#WTTFigure

The battle of the world’s six best Figure Skating teams has begun! Team USA skated to a spectacular start at the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating 2025 in Tokyo (JPN) Thursday with World Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates, Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu. The teams entertained the crowd at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium with their beautiful performances on the ice and creative cheering for their teammates in the Kiss & Cry and team boxes, creating many unique moments and showing a different side of the sport of Figure Skating.

World Champions put Team USA into the lead

(L-R) Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, Jason Brown of the United States and Kevin Aymoz of France pose for photos at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team USA came with their three new ISU World Champions and were unstoppable on Day One. They collected 52 points. Japan sit in second place with 44 points, followed by France on 34 points. But the race is open and who knows what will happen on Day Two.

Three-time ISU World Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates topped the Rhythm Dance segment for the USA with their playful performance of their “Journey Through the Decades”, scoring a season’s best of 91.25 points. They pocketed the maximum of 12 team points. Two-time ISU World Champion Ilia Malinin continued where Chock/Bates left off, earning 12 team points in the Men’s Short Program with another excellent performance to “Running” by NF. He nailed the quad Lutz-triple toe, only the quad flip was somewhat shaky (106.08 points).

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of Team USA, which leads after Day One at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team captain Jason Brown (main picture) put out a season’s best performance of his “Tarzan” Short Program (93.82 points) to come third and add 10 team points. The Women were last to skate and newly crowned ISU World Champion Alysa Liu laid down a personal best performance of her Short Program to “Promise” that featured a triple flip-triple toe and triple Lutz. She placed first with 75.70 points and 12 team points. ISU Grand Prix Final Champion Amber Glenn fell on her triple Axel to finish seventh with six team points. 

“If you can't tell by all of our smiles now, at the beginning of the day, throughout the week, we just love this event,” team captain Brown said. “It's so much fun to end the year as a team and just to be together celebrating skating and especially being in Japan.

“It's been such a stressful season with the Olympic qualifier in Boston,” he added. “We’re here to support one another. We’ve got each other’s back. And I really feel like that came through today. I hope that continues to tomorrow.”

Jason Brown of Team USA at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Madison Chock said: “We're just so happy we could contribute to our team in a positive way and set them up for some good momentum for the rest of the week. 

“We’re so confident with our team. They're all incredible athletes and incredible skaters so we’re just happy to be a part of it.”

Team Japan hungry to catch up

Japan is currently trailing the leaders by eight points – a little more than they had probably hoped, but they can catch up. 

Three-time ISU World Champion Kaori Sakamoto was the top scorer for Japan, coming second with her crisp Tango Short Program (75.54 points), just behind Liu. There was a little wobble in her triple flip-triple toe combination but the rest was excellent and Sakamoto picked up 11 team points. ISU World bronze medalists  Mone Chiba and Yuma Kagiyama ranked fourth in their respective Short Programs, earning nine team points each after Chiba missed the double Axel while Kagiyama fell on a triple flip that was planned as a quad.

Yuma Kagiyama of Team Japan: fourth place in the Men's Short Program at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medalist Shun Sato, who felt poorly, gave a solid skate to place fifth and claim eight team points. The Asian Winter Games Champions Utana Yoshida/ Masaya Morita were sixth in the Rhythm Dance and took seven team points.

“As a captain, I know all the skaters were tired but I am relieved they finished the first day without any injuries,” Sakamoto said. “Cheering and decorating the team box are my forte! I don’t compete tomorrow so I want to put all my energy into cheering.

“After I watched the Ice Dance and the Men's Short Program, I got so much energy and power and continued to the women’s program. We are in different categories but still we were able to support each other and it gave us energy. We had a special experience. This is a very unique competition,” she said.

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan: second in the Women's Short Program at the World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

France chasing podium position

French eyes are focused on the podium for the first time in the history of the ISU World Team Trophy. Two-time ISU European Champion Adam Siao Him Fa led his team to third place on Day One. 

