What to expect from the first Grand Prix in five years with Russian skaters

The first stage of the Grand Prix in figure skating will be held from 23 to 25 October in Angers (France). Among the Russian skaters at this tournament in pairs skating will perform Alexandra Boykov and Dmitry Kozlovsky.

The upcoming Grand Prix will be the first for Russians since 2021.

The duo received several invitations to the Challenger series after winning in Japan and the United States. The pair first replaced the French couple Louise Erhard and Mattis Pellegrie at the stage in Finland, and then thanks to the vacant seats ISU also included them in the number of participants in the stage in France.

Boykova and Kozlovsky are three-time champions of Russia, winners of the European Championship 2020. Also in their asset are two bronze Euro 2019 and 2022, as well as bronze World Cup 2021.

ISU allows Russians to compete in neutral status, but their participation in major tournaments is limited due to a lack of rating points. Restrictions against athletes were introduced due to the military operation in Ukraine.

The main rivals of the Russian duo

In France, the main rivals of Boykova and Kozlovsky will be the Georgian duo Anastasia Metelkin / Luca Berulava. They approach the tournament with a score of 215.83 points (for short and free programs) on the Trialeti Trophy, while the best score of Russians this season is 203.66 points in the Kinoshita Group Cup tournament.

Despite not the cleanest rentals of the season, the chances of the Russian duo to win remain high. Other contenders for high places include German duo Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, who scored 194.11 points at the last World Cup.

What are the chances of Russians winning?

Silver medalist of the world championship Alena Leonova in conversation with RBC Sport noted that the Grand Prix in France is expected to be highly competitive, especially from the Georgian duo Metelkina and Berulava. According to her, the fight will unfold for the first place.

I can’t say that any of them are the undisputed leader, but in the fight for the first place will definitely be interesting. I think Boykova and Kozlovsky claim high places. They are competitive, Leonova said.

Leonova also noted that the Russian duo should approach the tournament in good shape, as their programs, which were previously “not very rolled”, have now improved significantly.

Silver medalist of the Olympic Games Ilya Averbukh told TASS that the historical leadership of Russian pairs skating has been preserved, but for victories experienced Boykova and Kozlovsky will need to overcome the excitement in connection with the long-awaited return to the top tournaments.

However, this excitement can lead to mistakes on the ice. "But if the guys, who are very titled themselves, roll back without them, their high level allows them to win this stage," Averbuch said.

He added that due to the participation of the couple Metelkina and Berulava "it will be difficult to fight, because these guys are in shape.".