The pairs field has been heating up this season, and this week’s Grand Prix de France promises to feature one of the deepest fields yet, with World medalists, European medalists, and two new teams who have already grabbed medals this season on the Grand Prix series. And because of that, a lot of what happens this week will have big implications on the Grand Prix Final qualification game.
Grand Prix de France predictions
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GOLD Minerva Fabienne Hase/Nikita Volodin GER - Last year, in their first season together, Hase/Volodin swept the Grand Prix and were looking like favorites for the World title, only to make mistakes both at Europeans and Worlds that kept them from the top. Even so, they walked away from their debut season with a bronze at Worlds, and they have already impressed this season with a win at Nebelhorn Trophy. They have two of the best programs of the season in the pairs field.
SILVER Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii ITA - Gold at both of their international competitions already this season, with a very strong skate at Lombardia Trophy in September, the former World bronze medalists are the ones who will give Hase/Volodin the biggest competition this week. Their twist was curiously off at Tayside Trophy a few weeks ago, and every little bit will count here.
BRONZE Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov USA - Bronze at Skate America, Efimova/Mitrofanov are bringing the best out of each other in this new partnership. Their free skate in Allen was superbly done, and another one like that (plus a cleaner short) will put them back in medal territory in Angers this week.
4. Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini ITA - It’s been a curious couple of seasons for Ghilardi/Ambrosini, because they made the Final and won medals at Europeans the last two seasons only to end up being off the World team. They know these Grand Prix events are crucial for their momentum. And it’s been a strong season already for them, most recently going over 190 in both Lombardia and Diamond Spin.
5. Ekaterina Geynish/Dmitrii Chigirev UZB - The surprise Skate Canada silver medalists last week have the unenviable task of going back-to-back in competition weeks. They will need to clean up their mistakes a bit more if they are to get back onto the podium this week.
6. Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud CAN - Ever since their sixth-place debut at Worlds two seasons ago, the Canadian silver medalists have been trying to get that consistency that would help them find the next gear in their progression. They are the defending champions here but weren’t quite looking as strong as they did last season when they debuted at Nebelhorn last month, where they finished fifth.
7. Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev FRA -After a couple of strong seasons, where thye won two Grand Prix medals, they haven’t been quite the same since that rough short program at Europeans in January that took them out of the event.
8. Aurelie Faula/Theo Belle FRA - Winners at French Masters over Kovalev/Kovalev, the former French bronze medalists have made improvements in their third season together. They were most recently fifth at Tayside Trophy earlier this month