Chock And Bates Shine in Nagoya - Malinin takes massive risk

The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2025 kicked off in Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday with a mix of thrilling performances and big risks. Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished the day with the best United States performance.

The reigning three-time World champions soared to the top of the leaderboard after the rhythm dance, earning a season-best score of 88.74 points.

Chock and Bates Shine in Rhythm Dance

Performing to the music of Lenny Kravitz, Chock and Bates brought energy and precision to the ice. Their technical elements, like the opening twizzle sequence and closing rotational lift, earned top marks, giving them a serious edge. “It was a long day, so it kind of felt like two days in one,” Chock shared afterward. “But getting out there in front of the crowd was amazing. Their energy helped reignite our own.”

The couple credited some tweaks in training for their success. “We really focused on cleaning up our technical elements after the first two Grand Prix events,” Bates explained. “Judges have been extra strict this season, so we made sure to be as precise as possible. Each time we perform, we feel more comfortable, and today was probably our best skate yet.” With the free dance ahead, Chock and Bates are in a great position to add to their legacy.

Malinin Takes a Big Risk

In the men’s event, things didn’t go as planned for US Skater Ilia Malinin. The two-time Grand Prix Final champion came to Nagoya with his sights set on testing a bold new program ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics. His plan? Open with a high-risk quadruple Axel-triple toe loop combination.

But the gamble didn’t pay off. Malinin stumbled on the quad Axel, which was marked as under-rotated, and couldn’t complete the combo. Combined with a mistake on his quad lutz-triple toe loop, he ended the segment in third place with 94.05 points—14 points behind leader Yuma Kagiyama of Japan.

Despite the slip-ups, Malinin stayed upbeat. “I don’t think it’s really going to affect my confidence,” said Malinin. “This is just a place for me to try new things. I didn’t really come here to win a Grand Prix Final again, I’m mainly here to try new things and see if maybe I’ll have a different decision in what I want to do for the Olympics.”

As the Grand Prix Final heads into the free skate, Malinin faces an uphill battle to defend his title, while Chock and Bates hope to close out another gold-medal performance in ice dance.