The Shalett ice rink located in Kyiv was badly damaged by a Russian attack last night. This is one of the few rinks in Ukraine that can support high level figure skating training. A smaller ice rink located in a mall was also damaged in the attack. Skaters that have used the Shalett rink include: Ivan Shmuratko, Anastasia Arkhipova, Ivan Khobta and Violetta Serova. I have included Shmuratko’s post about the attack. This is not the first time Ukrainian sports facilities have been used as a military target by Russians.

It seems in bad taste especially for Minsol who is only 17. I also think it is bad taste after how many skaters recently passed away

People have been musing over the past few seasons at how many skaters, particularly juniors, are named Sofia (or a variant of the name). I crunched the numbers looking only at 2026 JGP participants and found a ridiculous stat. Apparently there’s space for exactly one Sofia in each fed this season.

Of course, there are even more Sofias who have joined the senior ranks… but this one was too perfect not to share.

See @skatingstats on Instagram for more nerdy data stories.

With longtime US Champs Chock & Bates likely retiring, there has been a massive power vacuum in the US ice dance field. Suddenly, the podium is wide open, and we’re seeing a truly exciting battle take place as the teams fight to establish themselves as one of the top US teams and hopefully get the coveted world slots. The US has one of the deepest dance benches in the field, and they’re all coming out swinging this season. Now that the Grand Prix is starting, I thought it would be fun to highlight our contenders, how they did at their challengers, and what we might see leading up to US Nationals.

1. Zingas/Kolesnik- You know them, you love them! Due to an injury, they haven’t been competing and will make their debut at Skate America in November, and their second GP will be at NHK. They have huge momentum coming off their World’s bronze, and they have massive scoring potential. This season should be theirs to lose, but they’re taking an enormous risk with their free dance to Bolero. Will it pay off?

2. Brown/Brown- Shockingly, the Browns are currently the highest scoring US dance team on the Challenger series, putting up a personal best of 190.81 points. Granted, Nepela was a very high scoring event, so it remains to be seen if they can keep it up. They have broken 190 points before at 4CC earlier this year, so they are absolutely capable. Their huge advantage is in the free dance; Queen’s Gambit is a stunning program, and at 114.22 points is the highest scoring free dance of any US team. That said, their RD is their weaker program, coming in 3rd among US teams, and it remains to be seen if judges on the GP are as lenient with their golden waltz. They’ll make their debut at Skate Canada and have a second assignment at Finlandia. Can they cement themselves as the undisputed number 3, or will their waltz hold them back?

3. Carreira/Ponomarenko- Coming in second among the US teams at 188.83 points, CPom has established themselves as the people to beat when it comes to the golden waltz. Nebelhorn was much more conservative in scoring than Nepela, and they scored an impressive 78.98 in their RD. They’ve been politicking for it hard, and it’s been working well for them! I would personally be shocked if any US team could come close to them on the GP. But they have the opposite problem from the Browns: while their RD is 1st among the US teams, their FD is 3rd. Also similar to the Browns, they’ve only competed once so far. I’m sure we’ll see them iron out the kinks. We’ll get to see at GP France and NHK. If you asked me to bet on a lock for the US podium, it would be them. Can the golden waltz nepo babies ward off the lower ranked teams?

4. Green/Parsons- Oh, Green/Parsons. These two have a strong second place showing in both programs. Combining their season’s best scores, they would have an incredible 189 points for their total score- if, however, they were able to put together two clean skates. They’ve had falls at both their events, and so their seasons best is 9 points lower than it should be at a 180.37. It really is a huge shame. They’re immensely talented, and their programs this year are very good. But ice dance rewards consistency and is so momentum based, they cannot afford to slip up in such a competitive field. Fingers crossed they have gotten out the jitters before their assignments at Skate Canada and Finlandia, where they’ll be going head to head with the Browns at both events. They’ve lost to them at Nepela, but can they put it together and snatch back that number 3rd spot?

