The figure skating season reaches its highest-stakes stop, as the 2025–26 ISU Grand Prix Final begins in Nagoya, Japan, bringing together the six top-scoring skaters or teams in each discipline from the fall Grand Prix circuit. 

Qualification for the Final is determined by points earned at the six Grand Prix events — Grand Prix France, Cup of China, Skate Canada, NHK Trophy, Skate America and Finlandia Trophy — with only the six most-consistent performers advancing. It is the most selective competition outside the world championships and often provides the clearest preview of where momentum is headed during an Olympic cycle.

For the United States, this year’s Final features one of the deepest and most competitive contingents since 2022. 

In the men’s event, Ilia Malinin arrives as the clear frontrunner following another undefeated Grand Prix season, a continuation of the streak he began in late 2023. He enters Nagoya not only with the highest technical difficulty in the field, but also with improved pacing and stability that have made him increasingly difficult to catch. He has teased new quad configurations, including a potential quad Axel–triple toe, but even without upgrades, the scoring ceiling he carries into this Final remains unmatched. If he delivers two clean programs, he easily will claim a third consecutive Grand Prix Final title.

The women’s event shapes up as one of the most competitive gatherings of the season. Four Japanese skaters, including three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto, join Americans Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu in what may be the deepest women’s Grand Prix Final in years. Glenn, the defending champion, again has relied on sharp short programs and improved free-skate consistency to make herself a contender. If she skates cleanly in both segments, she has a genuine opportunity to repeat. Liu, the reigning world champion, will take part in her first Grand Prix Final after a strong Grand Prix season and may debut a new free skate — a move that involves significant risk but could help her gain ground in a tightly-packed field. Nearly every woman in the lineup has surpassed 210 points this fall, with several landing triple Axels, making even small mistakes costly.

Pairs presents a particularly high-caliber showdown, with just about any of the entrants poised to take gold. Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara lead after sweeping their Grand Prix starts with a level of stability and precision that has made them early Olympic favorites. They face strong challenges from Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin and Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, both of whom arrive with solid but occasionally variable fall performances. Even the less decorated teams, including Hungary’s Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko, have the capability to disrupt the podium if the heavyweights falter, underscoring how tight the scoring could become.

Ice dance brings its own compelling narrative, with the United States once again represented by veterans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who return to the Final after sweeping their Grand Prix events. They will be joined by breakout U.S. ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik. The season for Chock and Bates has been marked by the reliability and polish that have defined the later phase of their careers: intricately choreographed programs, sustained precision in their step sequences, and lifts that remain among the cleanest in the field. With Olympic qualifying pressure mounting, the rhythm dance in particular may prove pivotal, as levels and grades of execution have swung widely across the field throughout the season. France’s new team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Olympic champion Guillaume Cizeron provide a significant threat to the top spot, and Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson are riding strong momentum from their bronze medal at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in March. For Chock and Bates, the Final offers an opportunity to reaffirm their position among the favorites heading toward Milano Cortina.

With the Winter Games now only months away, the Grand Prix Final stands as one of the last major measuring sticks of the season. Across all disciplines, the stakes in Nagoya extend far beyond medals: skaters have the chance to solidify programs under pressure, shape Olympic narratives, and challenge for momentum that could carry all the way to Milan Cortina.

The Grand Prix Final will stream live on Peacock, with additional broadcasts and highlights available on NBC and E! Competition begins Thursday, continues through Saturday, and concludes on Sunday with the exhibition gala. Because the event takes place in Japan, most programs will air in the early-morning hours for U.S. viewers, with on-demand replays available later in the day.