Team USA maintains lead at 2025 World Team Trophy
2025 World Team Trophy: Day 2
The second day of 2025 World Team Trophy continued with the Pairs Short Program, Free Dance and the Men’s Free Skate in Tokyo, Japan. Team USA maintained their overnight lead with 95 points, followed by Team Japan (80). Team Italy moved ahead of Team France by four points, 66 and 62 points, respectively.
Team USA
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov delivered a good short program to “Ameska” and “Uccen” that was highlighted by a throw triple loop and level four lift. The twist was graded a level three while the spin was a level four, however, Efimova turned out the triple toes. Still, the 2024 Skate America bronze medalists showed very good effort in their Spanish routine, and they placed fifth with 64.57 points.
“We made some technical mistakes that we want to correct, but to be honest, we’re really happy with the program overall,” said Mitrofanov. “We definitely try to continue to perform it and really do what we’ve been doing this whole season.”
“It’s so exciting whenever Team USA comes together,” Efimova added. “Champs Camp and Nationals and then now here again being all together. Just getting to talk and just live a little part of the life now together, that’s really nice, I really enjoy it!”
Madison Chock and Evan Bates picked up a new season’s best of 133.41 for first place with their jazzy free dance to “Take Five.” The three-time Four Continents champions engaged the audience throughout with their smooth routine, which featured level-four lifts, twizzles and dance spin. Both the one-foot and circular steps were graded a level three, and all elements received high GOES.
“It’s really nice to finish off the season and have two seasons’ bests,” said Chock. “We feel really good about the last two performances, so we’re really excited and ready to put the programs to rest.”
“It’s just a little stressful to be at the team event and to be at the end of the season and to know that our team has been skating really well the first day,” added Bates. “We wanted to continue the momentum today. There was a little bit of stress and then we got out there and the crowd was really, really great, responsive. The five-minute warm-up was really fun.”
With Team USA holding on to their lead, Chock had this to say: “I think it fosters a lot of confidence in the team. Coming into this event, we were already knowing that we had a lot of very, very talented skaters on the team. And after the World Championships, just seeing how well our Team USA athletes have done and can perform, it’s really impressive and an honor to witness. So, I’m excited to see how everyone will do next season.”
Chock and Bates plan to tour with Stars on Ice before they take a small vacation. They will then go back to Montreal and start preparations for next season.
Ilia Malinin, who has been stellar throughout the season, made some uncharacteristic mistakes in his free skate to “I’m Not a Vampire.” The two-time Grand Prix Final champion opened with a solid quad flip, triple Axel and quad Lutz. He then popped his Salchow to a double before stepping out of the back end of a quad Lutz-Euler-triple Salchow. He also put a foot down on the back end of a double flip-triple Axel and then fell out of his final spin for a one-point deduction. But the skater did manage a quad toe-triple toe and showed level four spins and footwork, placing first with 183.88 points.
“I think this is the first time I felt this way,” said Malinin. “I was just lucky to be at this event and having this atmosphere with all my teammates, all my friends cheering me on. It was still very fun even though it was a bit tricky to get through the whole program. I think that the energy is still not over tomorrow. I’m going to be cheering on all my teammates hoping that they all skate well, and hopefully we come up with a win for our team. Now I’ll be able to just get a few weeks of cool down and really just push skating aside for a few weeks to cleanse my mind.”
He will also perform with Stars on Ice before he gets “back in the groove” for training.
Jason Brown gave a captivating free skate to “Spiegel im Spiegel,” enchanting the audience throughout. The two-time Four Continents medalist was near flawless, landing seven solid triple jumps, including two triple Axels. The only error came when he popped a Salchow, but he showed excellent level-four spins and footwork. He finished second with 179.33 points.
“For me, I just absolutely love being out on the ice here,” said Brown. “This is such a special event. It’s such an amazing way to end the season. I know everyone’s season was very different. Mine had a really rocky start at the beginning. I’m really finding my groove. Where a lot of people say, ‘we’re at the last event of the year,’ I kind of think, I’m ready for more. I’m finally kind of finding my footing. I finally figured out and resolved the issues that I was having.”
“I think the biggest thing at this event is wanting to get as many points for the team as I can,” he added. “So, the fact that Ilia and I went one and two, we got the job done that way.”
Total Team Score: 95
“This event is just so much fun!” Brown said. “I think we just all enjoyed so much, the atmosphere, getting to be in the boxes, cheering each other on. We want to go out there and just celebrate the end of the season. But at the end of the day, it is still a competition and we all really, really want to do well for our team and represent our country the very best that we can. I’m really, really proud of my teammates for doing just that today. It’s a great way to end day two.”
The motto for their Team USA is “Stronger Together.”
