We are in the first season of the new Olympic cycle, and the Olympics in 2026 will be in Italy. Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri, the veterans and four-time Italian champions, could be looking at the start of something big in this post-Olympic season. This field is full of new faces and up-and-coming teams for this new quad, so there’s a lot of exciting skating to come at Grand Prix de France this week.
2022 Grand Prix de France predictions
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GOLD Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri ITA - After taking fourth at last season’s Worlds, Guignard/Fabbri started off their season with a bang, winning Lombardia Trophy in style. And they look at this Grand Prix as a springboard to a potential podium finish at Worlds this year, and their scores this week could be an indicator as to how close they might get to that World title as well.
SILVER Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorensen CAN - The Canadian silver medalists started off this season with a strong win at Finlandia Trophy, where they broke 200 internationally for the first time in their careers. They are hoping to continue their rise in the international standings after a successful Olympic season where they were ninth at both the Olympics and Worlds.
BRONZE Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud FRA - With Gabriella Papadakix/Guillaume Cizeron out of this season, they have now taken on the challenge of being the top French dance team. They took gold at home at French Masters and silver at Budapest Trophy.
4. Juulia Turkkila/Matthias Versluis FIN - These two former singles skaters have just gotten better and better as ice dancers, to the point where they are absolutely stronger as ice dancers than they were as singles skaters. They followed up their bronze at Finlandia Trophy with a win at Trophee Metropole Nice, and they could make history this week as the first Finnish ice dance team to medal on the Grand Prix.
5. Katarina Wolfkostin/Jeffrey Chen USA - Just off the podium at Junior Worlds last season, they are in their first full season as seniors, and they have made some steady improvements already this season, coming in on the heels of a bronze at Budapest Trophy. They’ve got a shot at getting on the podium in this potentially close race for bronze.
6. Eva Pate/Logan Bye USA - Three silvers in for them in a very busy early season, including silvers in their two Challengers events. Nepela Memorial was a good test for them as well, given that it’s a Challengers held outside the US and they have yet to do many events outside the US.
7. Loicia Demougeot/Theo le Mercier FRA - With a strong fourth-place finish at Skate America on the heels of a solid free dance, Demougeot/le Mercier are looking to break into the top half again this week, though the field overall is a bit tougher here.
8. Maria Kazakova/Georgy Reviya GEO - They withdrew from the two events they were slated to start their season with, so there is something of a question mark for the Georgians here this week. They had a strong debut senior season last year, with a top 15 finish at Worlds to finish.
9. Molly Lanaghan/Dmitre Razuglajevs CAN - After a disappointing eighth at Canadian Nationals last season, Lanaghan/Razgulajevs came back this season with a strong start and a fourth-place finish at Nebelhorn Trophy just over a month ago.
10. Marie Dupayage/Thomas Nabais FRA - Fourth at French Nationals last year, Dupayage/Nabais were most recently second behind Turkkila/Versluis at Trophee Metropole Nice.