5. Bratti/Sommerville- Brattiville is the last team I truly consider to be in the mix for the podium. That said, in a season where the teams are all coming out swinging, their programs have been considered to be on the weaker side. They’re solidly in 4th in all metrics. Their season’s best RD is 5 points below the 3rd place Browns’ at 71.24 points, and their FD at 106.79 is 3 points behind CPom’s. Their total is 178.03, which isn’t that far behind Green/Parsons, but that’s more due to GPa’s inconsistency. This team absolutely has a chance, but right now momentum is not on their side due to a poor showing at Budapest. It’s hard to compare scoring at different events, but there’s definitely a gap between them and the other 3 teams we saw on the challengers. Their assignments are China and Finlandia, the latter of which will be against the Browns and Green/Parsons in what might be one of the most intense battles of the GP series, for three teams that have very little chance of medaling. Can their dance party programs charm the judges, or are they a relic of the unpopular decisions of the previous quad?

6. The rest- Multiple other teams will be performing on the GP, but it’s unlikely that these teams will be able to break into the top teams this season. Two have managed to break the 170 point barrier, Neset/Markelov and Cui/Rogers. The former have had a rough season of it so far, redoing both their programs since their bronze medal at Lake Placid. They placed 5th at Nebelhorn with 170.76 points, and they do have two assignments on the GP, including the SkAm host slot. Meanwhile, Cui/Rogers came out of nowhere, winning Lake Placid and getting 5th at Budapest, beating Brattiville, with a 174.09. They have no GP assignments, and it will be very difficult for them to make it on even though that score will have bumped them up the list, because US dance slots are almost maxed out this year. Still, their Sinners program is one of the best programs of the season so far. I wanted to highlight these teams not because I expect them to podium or go to worlds, but to showcase the depth the US dance field has. The vampires are coming, and there is no room to fall behind.

So there you have it! It’s a brief breakdown of where teams stand going into the Grand Prix, and I for one am actually excited to watch Ice Dance this year, despite the general shenanigans that go on during this sport. I’m curious to know who everyone is rooting for, and how they think the podium and world slots will shake out.

After the Men and Women Review here now comes the Review Pair and Ice Dance!

Pairs (8 participants)

For the first time in quite a while, the pairs field features Russian athletes competing as neutral athletes under the AIN designation. The athletes compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) and do not represent Russia.
 Alongside established partnerships such as Boikova/Kozlovskii and Kovalev/Kovalev, who have been skating together for more than a decade, this year's field also includes newer teams like Wessenberg/Strealkin and Herrera/Khobta, who have had considerably less time to build international experience together. From Olympic medalists to rising junior talents making their way into the senior ranks, the pairs event brings together teams at very different stages of their careers.

1. Boikova/Kozlovskii (AIN2): One-time European champions and European Championship bronze medalists. They teamed up in 2015, having both previously competed as singles skaters for Russia. They finished 4th at the 2022 Olympis. This season, they have already won gold at both the Kinoshita Group Cup and the John Nicks Pairs Competition. They have also landed a quadruple Salchow throw (first international seen at the Kinoshita Group Cup)
2. Zhang/Huang (CHN): They teamed up in 2022. Last season, they finished 9th at the World Championships and 4th at the Four Continents Championships. This season, they placed 3rd at the Nebelhorn Trophy.
3. Faula/Belle (FRA): They teamed up in 2022, having both previously competed as singles skaters. Last season, they finished 14th at the European Championships. This season, they competed at the Nebelhorn Trophy and finished 11th.
4. Kovalev/Kovalev (FRA): They teamed up in 2014 and have been married since 2017. Last season, they finished 16th at the Olympic Games, 17th at the World Championships, and 10th at the European Championships. They also placed 6th at the Grand Prix de France. This season, they finished 6th at the Kinoshita Group Cup.
5. Wessenberg/Strealkin (FRA): They teamed up in 2025. Before switching to pairs, she competed internationally in singles for the United States until 2019. Their first competition this season was the Nicks Pairs International, they finished 5th place.
6. Metelkina/Berulava (GEO): They teamed up in 2023 and have since made history for Georgia. They became the first Georgian pair to win the European title and have earned medals at the European Championships, World Championships, and Grand Prix events. They also became the first Georgian pair to win an Olympic medal, taking silver. Before teaming up, both skaters had competed with other partners. Luka Berulava won the 2022 World Junior Pairs title with Karina Safina and later won two more junior championship titles with Metelkina. This season, they changed coaches and joined Eteri Tutberidze's group.
7. Hocke/Kunkel (GER): They teamed up in 2019 and became the first German pair to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final that same year. They were also the only non-Russian pair in the final. Hocke competed at the 2018 Olympic Games with her former partner, Ruben Blommaert. The Grand Prix de France will mark their ISU season debut.
8. Herrera/Khobta (UKR): They teamed up in 2025 and won bronze at the World Junior

From long-established partnerships to teams still building their international experience, this year's Ice Dance field brings together an intersesting mix of backgrounds and stories. Six of the ice dance pairs competing here alone took part in the 2026 Winter Olympics (and thus survived the “split-up war” among the pairs disciplines).

