Skate America kicks off the 2023/2024 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series with the event held in Allen, Texas for the first time.

When is it on?

Skate America begins Friday, 20 October with the pairs short programme and concludes Sunday, 22 October with the exhibition gala.

Who is skating?

Ilia Malinin (USA) got his season off to a perfect start by winning the Autumn Classic this season and the reigning World bronze medallist will be the presumptive gold medal favourite of the men’s event. Kevin Aymoz finished one place behind Malinin at both 2023 Worlds and last month’s Autumn Classic and will face off against the American in Allen this weekend. Shun Sato (JPN) picked up a silver medal at Finlandia Trophy earlier this month. Local fans will hope that perhaps Andrew Torgashev (USA) can squeeze onto the podium after he picked up bronze at Lombardia Trophy in September. 2022 European bronze medallist Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT) will be aiming to step up from his seventh place at last month’s Nepela Memorial.

This will be Loena Hendrickx first appearance at a Grand Prix event outside Europe. The two-time World medallist got her season off to a positive start at the Japan Open this month. Her main challenger is likely to be Isabeau Levito (USA) who confidently won the Nebelhorn Trophy in September. The bronze medal seems to be up for grabs with any of a number of skaters capable of joining the Belgian and American in the medals.

The withdrawal of World champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) has left the pairs event wide open. 2023 European bronze medallists Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel (GER) have already collected two bronze medals at ISU Challenger events this season, as well as a silver at the Shanghai Trophy. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud (CAN) placed fourth at Nebelhorn Trophy last month. Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez (USA) and Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy (USA) look set to spearhead the American team’s challenge for medals.

World champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA) will be hard to beat on home ice. Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud secured silver medals at their first two competitions this season in Canada and China. There will be not one, but two Czech sibling teams in Allen in the shape of Natalie Taschlerova and Filip Taschler (CZE) and Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek. 2019 World Junior champions Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha (CAN) and the new team of Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck (ESP) will have a say when it comes down to deciding the medals.

Everything you need to know (and some things you did not) about the skaters, the competition schedule and results can be viewed here.

When is the skating on?

Afternoon and evening in North America, evening till the early hours in Europe and morning till lunchtime in Asia. The times listed for Skate America are local and if you want to know what the time difference is between where you are and Allen then this link is your friend.

Where can I watch the pretty skaters?

This season’s Skate America can be viewed on the Skating ISU YouTube channel. Geographic restrictions apply.

What are the hashtags?

#GPFigure #SkateAmerica #FigureSkating