“I think when we think about that, it’s obviously the team event, and we’re all there to support one another and to have each other’s backs through the good, the bad, and everything in between,” said Brown. “I think as a unit, coming here and supporting one another, we truly are stronger together.”
Now that Brown, the team captain is finished with his skates, he is looking forward to supporting the Pairs and Women tomorrow.
“I can’t wait to just go even crazier tomorrow for the team!” he said. “For this event, I guess, the crazier, the louder, the better. Our box is just filled with red, white, and blue paraphernalia, so we try our best to cheer each other on. I definitely take that job very seriously. We don’t ever get a competition to just like completely deck out and be that close to the ice, cheering everyone on. And so we definitely take advantage of that, and I definitely make sure we go full, full out.”
Team Japan
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara picked up a new personal best of 80.99 for first place with their compelling short program to “Paint it Black.” The two-time and current World champions produced a level-three triple twist, side-by-side triple toes and throw triple Lutz. The spin, footwork and death spiral received a level four, and all elements earned high GOES.
“We are so excited to have earned a new personal best score!” said Miura. “Our teammates are sitting so close to the boards that we can see their faces when they are cheering. Tomorrow we just want to enjoy the event.”
“She had to tell me it was a personal best,” added Kihara. “I thought it was a season’s best. All the experience from this season led to this performance. We had enough practice after Worlds, and we made sure to stay healthy.”
Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita put out a classical free dance to Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64 which was highlighted by their level-four lifts, twizzles and dance spin. Unfortunately, the team received a two-point deduction for a fall in their ending choreo slide. They finished sixth with 94.95 points.
Shun Sato placed fourth in the free skate with 169.62. His contemplative and emotional routine to “Nostos” was highlighted by his opening quad Lutz and quad toe-triple toe. While the 2024-25 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist stepped out a quad toe and put a hand down a triple Lutz, the rest of the program was solid.
“My condition was better than yesterday, but I struggled with the last half of the program,” said Sato. “I just wanted to get it over with after the second quad toe. At my first World Team Trophy in 2023, I was very nervous, so I wanted to have more fun this time. The cheering of my teammates really pushed me to the end of the program.”
Yuma Kagiyama struggled with his quad jumps in his free skate, placing fifth (168.93). The four-time world medalist fell on both his quad flip and quad Salchow before stepping out of a quad toe. However, he bounced back to produce four triple jumps, including two triple Axels. His routine also featured three level-four spins and footwork which earned positive GOEs.
“Before I went on to the ice, I told myself I could make mistakes, it’s okay today,'” said Kagiyama. “I was more positive compared to the world championships, but I missed the important jumps like the quad flip and Salchow. So, there are some regrets. In the second half of the program, I think I was able to do my best with the steps, the choreo and spins. I was actually able to look at the faces and expression of the audience and to express what I wanted to communicate to them.”
“It was nice to skate with the team and in my home country and I really wanted to enjoy it,” he added. “So even though there were mistakes in the jumps, it was separate from the rest of the program, and I really enjoyed and put all my power into the last steps.”
Total Team Score: 80
“We started off the second day with the pairs, and of course Riku (Miura) and Ryuichi (Kihara) did a wonderful job!” noted team captain Sakamoto. “I think it was a great start for the day. And then we went into the ice dance and the two men. The two categories are done with their free skating, and I’m just glad and relieved that there were no injuries and everybody ended well. We set the tone right for tomorrow.”
While the team doesn’t have a specific motto, Sakamoto pointed out that their team is a mixture of seasoned and new skaters.
“Those, with or without experience, it doesn’t matter; we’re all there to be there for each other,” she said. “As we enjoy the event at the same time, I think the goal here is to really assess and understand and kind of
immerse themselves into being in a team event.”
As Sakamoto didn’t have to compete, she led the cheering for Day 2, enjoying all the performances.
“At the rink side, you can really cheer for everyone, and at the same time, you learn so much from everyone,” she said. “When it comes to team Japan, of course I go full throttle, however compared to the United States and many other countries, Japan tends to be a little bit on the quiet side, maybe.”
“Today, some of our other skaters have finished competing, and to be honest, there are those who are not feeling that great,” she added. “But having said that, without pushing them too much, tomorrow I intend to make sure everybody goes full throttle on the cheering side as well. So, tomorrow, no constraints whatsoever. Everybody is going to get out of their shell!”
Team Italy
Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii delivered a fiery short program to music from Carmen Suite. The 2023 World bronze medalists landed a clean throw triple loop and side-by-side triple Salchows. The triple twist, lift and spin were graded a level four, and they earned 74.10 points for second place.
“We tried to enjoy our last short program,” said Conti. “We don’t know if it’s the last Carmen, but we wanted to enjoy it. I’m so happy and I just tried to give to the audience my emotion. We hope to move up and get third with our team here.”