Ice Dance (10 participants)

1. Val/Kazimov (ESP): They teamed up in 2022. Before joining forces with Val, Kazimov competed for Germany in ice dance. Last season, they made their Olympic debut, finishing 19th at the Olympic Games, and placed 14th at the European Championships. They made their season debut at the Nepela Memorial, where they finished 11th.
2. Bordet/Chardain (FRA): They teamed up in 2024. This season, they finished 19th at the Nebelhorn Trophy and 8th at the Bolero Cup. Following their participation in the Junior Grand Prix circuit in 2024, the Grand Prix de France marks their first appearance in the senior Grand Prix series.
3. Fournier Beaudry/Cizeron (FRA): They teamed up in 2025, and the Grand Prix de France will mark their ISU season debut. Last season, they won Olympic gold and the World Championship title, as well as silver at the Grand Prix Final. Cizeron is the 2022 Olympic champion and a five-time World and European champion with his former partner, Gabriella Papadakis. After retiring in 2022, he decided to return to competition with Fournier Beaudry. Before turning to figure skating, Fournier Beaudry trained as a gymnast. She later switched to skating at her parents' urging and went on to represent both Denmark and Canada. With her former partner, Nikolaj Sørensen, she competed at the Olympic Games (2022, they finished 8th place) and won two times silver at the Four Continents Championships (2023 and 2024.
4. Fradji/Fourneaux (FRA): They teamed up in 2016. Until the age of 14, Fradji practised both singles skating and ice dance before deciding to focus exclusively on ice dance. Last season, they competed at the Grand Prix de France, finishing 10th. This season, they placed 7th at the Lombardia Trophy.
5. Davis/Smolkin (GEO) They teamed up in 2018 and married in 2022. After representing Russia until 2022, they switched to Georgia in 2023. At the 2022 Olympic Games, competing for Russia, they finished 14th. Last season, they placed 13th at the Olympic Games, 10th at the World Championships, and 6th at the European Championships. This season, they have already won gold at both the Kinoshita Group Cup and the Trialeti Trophy. Davis began skating at the age of six and switched to ice dance in 2016. She is the daughter of renowned coach Eteri Tutberidze. Smolkin is the son of Russian actor Boris Smolkin.
6. Harris/Chan (AUS): They teamed up in 2019. Last season, they finished 18th at the Olympic Games, 14th at the World Championships, and 5th at the Four Continents Championships. This season, they placed 3rd at the Nebelhorn Trophy. Before switching to ice dance, Harris competed as a singles skater. She made the transition during the 2019–2020 season following multiple concussions.
7. Reitan/Majorov (SWE) They teamed up in 2023, and the Grand Prix de France will mark their ISU season debut. Last season, they finished 20th at the Olympic Games, 29th at the World Championships, and 13th at the European Championships. They made history as the first Swedish ice dance team to compete at the Olympic Games. Before switching to ice dance, Majorov competed as a singles skater and represented Sweden at the 2022 Olympic Games, where he finished 21st. Reitan also began her career in singles, representing Norway. In 2020, she switched to ice dance and competed with Nikita Remeshevskiy for Germany before teaming up with Majorov.
8. Carreira/Ponomarenko (USA): They teamed up in 2014. Last season, they finished 11th at the Olympic Games and 8th at the World Championships. They made their season debut at the Nebelhorn Trophy, where they won gold. Ponomarenko comes from a family with an impressive Olympic legacy. He is the son of Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, the 1992 Olympic ice dance champions, who also won silver at the 1988 Olympic Games and bronze at the 1984 Olympic Games while representing the Soviet Union.
9. Neset/Makelov (USA) They teamed up in 2020 and married in 2024. Neset previously competed in gymnastics. Last season, they competed at the Grand Prix de France, finishing 6th. This season, they placed 5th at the Nebelhorn Trophy.
10. Pate/Bye (USA) They teamed up in 2019 and married in 2024. This season, they finished 10th at the Nepela Memorial. Last season, they competed at the Grand Prix de France, where they placed 7th. Before teaming up with Pate, Bye won silver at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games with his former partner, Chloe Lewis. Pate competed in the National Solo Dance Series from 2012 to 2017 and won seven medals.

