U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn takes the lead at Grand Prix de France

Amber Glenn Shines in Short Program at Grand Prix de France

Amber Glenn of the United States is on track to secure her first figure skating Grand Prix victory after an impressive performance in the short program at the French leg of the series on Friday. Glenn stood out as the only skater in the women’s event to successfully execute a triple axel, earning a high score of 78.14 points. This put her in a commanding lead, with a gap of over seven points ahead of South Korea’s Kim Chaeyeon, who scored 70.90. Wakaba Higuchi of Japan, the reigning champion from Skate America, currently sits in third place with a score of 66.98. However, former European champion Anastasiia Gubanova of Georgia struggled and found herself in ninth place after a fall.

In the men’s short program, China’s Jin Boyang took the lead with a stellar performance, landing a quadruple toeloop and earning a score of 88.12. This marks Jin’s first Grand Prix event since his triumph at the Cup of China in 2020. Following closely behind are Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko with 85.73 points and Kazuki Tomono of Japan with 83.45 points. The competition saw some top contenders falter, including two-time European champion Adam Siao Him Fa of France, who currently sits in eighth place with a score of 74.90 after stumbling on his final two jumps.

In the pairs event, last season’s world championship bronze medallists Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany took the lead with a score of 73.72. They are followed by Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, and Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trent Michaud, who are in third place with a score of 64.38.

The ice dance category saw two-time European champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy leading the pack with a score of 82.20. France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud claimed second place, while Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius secured the third spot.

All disciplines will conclude with the free skate program on Saturday, where skaters will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and vie for the top positions. The competition promises to be intense as athletes strive to deliver their best performances and secure coveted Grand Prix titles.

Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from the Grand Prix de France as the skaters gear up for the final showdown on the ice.