Preview: 2023 Four Continents Championships
This week, 13 teams representing seven countries will head to the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the 2023 Four Continents Championships.
About the Event: The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an international figure skating competition held in the non-European continents of Asia, America, Africa and Oceania. It is an ISU Championship event held annually since 1999. Since then, Colorado Springs has hosted the competition four times (2006, 2007, 2012 and 2023). The United States also hosted the event in Salt Lake City (2001) and Anaheim (2019).
The Medal Hunt: Originally, Four Continents looked to be a second showdown between Canada’s Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier and Madison Chock & Evan Bates of the United States. However, Gilles & Poirier withdrew from the event. Marie-Jade Lauriault & Romain Le Gac replaced Gilles & Poirier.
Chock & Bates started 2023 by winning their fourth U.S. national title. They have been building momentum since a silver medal finish at the Grand Prix Final to close out 2022. Their free dance has continued to evolve since Skate America.
In January, Canada’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sorensen captured their first Canadian title in an extremely close battle with Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha. Fournier Beaudry & Sorensen narrowly bested Chock & Bates at NHK Trophy in November, but finished sixth at the Grand Prix Final after a mistake on their curve lift in the free dance knocked them from fourth.
Since competing at the Olympics a year ago, Lajoie & Lagha have had a stellar season, winning two Challenger series events as well as bronze medals at their Grand Prix events (Skate Canada and John Wilson Trophy). At Canadians, they won the free dance and finished just .60 behind Fournier Beaudry & Sorensen.
Others who could figure in the podium fight are Japan’s Kana Muramoto & Daisuke Takahashi, as well as Caroline Green & Michael Parsons and Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko.
Event info:Teams have official practices starting on Tuesday, February 7. from Monday, January 23. The rhythm dance kicks off on Friday, February 10th at 2:35pm (MST); the free dance occurs on Sunday, February 12, at 1:15pm (MST).