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Great performances and true team spirit highlighted the second day of competition at the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating 2025 in Tokyo (JPN) Friday with the world’s top six Figure Skating teams. The Pairs kicked off the action and shook things up. In the Ice Dance and Men’s competitions, respective ISU World Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates and Ilia Malinin kept Team USA in the lead at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium but the battle for the podium will end only on Saturday.

Team USA going for gold

Team USA's Madison Chock and Evan Bates enjoy their Free Dance at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team USA built on their lead and top the standings with 95 points, getting closer and closer to a record sixth title at the ISU World Team Trophy. Japan defended their second place with 80 points while Italy moved up to third at 66 points and have a chance of taking their first World Team Trophy medal. Now it will come down to the final day of competition Saturday and the teams are preparing for next-level cheering.

Madison Chock/Evan Bates (main picture) made their team proud once again by winning the Free Dance segment with a season’s best of 133.51 points and bringing home another 12 team points. The three-time ISU World Champions delivered a perfect performance of their jazzy Free Dance to “Take Five” which was highlighted by beautiful lifts and effortless step sequences. 

“It (the strong showing of USA) fosters a lot of confidence in the team,” Chock said. “Coming into this event, we were already knowing that we had a lot of very, very talented skaters on the team. And after the World Championships, just seeing how well our Team USA athletes have done and can perform, it‘s really impressive and an honor to witness. I’m excited to see how everyone will do next season.”

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of Team USA in action at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Two-time ISU World Champion Ilia Malinin and team captain Jason Brown took maximum points in the Men’s Free Skating by finishing first (12 points) and second (11 points). Malinin produced a quad flip, Lutz and quad toe-triple toe in his routine to “I’m Not a Vampire”, but a slip at the very end of his last spin was counted as a fall (183.88 points). Brown impressed with his exquisite skating to “Spiegel im Spiegel” and landed seven triple jumps (179.33)

Ilia Malinin of Team USA of Team USA at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

US Pair Skating Champions Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov contributed eight team points by placing fifth with their passionate Flamenco routine.

“This event is just so much fun,” team captain Jason Brown said. “I think we just all enjoyed it so much – the atmosphere, getting to be in the boxes, cheering each other on. We want to go out there and just celebrate the end of the season. But at the end of the day, it is still a competition and we all really, really want to do well for our team and represent our country the very best that we can. I’m really, really proud of my teammates for doing just that today. It’s a great way to end day two.”

As team captain, Brown feels responsible for the team spirit. “Now that the men are done, I can’t wait to just go even crazier tomorrow for the team. For this event, it’s just like the crazier, the louder, the better. Our box is just filled with red, white, and blue paraphernalia, so we try our best to cheer each other on. I definitely make sure we go full, full out.”

Team USA captian Jason Brown, who came second in the Men's Free Skate at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team Japan solid in second

ISU World Champions Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara were on fire in the Pairs Short Program with their routine to “Paint It Black” and delivered a personal best performance. Each element was spot on and the two-time ISU World Champions helped Japan to consolidate their second place by adding 12 points to the team score.

“We are very excited about the personal best score,” Miura said of their 80.99 points. Kihara had thought it was their best score this season – so Miura pointed out it was their highest ever. “Our team members are so close (to the boards) that we can see their faces when they are cheering for us, this is really nice,” the 23-year-old continued.

Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara of Team Japan at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medallist Shun Sato, who felt better than in the Short Program on Thursday, and four-time ISU World medalist Yuma Kagiyama contributed nine and eight points for their team by placing fourth and fifth respectively. Ice Dancers Utana Yoshida/ Masaya Morita added seven points with their sixth-place finish. 

Team captain Kaori Sakamoto was pleased with what her team’s performance:

“We started off the second day with the pairs and of course Riku and Ryuichi did a wonderful job. I think it was a great start for the day,” Sakamoto said. 

“Then we went into the Ice Dance and the two men. Two categories are done with their Free Skating, and I’m just glad and relieved that there were no injuries and everybody ended well. I think we set the tone right for tomorrow.”

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan (left), pictured with Jason Brown (USA) and Charlene Guignard of Italy at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

However, the captain wants to see more action in the team box and Kiss & Cry area: 

“I didn't have to compete today so I was sitting at the box from the Pairs all the way to the Men’s, and being there all the time you get to see all the performances of the other teams and you can really cheer for everyone,”  she said. 

“When it comes to Team Japan, of course I go full-throttle. However, compared to the United States and many other countries, Japan tends to be a little bit on the quiet side. Tomorrow I intend to make sure everybody goes full-throttle on the cheering side as well.”

Home fans at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team Italy moves up

Two-time ISU World bronze medalists Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii and three-time ISU European Champions Charlène Guignard/Marco Fabbri kept Italy’s medal hopes alive with their performances. 

