Turin (Italy) (AFP) - US teenager Ilia Malinin, who made history after landing the first quad axel jump in competition, will be among a group of newcomers aiming to upset Japanese world figure skating champion Shoma Uno in the ISU Grand Prix final in Turin starting Thursday.
Malinin, the 18-year-old reigning men's world junior champion, pulled off the four-and-one-half revolution leap -- the most difficult quad jump -- in the free skate at September's US International Classic at Lake Placid, New York.
Malinin, dubbed the 'QuadGod', went on to win Skate America, again with a quad axel jump, and topped the Finland leg of the Grand Prix series despite a niggling foot injury, to qualify for the elite six-skater Final with the highest score this season.
The Grand Prix Final returns to Turin where it was staged in 2019. The two subsequent editions were cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The stakes are high for Uno who won his first world title in March having spent years in the shadows of stars Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen, who both bowed out after the Olympics.
Uno finds himself in the unfamiliar role of being hunted as he seeks his first Grand Prix final gold after medalling four times.
"Nathan Chen, Hanyu Yuzuru, I chased those guys for years," said Uno."It's been a little awkward for me to be the world champion, being the target for everyone else.
"I knew the time would come one day.But at the Japan Open, I went up against Ilia Malinin.And he was far more skilled than what I imagined.That thrilled me.
"Someone like him drives me to work day in, day out.
"He's seven years younger than me but in sport, in competition, age doesn't matter."
Uno, who turns 25 next week, is the only one of the six-man men's field to have competed in the Grand Prix final before.
The Olympic silver medallist's rivals also include three compatriots Sota Yamamoto, Shun Sato and Kao Miura, and Italy's Daniel Grassl.
In the women's event, world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan is also up against five newcomers with the dominant Russians banned from competing in ISU events because of the war in Ukraine.
Both Uno and Sakamoto will seek to lay the groundwork in Turin's Palavela for their world title defences at home in Saitama next year.
Sakomoto, the Olympic bronze medallist, will be up against world silver medallist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, fellow Japanese Mai Mihara, who won both Grand Prix events she entered this season, and Rinka Watanabe, winner of Skate Canada.
World junior champion Isabeau Levito, a 15-year-old American, and South Korea's Kim Yelim, 19, complete the women's lineup.
In pairs, all the teams will be first timers in the Grand Prix event, in the absence of the Russians and also the Chinese, who did not compete in the Grand Prix Series this year.
World champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier face a tough challenge from Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara.
In ice dancing none of the Olympic medallists from February are competing this season.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates will seek their first Grand Prix Final title, after silver medals at the event in 2014, 2015 and 2019.
Schedule
Thursday, December 8
Pairs short programme (1820GMT)
Men's short programme (1935)
Friday, December 9
Pairs free skating final (1635)
Ice dancing - rhythm dance (1850)
Women's short programme (2000)
Saturday, December 10
Men's free skating (1230)
Ice dancing free dance (1840)
Women's free skating (2000)