The Frenchman was second in the Short Program (96.16 points) with an emotional performance to “SOS d’un terrien en detresse” that included a quad toe-triple toe and a triple Axel. Siao Him Fa earned his team 11 points. ISU Grand Prix medalist Kevin Aymoz added seven points by coming sixth, while ISU European Ice Dance silver medalists Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud took nine points for their energetic Rhythm Dance to a Boney M medley which earned them a fourth-place finish. Lorine Schild and Lea Serna contributed five and two points, respectively.

Adam Siao Him Fa, of Team France, finished second in the Men's Short Program at the World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

“So that’s the first time I think as a captain I did the press conference. It means we had a good day for Team France,” Aymoz said. 

He was especially proud as his team had to overcome some difficulties.

“I'm really proud of my team because it was such a difficult day," Aymoz revealed. "I had a lot of fever yesterday night. Adam is really broken everywhere. He’s tired. Lea almost injured her ankle yesterday morning. Lorine broke her boot this morning. So the team is just falling apart. 

“But I’m so proud of them because they put everything together for the team. 

“We know the podium is open for a third place, but I think we should go for the team. Like Jason (Brown) said, the season was already really stressful and difficult. Today is just about having the best for ourselves, for the team, and for the audience, and just celebrating skating.”

Kevin Aymoz, captain of Team France, at the World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Italy close to the podium

Italy remains close to the podium in fourth place on 30 points. Three-time ISU European Champions Charlène Guignard/Marco Fabbri scored 10 points for their team with their captivating Rhythm Dance to “Land of 1000 Dances” and “For Once In My Life”. ISU Grand Prix medalists Lara Naki Gutmann and Daniel Grassl added eight and six points, respectively, with their convincing performances. 

After multiple fourth-place finishes at the World Team Trophy, the Italians are ready to take the next step and aim at moving up. 

“We hope for a good result. As the team captain I saw everyone and they are really energized and together,” Guignard said.

Team Italy's Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri compete at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Team Canada still in the mix

The fight for the podium is far from over as Canada sits close behind in fifth place on 28 points. The 2025 ISU World silver medalists Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier were the top-scoring team members by placing second with their entertaining Beach Boys Rhythm Dance that contributed 11 team points.

Poirier has set the strategy: “I think it’s coming together, more than anything,” he said. “We have the Olympics coming up next year, we're really going to have to rely on each other. 

“We’re going to be together a lot over the next nine months or so, and we’re going to be each other’s support and community throughout the Games. 

“So I think we really just want to celebrate that and come together and celebrate skating this week.”

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN) at the World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

Newcomer Team Georgia plays well

The newcomers from Georgia, having qualified for the ISU World Team Trophy for the first time, remains in contention with 25 points. The 2025 ISU European silver medalist Anastasiia Gubanova led the team with her third-place finish in the Women’s Short Program, collecting 10 points. 

“It is such a joy for Georgia to be at the World Team Trophy for the first time and we are all so excited,” Gubanova commented.

Anastasiia Gubanova, captain of Team Georgia, at the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 in Tokyo, Japan © ISU

What & When

The schedule of the ISU World Team Trophy 2025 is as follows:

Thursday, April 17:  Rhythm Dance, Men & Women’s Short Programs
Friday, April 18:  Pairs Short Program, Free Dance & Men’s Free Skating
Saturday, April 19:  Pairs Free Skating & Women’s Free Skating
Sunday, April 20:  Exhibition Gala 

For more information, entry lists and results, visit the ISU event page of the ISU World Team Trophy 2025, the Japan Skating Federation event website and the TV Asahi event website. Follow the discussion on social media using #WTTFigure and #FigureSkating.

Where to watch the ISU World Team Trophy 2025

The ISU World Team Trophy 2025 will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news. 

Subscribe to the Skating ISU YouTube Channel to receive alerts when the live streams start and when new videos are posted.