Tutberidze, with two very dramatic programs. Their technical skill and unison were strong, despite a hard fall on their throw quad salchow, and an exciting step sequence in their ‘Carmen’ free skate.

Third place went to Germany’s Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel in their first competition of the season. Their short program was very jazzy, perfect for their strong musicality, with a beauty of a throw triple flip. Their free skate didn’t go the way they hoped, with Hocke popping the side-by-side triple salchows and the double axel sequence, but their gorgeous lifts and stunning headbanger spin ensured their bronze medal.

Reigning Olympic Champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron [were] the only ice dance team to break 200 with their overall score

Ice dance saw a similar outcome, with the podium staying exactly the same between the rhythm and free dance.

In third place was USA’s Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, with beautiful lifts in both programs, a very fun creative dance in their rhythm dance, and a dramatic step sequence in their free, all of which were awarded high GOEs by the judges.

Georgia’s Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin won the silver, with a stunning tango rhythm dance and breathtaking lifts.

First place went to hometown heroes and reigning Olympic champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, the only ice dance team to break 200 with their overall score. Both of their programs were incredibly dramatic and beautiful, with a highlight being their first choreographic jump in their free dance, which was awarded +4 GOE.