The World Figure Skating Grand Prix Finals concluded with Marinin and Kaori Sakamoto winning the championship
China News Service, Beijing, December 9 (Reporter Xing Chong) The 2023-2024 season ISU World Figure Skating Grand Prix Finals concluded in Beijing on the 9th with American teenager Marinin winning the men’s singles championship and two-time World Championship champion Kaori Sakamoto from Japan winning the women’s singles championship.
Marinin, aged 19, was hailed as a “dark horse” in the singles skating event and made a significant impact in the tournament. His performance included a first-ever successful completion of an Axel quadruple jump (4A) in the short program, earning him a high score of 106.90 and ranking first. In the free skate competition, Marinin performed 6 quadruple jumps and secured the championship with a total score of 314.66 points. Japanese players Shoma Uno and Yuma Kagiyama won the silver and bronze medals in the men’s singles competition.
Reflecting on his surprising victory, Marinin expressed his initial goal was to showcase his training level in the game but attributed his unexpected success to a boost in his condition and confidence after arriving in Beijing.
Kaori Sakamoto, who clinched the women’s singles gold medal, demonstrated her stable form throughout the season and won the finals with a total score of 225.70 points. In the adult ice dance competition, the American team Jock/Bates won the championship with a total score of 221.61 points.
The youth group saw Japanese youngster Rishi Nakata stage a comeback in the men’s singles competition, winning the championship with a total score of 227.77 points. Additionally, the American pair Nesset/Markolov claimed the youth ice dance championship, and the youth pair skating gold medal was secured by the Georgian pair Metelkina/Berulava.
The conclusion of the World Figure Skating Grand Prix Finals marks the end of a successful event and also signifies Beijing’s first ISU world figure skating event after 13 years, following the Winter Olympics.