The women’s event at the ISU Grand Prix de France concluded in Angers, France, with Japan taking all three podium places. Breakout star Ami Nakai took the gold medal over three-time world champion, Kaori Sakamoto, with Rion Sumiyoshi rounding out the Japanese contingent’s medal sweep. 

American Isabeau Levito finished in 4th place with 212.71 points. Her signature elegant style was put to good use in a well-rounded free skate performed to Ennio Morricone’s Cinema Paradiso, however, an error on her triple flip triple toe loop combination lost her several crucial points. 

Nakai took the lead in the short program thanks to a clean triple Axel, holding onto her first-place position in the free skate for her grand prix debut, earning a huge total score of 227.08. 

Just behind her, Sakamoto put out a stunning program to an Edith Piaf medley. The 25-year-old’s experience and skill were on display as she moved from element to element, garnering her a still impressive 224.23. A few small mistakes, which included two spins getting called incomplete, and an unclear edge in the triple Lutz, possibly cost her the gold medal in this highly competitive event.

Her teammate Sumiyoshi made a strong argument for a spot on Japan’s highly-competitive roster for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games. With a quadruple toe loop (albeit underrotated) and solid triple Axel in the short program, Sumiyoshi will be one to watch this Olympic season.

American Elyce Lin-Gracey, 2024 world junior bronze medalist, finished in 8th with a season's best total score of 172.07.

Earlier in the day, the first ice dance event took place, with the 90s-themed rhythm dance. All music must have been released, “either originally or as a cover version in the 1990s,” making for a high-energy event this Olympic season. 

Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson gave a signature energetic performance to the Spice Girls, taking first place in the first segment of the event, after favorites to win, France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, had a costly fall shortly before the end of their Madonna program in the required element step sequence. The error landed them in third place heading into the free dance.

Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius of Lithuania finished the rhythm dance in second place, with a high-energy program to ‘I’m too Sexy,’ by Right Said Fred (Bettys Mix).

Meanwhile, seven-time Italian champions, Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri brought more 90s fun to the ice, skating to Backstreet Boys and finishing in a surprise 5th place with a score of 77.25, far from their personal best of 90.90. It’s unclear what judges found missing and the team will be working hard to finish on the podium with the free dance.