Conti/Macii finished second in the Pairs with their dramatic “Carmen” Short Program and picked up 11 team points. Ice Dance couple Guignard/Fabbri claimed 10 points with their third place for Italy with their unusual “Robot Dance”.

Team Italy's Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii compete in the Pairs Short Program at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Following the Pairs and Ice Dance events, Italy and France were tied with 41 points but it was the Italians who went ahead after a tiebreaker. Nevertheless, the Men’s Free Skating determined which team would close out the second day in a podium position. 

ISU Grand Prix finalist Daniel Grassl rose to the occasion and put out an excellent performance of his program to “Billy Elliot” that featured a quad Salchow and rarely seen quad loop. Grassl ranked third in the segment on 172.45 points and earned 10 team points. The 2025 ISU European silver medallist Nikolaj Memola improved on his performance in the Short Program to net five team points.

Daniel Grassl of Team Italy at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

“This second day of competition was fantastic for Team Italy because it’s the first time we are in the third position at the end of the day. It’s a very talented team,” their captain Charlene Guignard said. “We all enjoyed the crowd a lot. They also help a lot because it’s the last competition of the season so everybody is tired but with a crowd like this we just enjoy.”

Italy gets ready for the decisive day and Guignard knows what to expect: "Lots of great skating, lots of energy, crazy, and fingers crossed for the medal."

Team France slips to fourth

France slipped to fourth place on 62 points, four points off the podium places. ISU European silver medalists Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud were the top scorers of their team with eight points from the Free Dance. 

Two-time ISU European Champion Adam Siao Him Fa and ISU Grand Prix medalist Kevin Aymoz scored seven and six points respectively in the Men’s Free Skating after some errors. French Champions Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev collected seven points for their team with their sixth-place finish in the Pairs Short Program.

Team captain Aymoz had lost his voice by the end of the day from screaming so loudly and the cold he’s been suffering with.

“I’m proud of my team,” he said. “They motivate me for the two skates. I was really tired and this morning I had no voice at all.

“I can dream of top five at the Olympics so it gives me hope to go to work. Maybe the team can even be top five too, maybe get a medal. We can dream after this season, the team and myself are in a good way.”

Team France's captain, Kevin Aymoz, competes at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team Canada falls behind

Canada remain in fifth place with 54 points but the gap to the podium has widened. The 2025 ISU World silver medalists Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier did their best to keep their team in contention by finishing second with a season’s best performance of their sophisticated Tango Free Dance (131.91/11 team points). 

However, 2024 ISU World Champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps were shaky in the Pairs Short Program to place fourth, earning nine team points, while Roman Sadovsky (ninth) and Aleksa Rakic (11th) contributed four and two points, respectively. 

But the team spirit was strong.

“Our team has improved so much since the last time we were here,” team captain Gilles said. They've just built so much more confidence. 

“We’re all so proud of our teammates. We know they have the ability to have really strong free programs tomorrow. So we’re really excited just to cheer them on and give them as much energy as we have left in our own tank.”

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN) at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team Georgia gets experience

Two-time European medalists Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava kept the good vibes going for Team Georgia. Cheered on by their enthusiastic teammates, who waved red-and-white pom-poms, the two-time ISU World Junior Champions put out a personal best Short Program to a modern version of “Summertime” that was highlighted by triple throws and a side by side triple Salchow (73.67 points/third in the Short Program). They picked up 10 team points. 

Ice Dancers Diana Davis/Gleb Smolkin, earned nine team points with their fourth-place finish in the Free Dance. Nika Egadze and Morisi Kvitelashvili added three and one point, respectively. 

“This was the season’s best and this audience is so amazing that you just have to skate your best,” Metelkina said.  

The Georgians are still getting used to this specific event format. “It is a little hard to be here all day. Usually, we just skate and we are done. 

“But I truly feel the support and we give each other energy. I always like to have the teammates around,” Metelkina said

Team Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava: third in the Pairs Short Program at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

What & When

The schedule of the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 is as follows:

Thursday, April 17:  Rhythm Dance, Men & Women’s Short Programs
Friday, April 18:  Pairs Short Program, Free Dance & Men’s Free Skating
Saturday, April 19:  Pairs Free Skating & Women’s Free Skating
Sunday, April 20:  Exhibition Gala 

For more information, entry lists and results, visit the ISU event page of the ISU World Team Trophy 2025, the Japan Skating Federation event website and the TV Asahi event website. Follow the discussion on social media using #WTTFigure and #FigureSkating.

Where to watch the ISU World Team Trophy 2025

The ISU World Team Trophy 2025 will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news. 

Subscribe to the Skating ISU YouTube Channel to receive alerts when the live streams start and when new videos are posted.