Madison Chock, Evan Bates extend win streak at Grand Prix Finland
World champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates won their fifth consecutive ice dance title, taking Grand Prix Finland to qualify for December's Grand Prix Final.
Chock and Bates totaled 209.46 between Friday's rhythm dance and Saturday's free dance, prevailing by 3.14 points over Canadians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen. Chock and Bates were just 15 hundredths better in the free dance.
"Might not have been mistake-free today, but I think the risks that we're taking are going to pay off in the end," Bates said, according to the International Skating Union.
Chock and Bates go into the Grand Prix Final ranked third in the world this season by best total score behind Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier and Italians Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri, who joined them on the podium at last March's worlds.
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At the Final, they are set to compete against Gilles and Poirier and Guignard and Fabbri for the first time this season. The winner of the Final — the field is the top six per discipline from the fall Grand Prix Series — will likely become the favorite for next March's worlds.
Earlier Saturday, two-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto won the women's event by 15 points over countrywoman Rion Sumiyoshi. Sakamoto goes into the Grand Prix Final as the top seed.
American Amber Glenn took bronze, matching her best Grand Prix finish, with a personal-best free skate to jump from 11th place after Friday's short program.
World junior champion Kao Miura of Japan earned his first senior Grand Prix title. The 18-year-old was outscored by countryman Shun Sato in the free skate but held on to win by 1.22 points overall.
Coupled with his Skate Canada runner-up finish last month, Miura qualified for the Grand Prix Final. He ranks fifth in the world this season by best total score
Germans Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin rallied from third place after the short program to win the pairs' title in their Grand Prix debut in their first season competing together.
They edged world bronze medalists Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii of Italy by 4.12 and can qualify for the Grand Prix Final with a podium finish next week at NHK Trophy in Japan.
Peacock airs live coverage next Friday and Saturday of NHK Trophy, featuring Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama and two-time world champion Shoma Uno, both of Japan.
