{"id":29825,"date":"2022-12-07T10:39:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T15:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=29825"},"modified":"2022-12-07T10:40:28","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T15:40:28","slug":"preview-2022-grand-prix-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/preview-2022-grand-prix-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: 2022 Grand Prix Final"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Matteo Morelli<\/em><\/p>\n

Turin\u2019s Palavela, the prestigious venue that hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, is ready to welcome all the qualified junior and senior athletes to this season\u2019s Grand Prix Final. This will be the first time in three years that the final will take place, after both the 2020 and 2021\u2019s events got cancelled due to Covid-19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The last Grand Prix Final in 2019 took place at the same venue that it is coming back to this year, with two of the six senior teams (Gilles & Poirier and Chock & Bates) attending two consecutive finals at the same place.<\/p>\n

The six qualified teams will bring a range of different strengths and unique programmes to the ice. Let\u2019s look at them individually.<\/p>\n

Qualified teams – Senior<\/strong><\/p>\n

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, Canada – 30 points<\/i><\/p>\n

Gilles and Poirier won gold at both Skate Canada and Grand Prix of Espoo, Finland. They are one of two teams to have qualified with 30 points and enter this final with the highest scores earned so far in this season. Their Evita programme has been on their \u2018to skate\u2019 list for more than a decade, and it has so far seen high intensity and presentation that convinced judges and audiences.<\/p>\n

Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri, Italy – 30 points<\/i><\/p>\n

Guignard and Fabbri won both Grand Prix de France and Sheffield, and will be heading to their twentieth Grand Prix event of their career. They will put all they have into this final, trying to win a medal in their home country. This year, they present a free dance that has a mysterious feel to it, something they have never done before and are deeply enjoying.<\/p>\n

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj S\u00f8rensen, Canada – 28 points<\/i><\/p>\n

Fournier Beaudry and S\u00f8rensen won a silver medal at Grand Prix de France, but managed to earn the highest score of their career at NHK Trophy and win their first Grand Prix gold. They are going to attend their second Grand Prix Final, dancing on their flamenco based free which includes Laurence\u2019s already iconic skirt moves.<\/p>\n

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, USA – 28 points<\/i><\/p>\n

Chock and Bates won skate America and placed second at Japan\u2019s NHK Trophy, just a fraction of a point from the winning team. Between the two competitions, they have changed their free programme\u2019s theme and costumes to focus on the relationship between fire and air. They will be going back to Turin after having won a silver medal there at the 2019 GPF.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, GB \u2013 26 point<\/i><\/p>\n

Fear and Gibson reach the first Grand Prix Final of their career, after winning silver at both skate Canada and Grand Prix of Sheffield. They will present their free dance based on \u2018Born this way\u2019 by Lady Gaga, a buzzing programme that is already one of the audience\u2019s favourites this season.<\/p>\n

Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, USA – 26 points<\/i><\/p>\n

Hawayek and Baker won silver at both Skate America and Grand Prix of Espoo. They also head to their second Grand Prix Final, taking their ethereal free dance that really suits their style and that they interpret with a lot of intensity.<\/p>\n

Qualified Teams \u2013 Junior<\/b><\/p>\n

Following a total of seven grand prix events and many new junior teams showcasing their skills, these top six teams qualified for the final:<\/p>\n