U.S. figure skaters can clinch Grand Prix Final spots at Trophée Bompard

By Nick ZaccardiNov 12, 2015, 12:30 PM EST

Past U.S. champions Gracie Gold and Max Aaron can this weekend clinch berths in the season’s most exclusive figure skating competition, the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona in December.

Gold, the 2014 U.S. champion and fourth-place finisher at the 2014 Olympics and 2015 World Championships, will clinch her second berth in the six-skater Grand Prix Final if she wins Trophée Bompard in Bordeaux, France.

The short programs are Friday, and the free skates are Saturday.

Gold is in a strong position to make the Grand Prix Final if she finishes anywhere on the podium in Bordeaux, thanks to her runner-up at Skate America three weeks ago. She also qualified for last season’s Grand Prix Final but withdrew before the event with a foot injury.

Skaters qualify for the Grand Prix Final based on their results during the six-event Grand Prix series that began with Skate America and concludes in two weeks.

Gold’s competition in Bordeaux will include the top skater from last season, Russian Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. The World champion Tuktamysheva is not the dominant force of 2014-15, however, as she struggled in her Skate Canada short program two weeks ago and finished second to Ashley Wagner overall.

Other podium threats include Russian Yulia Lipnitskaya, the darling of the Sochi Olympic team event, and Japanese veteran Kanako Murakami.

On the men’s side, 2013 U.S. champion Max Aaron will make the Grand Prix Final if he finishes first or second in Bordeaux. Aaron would become the first American man to make the Grand Prix Final since Jeremy Abbott in 2011.

Like Gold, Aaron will be in a strong position to make the Grand Prix Final if he’s as low as third in Bordeaux, perhaps even fourth. That’s because he won Skate America three weeks ago.

Aaron may need that cushion. The men’s field in Bordeaux includes three-time World champion Patrick Chan, who won Skate Canada with the highest score this Grand Prix season. Plus, Japanese teen Shoma Uno, who rebounded from a poor Skate America short program to finish second to Aaron, 1.52 points behind.

There’s also Russian Maksim Kovtun and Japan’s Daisuke Murakami, who both won Grand Prix events last season.

The pairs competition will be the most anticipated of the Grand Prix season with the return of Sochi Olympic champions Tatyana Volosozhar and Maksim Trankov. The married pair will compete at the top international level for the first time since the Winter Games.

Icenetwork.com will stream for subscribers live coverage of men’s, women’s, pairs and ice dance short programs and free skates. NBC will have coverage Sunday from 12-2 p.m. ET.

Women’s short program — Friday, 9:30 a.m. ET (Gold at 10:50)
Men’s short program — Friday, 12:50 p.m. ET (Chan at 1:23)
Women’s free skate — Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET
Men’s free skate — Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET

MORE FIGURE SKATING: Full season broadcast schedule

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Top Grand Prix season scores

WOMEN
1. Yevgenia Medvedeva (RUS) — 206.01 (Skate America)
2. Gracie Gold (USA) — 202.80 (Skate America)
3. Ashley Wagner (USA) — 202.52 (Skate Canada)
4. Mao Asada (JPN) — 197.48 (Cup of China)
5. Rika Hongo (JPN) — 195.76 (Cup of China)
6. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) — 188.99 (Skate Canada)
7. Satoko Miyahara (JPN) — 188.07 (Skate America)

MEN
1. Patrick Chan (CAN) — 271.14 (Skate Canada)
2. Javier Fernandez (ESP) — 270.55 (Cup of China)
3. Jin Boyang (CHN) — 261.23 (Cup of China)
4. Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) — 259.54 (Skate Canada)
5. Max Aaron (USA) — 258.95 (Skate America)
6. Shoma Uno (JPN) — 257.43 (Skate America)
7. Daisuke Murakami (JPN) — 252.25 (Skate Canada)

Canada wins men’s hockey world title; Latvia wins first medal

Associated PressMay 28, 2023, 8:00 PM EDT

Getty

TAMPERE, Finland — Samuel Blais scored two goals to rally Canada to a 5-2 victory over Germany in the final of the world men’s hockey championship on Sunday.

It’s a record 28th world title for Canada, and its second in three years. Russia has 27 while Germany has never won the trophy.

Blais netted with a backhand 4:51 into the final period for a 3-2 lead for Canada, which was playing in its fourth straight final.

“It feels really good,” Blais said. “We’ve been in Europe for a month and we’ve all waited for that moment to play for the gold medal game. And we’re lucky enough to have won it.”

Lawson Crouse, Tyler Toffoli and Scott Laughton also scored for Canada, Peyton Krebs had two assists and goaltender Samuel Montembeault stopped 21 shots.

Toffoli stretched the lead to 4-2 from the left circle with 8:09 remaining and Laughton made it 5-2 with an empty net goal.

Adam Fantilli became only the second Canadian player after Jonathan Toews to win gold at the world juniors and world championship the same year.

Canada had to come back twice in the final.

John Peterka wristed a shot past Montembeault from the left circle 7:44 into the game. It was the sixth goal for the Buffalo Sabres forward at the tournament.

Blais was fed by Krebs to beat goaltender Mathias Niederberger and tie it 1-1 at 10:47.

Daniel Fischbuch put the Germans ahead again with a one-timer with 6:13 to go in the middle period.

Crouse equalized on a power play with 2:32 remaining in the frame.

It was the first medal for Germany since 1953 when it was second behind Sweden.

The two previously met just once in the final with Canada winning 6-1 in 1930.

LATVIA GETS BRONZE

Defenseman Kristian Rubins scored his second goal 1:22 into overtime to lead Latvia to a 4-3 victory over the United States and earn a bronze medal earlier Sunday.

It’s the first top-three finish for Latvia at the tournament. Its previous best was a seventh place it managed three times.

The U.S. lost in the bronze medal game for the second straight year. The U.S. team was cruising through the tournament with eight straight wins until it was defeated by Germany in the semifinal 4-3 in overtime.

Rubins rallied Latvia with his first with 5:39 to go in the final period to tie the game at 3 to force overtime.

Roberts Bukarts and Janis Jaks also scored for Latvia.

Rocco Grimaldi scored twice for the U.S. in the opening period to negate Latvia’s 1-0 and 2-1 leads.

Matt Coronato had put the U.S. 3-2 ahead 6:19 into the final period.

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 28, 2023, 5:15 PM EDT

At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

Main draw play began Sunday, live on Peacock.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Turning 22 during the tournament, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her most recent match with a right thigh injury last week and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion, are the top challengers in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, are the best hopes to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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