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2025 Skate America
Figure skating competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2025 Skate America is a figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). Organized and hosted by U.S. Figure Skating, it was the fifth event of the 2025–26 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held from November 14 to 16 at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York, in the United States.[1] Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Skaters earned points based on their results, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline at the end of the season will be invited to then compete at the 2025 Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. Kévin Aymoz of France won the men's event, Alysa Liu of the United States won the women's event, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the pairs event, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States won the ice dance event.
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Background
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of seven events sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) and held during the autumn: six qualifying events and the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. This allows skaters to perfect their programs earlier in the season, as well as compete against the skaters whom they would later encounter at the World Championships. Skaters earn points based on their results in their respective competitions and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to compete at the Grand Prix Final.[2] The first iteration of Skate America – then called the Norton Skate – was held in 1979 in Lake Placid, New York, and was the test event for the 1980 Winter Olympics.[3] When the ISU launched the Grand Prix series in 1995, Skate America was one of the five qualifying events.[4] It has been a Grand Prix event every year since.
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Changes to preliminary assignments
The International Skating Union published the initial list of entrants on June 6, 2025.[5]
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Required performance elements
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Single skating
Men competing in single skating performed their short programs on Friday, November 14, while women performed theirs on Saturday, November 15.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[16] the short program had to include the following elements:
For men: one double or triple Axel; one triple or quadruple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, two triple jumps, or a quadruple jump and a double jump or triple jump; one flying spin; one camel spin or sit spin with a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[17]
For women: one double or triple Axel; one triple jump; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying spin; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and one step sequence using the full ice surface.[17]
Men performed their free skates on Saturday, November 15, while women performed theirs on Sunday, November 16.[1] The free skate performance for both men and women could last no more than 4 minutes,[16] and had to include the following: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one had to be a flying spin, and one had to be a spin with only one position; a step sequence; and a choreographic sequence.[18]
Pairs
Couples competing in pair skating performed their short programs on Friday, November 14.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 40 seconds,[16] the short program had to include the following elements: one pair lift, one double or triple twist lift, one double or triple throw jump, one double or triple solo jump, one solo spin combination with a change of foot, one death spiral, and a step sequence using the full ice surface.[19]
Couples performed their free skates on Saturday, November 15.[1] The free skate performance could last no more than 4 minutes,[16] and had to include the following: three pair lifts, of which one has to be a twist lift; two different throw jumps; one solo jump; one jump combination or sequence; one pair spin combination; one death spiral; and a choreographic sequence.[20]
Ice dance
Couples competing in ice dance performed their rhythm dances on Saturday, November 15.[1] Lasting no more than 2 minutes 50 seconds,[16] the theme of the rhythm dance this season was "music, dance styles, and feeling of the 1990s". Examples of applicable dance styles and music included, but were not limited to: pop, Latin, house, techno, hip-hop, and grunge.[21] The rhythm dance had to include the following elements: one pattern dance step sequence, one choreographic rhythm sequence, one dance lift, one set of sequential twizzles, and one step sequence.[21]
Couples then performed their free dances on Sunday, November 16.[1] The free dance performance could last no longer than 4 minutes,[16] and had to include the following: three dance lifts, one dance spin, one set of synchronized twizzles, one step sequence in hold, one step sequence while on one skate and not touching, and three choreographic elements.[21]
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Judging
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For the 2025–26 season, all of the technical elements in any figure skating performance – such as jumps and spins – were assigned a predetermined base point value and were then scored by a panel of seven or nine judges on a scale from -5 to 5 based on their quality of execution.[22] The judging panel's Grade of Execution (GOE) was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (that is, an average after deleting the highest and lowest scores), and this GOE was added to the base value to come up with the final score for each element. The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a total element score.[23] At the same time, judges evaluated each performance based on three program components – skating skills, presentation, and composition – and assigned a score from .25 to 10 in .25 point increments.[24] The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the following chart; the results were added together to generate a total program component score.[25]
Deductions were applied for certain violations like time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls.[27] The total element score and total program component score were added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.[28]
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Medal summary
The 2025 Skate America champions: Kévin Aymoz of France (men's singles); Alysa Liu of the United States (women's singles); Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan (pair skating); and Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States (ice dance)
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Results
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Men's singles
Kévin Aymoz of France won the gold medal – the first Grand Prix championships of his career – in an emotional end to the men's event. Aymoz had been nursing an injury all weekend, but powered through his Boléro free skate that featured two quadruple jumps, five triple jumps, and the highest quality spins and step sequence.[30] He began crying when the final scores were announced,[30] as Kazuki Tomono of Japan, who had been in the lead after the short program, finished in third place after repeatedly falling during his free skate.[31] Aymoz had earlier finished in tenth place at the 2025 Skate Canada International after suffering his injury. "I feel like I went to hell and I'm just dreaming right now," Aymoz stated.[32] Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan finished in second place. "It was a difficult day," Shaidorov stated afterward, "but I think I got a lot of experience from this competition."[30]
Jason Brown of the United States, who had made his Grand Prix debut twelve years earlier at the 2013 Skate America, resurrected his Riverdance performance from that season for his short program. "To be back twelve years later and getting to perform this program, I feel so proud and honored," Brown stated. "It speaks to that longevity and my love of the sport, being able to share this moment with the crowd."[33] Brown's Riverdance performance went viral after the 2014 Winter Olympics, so he chose to rework it for this season as his "way of saying 'thank you,'" to the fans while striving to make the U.S. team to the 2026 Winter Olympics.[34] Brown ultimately finished in fourth place after the free skate.[30]
Women's singles
Alysa Liu of the United States finished second in the short program with an emotional performance to "Promise" by Laufey. Her performance received a standing ovation from the audience,[36] and placed her less than one point behind Rinka Watanabe of Japan. Liu received a season-best free skate score for her program to "MacArthur Park".[37] Liu guaranteed herself a spot at the 2025 Grand Prix Final. Watanabe performed a successful triple Axel-triple toe loop jump combination, but faltered on second triple Axel and struggled with other jumps, finishing three points behind Liu. "I am a bit frustrated with my results," Watanabe said.[38] When speaking of the domestic competition for spots at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Watanabe stated, "In Japan, the field is very, very deep... Regardless, I want to do the best that I can."[38] Anastasiia Gubanova of Georgia finished in third place, only four-tenths of a point ahead of Lara Naki Gutmann of Italy.[38]
Pairs
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan rallied back from a second-place finish after the short program to win the pairs event, guaranteeing their spot at the 2025 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia, who had been in the lead after the short program, made a series of errors in their free skate – including a fall on their side-by-side triple Salchow and completely missing a lift – and finished in second place. "We are not sure what happened on the lift," Berulava stated afterward. "The lift is the job of the man... I should lift up my partner and I didn't do that."[40] Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier of Canada finished in third place.[41]
Ice dance
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States won their fifth Skate America title, tying the record held by Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, also of the United States. Their victory was by a fifteen-point margin over second-place finishers Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada, and also secured their spot at the 2025 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. "Every opportunity that we have to compete lends us new insights and new ways to look at things," Chock said afterward. "We’re going to take away the good and happy feelings we have coming away from this experience."[43] Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud of France finished in third place.[43]
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References
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