Random Bonus Fact: Pate/Bye and Neset/Makelov have more in common than just their love of ice dance: both couples got married in 2024, just a few months apart, and both also have a cat!

I guess they’re updating the times as each comp happens this season 🤷🏽‍♀️

First predictions of the season (I missed this lol)

Here’s mine:

Men:
Gold: Mikhail Shaidorov
Silver: Adam Siao Him Fa
Bronze: Minkyu Seo

Women:
Gold: Yuna Aoki
Silver: Ami Nakai
Bronze: Anastasia Gubanova

Pairs:
Gold: Metelkina/Berulava
Silver: Boikova/Kozlovskii
Bronze: Zhang/Huang

Ice Dance:
Gold: FB/C
Silver: Carreira/Ponomarenko
Bronze: Davis/Smolkin

What are yours?

(It can be serious or delulu)

Participant of the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, European champion (2022) Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will fight for neutral status after returning to the group to coach Eteri Tutberidze. This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the source.

Today it became known that 20-year-old Valieva moved from the group of coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya back to Eteri Tutberidze, whose group she left in April 2025.

In September 2026, the International Skating Union (ISU) deprived Valieva of its neutral status, having received which, Russian figure skaters have the opportunity to perform at tournaments under the auspices of the organization in the 2026/2027 season. In October, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that it had not received an appeal from Valieva against the ISU decision.

Source

What are some really programs that you acknowledge are good but you could never get into? And why?

Link to official announcement here.

Did anyone happen to catch/record the story post from Sunday of Zignik’s rhythm dance sneak peek?

I have a new program to Sia. I've been practicing it for a week. We choreographed it a week and a half ago. My mom made me a costume in three days. It's now one of my favorite costumes. Nikita Mikhailov choreographed my free program. I'm really grateful he found the time to work with me. I skated it poorly, didn't show it in its entirety, but I really like it, and it's now one of my favorite programs, actually.

"My legs and arms were shaking in the short program. My suboptimal, even poor, form took its toll on me in the free skate. No matter how hard I tried, I felt tired, my legs sagged. I had no expectations, I just tried. It was so nice to feel the fans' support. It took me a long time to decide to continue competing, and my closest people helped me. It certainly wasn't me who helped myself, but my loved ones."

I'd like to get more invested into figure skating, but idk where to start, so I'd like some recommendations that aren't just the popular ones :)

Hiya! Longtime FS fan here! Im currently in the midst of a creative writing project with a chapter set during the grand prix circuit, and i was wondering if anyone had a bit more clarity on how starting order and groups are decided in events like skate canada or nhk trophy? Is it based on international ranking or number draw?

I care a lot about accuracy in my work so i would hate to get this wrong!

Does anybody know how to get tickets for the cup of China in Shenzhen? It’s a few weeks away and still no information on tickets? I live in Hong Kong. Any info would be appreciated.

Thank you for answering the question 🫶🏻

A bit of a vent post:

I live in an area of Canada with a relatively small skating community. My friends and I have been trying to put together an Open level synchro team for years at this point, but it seems no one wants to do this sport anymore. Synchro gets no promotion from our provincial skating board, much less in individual clubs. It is hard to watch all of these talented skaters dismiss synchro as "lesser" than singles skating. At this point, I think my team may disband due to lack of interest. We are the only team in our province trying to compete at this level, and it seems we are the only group trying improve the quality of synchro in our province. As much as we love this sport, we can't do it alone, and it hurts when nearly everyone we reach out to rejects us in favour of singles. Sometimes I wish I preferred singles over synchro, as then I would be able to complete without having to rely on others.

I think we are nearing the end of synchro as a sport, at least in my community. I feel the original magic of this sport has been lost. I remember skating synchro as a teenager and dreaming of skating on an Open level team. But it seems this dream is no longer possible to achieve in my community.

with there being a quite a few lesser known skaters there, who do you think will be one to watch and keep an eye out for?

welcome to trusophonk brother 💀💀💀

I would like to read some more books on figure skating. I have read Gracie Gold's autobiography and have read some fiction too. I would really appreciate recommendations for any of your favourites - particularly non-fiction. Thanks!!

Irina Kostyleva: “Lena tried getting back on the ice today. So far, her leg doesn’t hurt.”