“It was not the best short that we skated as for the elements, but for the passion and for the emotions that I have, it was the best,” Macii added. “In this event, the singles part has a heavy weight, so we and Charlene and Marco cannot gain so many points, but we want to try to give the maximum. We want to create a good team for the Olympic Games. I hope the guys will get back on track today.”
Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri placed third with 121.82 points for their technically difficult and inventive free dance to music by the Robotboys. Fabbri lost a level on the twizzles, but the three-time European champions produced level-four lifts and dance spin, as well as level three circular steps.
“It wasn’t the best performance of the season. I made a little mistake on the twizzles,” noted Fabbri, “but we are disappointed with the score.”
“Now we finished, so now we can give all our energy to the team,” added his partner. “I hope that it will go well and we all enjoy the competition.”
Nikolaj Memola took a fall on his opening quad flip but recovered to land a triple Axel in his free skate. He then stepped out of the quad Lutz, but all other jumps were sold. The national silver medalist also showed two good level-four spins and footwork, placing eighth with 158.17 points.
Daniel Grassl finished third in the free skate with a score of 172.45 points. His routine to selections from Billy Elliot: The Musical featured a quad Salchow, quad loop, and five clean triple jumps. The only errors came when he stepped out of a triple Axel and put a foot down on the back end of a triple Lutz-triple toe. The five-time and reigning national champion also produced two level-four spins and footwork with positive GOEs.
“At this competition I was not so much pressured,” said Grassl. “I felt the team event is really a fun competition, but at the same time, I wanted to end this season because for me it’s very long. I’m very happy about team Italy right now and I think we have really a good chance to make the podium. That would be very nice because it’s like a world medal and it would be a great start for next season because of the Olympics. I really believe we can medal also there.”
Total Team Score: 66
Team captain Guignard said the second day of the event was “fantastic” for team Italy as it’s the first time they are in the third position at the end of the day.
“It’s a very talented team. Everybody is doing well, and we enjoy the crowd a lot,” she said. “They also help a lot because it’s the last competition of the season, so everybody is tired. But with the crowd like this, I mean we just enjoy.”
Regarding a motto, Guignard the motto is that the strength of the team lies in each member, and the strength of each member lies in the team.
“Team Italy team is very strong together, and we know each other from so many layers, so we know each other very well,” she said.
Guignard has no idea why she was chosen to be captain but embraced the role.
“To be captain is a big responsibility, but we try as a team to change the match as we can, especially for the Italian team, but also for the other skaters,” she explained. “In other competitions, we can’t really stay close to the ice rink like this, and it’s always good to support the performances and the competition, also other disciplines. I think we can be proud of our choice for our team, but tomorrow we can do more, so we work hard.”
Team France
Camille Kovalev and Pavel Kovalev placed sixth (54.74) in the short program with their routine to “Toxic” by 2Wei. The two-time Grand Prix medalists struggled on the jumps. She doubled the triple toes and put a hand down on the throw triple Salchow, but the lift and spin were graded a level four.
Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud placed fifth (116.44) with their dark electro free dance to music by BFRND. The 2025 European silver medalists lost a level on the twizzles which were graded a level three and four, as well as the one-foot steps (level three and two). However, all three lifts received a level four, and all elements received high GOEs.
Kevin Aymoz finished seventh in the free skate with 165.34 points. He opened with a triple toe, meant to be a quad, and then put a foot down on the second triple toe, not completing the combination. The five-time Grand Prix medalist otherwise landed a total of six triple jumps, with the triple Lutz receiving an edge call. His moving routine also featured two level-four spins and the footwork which were awarded with high GOES.
“I think it was my best season ever, two medals in Grand Prix, two silver,” said Aymoz. “I went for my third Final, national champion again, and I qualified for the free skate at Europeans. What I can ask more, and fifth at Worlds. Here, we are doing a beautiful competition. I’m proud of my team, they motivated me for the two skates. I was really tired and this morning I had no voice at all.”
Aymoz added that he dreams of being in the top five at the Olympic next season.
“It gives me hope to go to work,” he said. “Maybe the team even can be top five too or maybe get a medal. I can dream after this season; the team and myself are in a good way.”
Adam Siao Him Fa placed sixth (168.47) in his free skate, where he fought for most of his jumps. He took two falls: one on a quad flip and the other on a quad Salchow. The three-time European medalist also struggled with a few tight landings and put a hand down on his opening quad Lutz, but he pushed through in his dramatic routine to music from Dune. While he left a lot of points on the table, his three spins were very good and earned a level four.
“I was dead at the end, like in the program,” admitted Siao Him Fa. “It was really tough, mentally and physically, but it was also fun, and it was a good practice for next season. The quad flip was for next season, to try a five-quad program. I know I can do it when I’m in a better physical condition. Now I’ll take some time off, maybe two weeks.”
