Three-time and reigning ISU World Champions Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA) took a tight lead as the first day of competition at the ISU Grand Prix Final ended with an exciting Rhythm Dance event on Thursday in Nagoya. With just a little over a point between the top two teams, the stage is set for a thrilling Free Dance competition on Saturday. 

World Champions Chock & Bates (USA) in the lead

The 90s were back in the Rhythm Dance and the ice dancers entertained the crowd at the IG Arena with spectacular performances. Madison Chock & Evan Bates grabbed a slim lead over Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron of France. Canada’s multiple ISU World medalists Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier finished third.

Chock & Bates were the last to skate and shone in their Lenny Kravitz medley. The husband-and-wife team collected a level four for the twizzles and rotational lift and a level three for the pattern dance style step sequence and Chock's part of the midline steps. The duo set a season’s best with 88.74 points. 

Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA) finished top of the leaderboard in the Rhythm Dance at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2025 © ISU

“We’re really happy with our performance today, it was the best skate of the season,” Bates said. 

“It’s a long process, it takes a lot of time,” Chock said about creating the new programs. “I think that the main thing is the inspiration to desire to be different, to try something new, to want to do something we haven't done before and just try to reinvent yourselves each season.”

Chock and Bates embrace the challenge of having to compete against new rivals Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron this season. “I think it’s great,” Chock commented. “We have been in one training group for years and we used to train with that intensity and to see our competitors every day at the rink, so it really drives us every day. It's nice to have that kind of spirit in your belly when you train on a daily basis and not just in competitions. I think it's great for us, I think it's great for sport, it's great for spectators, so all in all it's just going to elevate the level of sport.”

Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron have been skating together for less than a year but continue to turn heads. Cizeron, the 2022 Olympic Ice Dance Champion, and his new partner Fournier Beaudry delivered an excellent performance to “Vogue” by Madonna. Their twizzles and curve lift were rated a level four while the midline step sequence garnered a level three. The reward was a new personal best of 87.56 points. 

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) took second place in the Rhythm Dance at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2025 © ISU

“I think we've improved a lot actually even in one week,” Cizeron pointed out. “We really focused on the technique, the performance aspects and finding our center in this Rhythm Dance. Today was really fun. It's a beautiful arena and the public's great.”

“We're very happy about the performance that we delivered today,” Fournier Beaudry said. “It felt really good. So just obtaining those scores that are supported by the performance feels like an achievement. We're extremely happy about the progression that we've had from every competition.

“The free dance is a very particular piece of art for us. We're really looking forward to enjoy performing it in two days, just enjoying the moment and sharing that with the audience here in Japan,” she added. 

Gilles & Poirier once again came up with an original idea for their Rhythm Dance, picking the era of the supermodels of the 1990s as their theme. Dancing to “Supermodel” and “I’m Too Sexy”, they impressed with their footwork and rotational lift. The 2025 ISU World silver medalists scored 82.89 points. 

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN) finished third in the Rhythm Dance at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2025 © ISU

“We're really pleased with our performance,” Poirier said. “We felt so settled and confident and calm and that allowed us to put out a really strong skate. I think the strongest skate of the season as well.

“I think more than anything we wanted to skate with confidence today,” he continued. “We didn't have a lot of time since our last Grand Prix and there wasn't really time to change much and so it was really just a matter of believing in the training that we've put in this entire season so far and allowing that work to happen out on the ice. I think we accomplished that today.” 

2025 ISU World bronze medalists Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson (GBR) remain close to the podium in fourth place on 82.55 points with their fun Spice Girls medley. Allison Reed/Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU) came fifth on 79.48 points followed by Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik (USA) on 75.78 points. 

ISU Grand Prix Final schedule:

Thursday, December 4: Pairs & Men’s Short Programs, Rhythm Dance
 Friday December 5: Pairs Free Skating, Women’s Short Program
 Saturday, December 6: Men’s & Women’s Free Skating
 Sunday, December 7: Exhibition Gala

Where to Watch

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ISU Grand Prix Standings

Check out the road to the ISU Grand Prix Final:

Men                               Women                    Pairs                      Ice Dance

For full entry lists and further information regarding the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series please visit here.