Total Team Score: 62
Team Canada
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps placed fourth with 66.65 points with their short program “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé. The 2024 World Champions opened with a very good level-four triple twist, but Stellato-Dudek doubled out on the triple toes and stepped out on the throw triple loop. Nevertheless, the lift, spin, footwork and death spiral were graded a level four, and all elements except the jumps received positive GOES.
“We’re tired for sure, but this season this short program just really hasn’t clicked,” said Stellato-Dudek. “So, this was just another example of it.”
“The jump pattern was the problem for us,” explained Deschamp. “We tried a different pattern to save time, but it was really difficult. We tried but wasn’t working music-wise. We just tried to make it work. But when you just try to make it work, it’s just like a band aid. It doesn’t heal or fix it.”
Stellato-Dudek said she has already turned the page to the Olympic year—something she’s been dreaming about for a long time.
“It’s hard to keep going with these programs at this particular time because I have all these ideas and I want to get working on our new ones,” she said. “But there’s always something positive that comes out of a competition. So, no matter what you’ll learn something from it, you can bring that with you into next year. This year we’ve had a lot of learning lessons but not so many good performances, so hopefully next year we can have more good performances.”
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier delivered an elegant free dance to Whiter Shade of Pale, earning a level four on all lifts, the twizzles, and dance spin. The midline steps were graded a level three, and they earned high GOES on elements. The 2025 Four Continents champions placed second with a new season’s best of 131.91 points.
“Today felt like a lot of work, but I think it’s just a testament of how much work we put into this season,” said Gilles. “We really trusted our bodies, we trusted each other. We just knew exactly what to do and we enjoyed the moment. We’re learning over time the more we just focus on the joy that we have for skating, the better we skate. It just felt like an absolute blast to finish with a season best.”
“It’s been a really fulfilling season in a lot of ways,” added Poirier. “We felt so strong and prepared throughout this entire second half of the season, and that teaches us a lot about ourselves and what kind of preparation we need to skate at our best. So, I think we’re going to take that lesson with us as we head into the Olympic season, which has now started for us. Here we are.”
Aleksa Rakic finished 11th (130.60) with his free skate to “Va, vis et deviens,” “Steppe” and “Uncovered.” The 20-year-old from Burnaby, struggled with four of his jumping passes, stepping out of a quad toe and triple Axel. He also fell on a triple Axel but showed two nice level-four spins and level-three footwork.
Roman Sadovsky doubled his opening quad Salchow and hung on to his triple Lutz-triple toe in his moving free skate to from Interstellar. The 2024 CS Tallinn Trophy bronze medalist also turned out the front end of a triple loop-double Axel, but landed a quad Salchow-Euler-triple Salchow and two more clean triple jumps. The spins were all rewarded a level four, and he placed ninth with 153.34 points.
“I was very disappointed in the first quad Sal(chow),” said Sadovsky. “It’s been a very solid jump all year around, very solid jump in practice. I’m just proud that I could turn it around and do the second one. The second Sal was a bit of a struggle this season and that was a redemption moment, but overall, I’m proud of the recovery and happy that I could finish this season on a high note. I’m looking forward for a break, but also very much looking forward to some development for the new season.”
Total Team Score: 54
Team Georgia
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava were spectacular, earning positive GOEs on all elements in their jazzy short program to “Summertime.” The two-time World Junior Champions showed a high level-four triple twist, lift and death spiral. The side-by-side triple Salchows and throw triple flip were solid, showing good unison and timing. They scored a new personal best of 73.67 for third place.
“This was the season’s best, and this audience is so amazing that you just have to skate your best,” said Metelkina. “It is a little hard to be here all day, but I truly feel the support and we give each other energy.”
“The standing ovation gave me the goosebumps,” added Berulava. “We finally got a level four for the death spiral, so we’re very happy about that!”
Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin produced an entertaining free dance to music by Led Zeppelin which featured three level-four lifts, twizzles and dance spin. The diagonal steps were graded a level three, and the five-time Challenger Series medalists earned many positive GOES throughout, scoring 118.44 points for fourth place.
Morisi Kvitelashvili posted 120.27 points for 12th place. The six-time Challenger Series medalist landed a total of four clean triple jumps in his free skate to a Frank Sinatra medley. The 30-year-old fell on an attempted quad toe in the second half, however he earned a level four on two spins.
Skating to “The Winter” and “Can You Hear the Music,” Nika Egadze opened his free skate with a solid quad toe but then stepped out a quad Salchow. He then fell on the second quad Salchow which was supposed to be a combination jump but still landed a total of four clean triple jumps, including two triple Axels. The skater, who was fourth at the 2025 European Championships, earned a level four on two spins and finished 10th (147.83).
Total Team Score: 48
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