How the 2019 Grand Prix Standings Shaped Torino’s Roster
The road to the 2019 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final was built across six regular-season events. Skaters and teams could not simply rely on reputation or a single spectacular performance. They had to collect points at two Grand Prix assignments, then finish high enough in the discipline standings to secure one of six places at the Palavela arena in Turin.
That system created a Torino roster that combined established champions, rising talents, and several athletes who had turned strong autumn campaigns into their first Final appearance. The Senior competition featured men’s, ladies’, pairs, and ice dance events, while the Junior Final gave another generation the same high-pressure stage.
The qualifying list therefore tells a story beyond names and rankings. It shows who delivered under changing conditions, who converted medals into ranking points, and where the season’s balance of power had begun to shift before the December 5–8 competition.
The points race behind the Final
Each Grand Prix event awarded points according to finishing position. A victory was worth 15 points, with lower totals assigned through the podium and down the results list. Skaters’ best two scores were counted, making consistency essential. An athlete who won one event but struggled at the second could be passed by a rival with two silver medals or a gold and a bronze.
The qualification process also rewarded depth. With only six places available in each discipline, a skater needed to perform well against an international field at both assignments. Withdrawals and substitutions could affect the final lineup, but the published standings provided the main route to Turin.
This approach explains why the roster was not simply a list of the season’s most famous athletes. It reflected the results of Skate America, Skate Canada, the Grand Prix de France, Cup of China, Rostelecom Cup, and NHK Trophy. Every short program, rhythm dance, free skate, and free dance contributed to the qualification picture.
The men’s field showed a contest between experience and momentum
Nathan Chen entered Torino as the leading qualifier after winning both Skate America and the Internationaux de France. His two victories gave him the maximum 30 points and reinforced his position as the skater to beat. His programs combined difficult quadruple jumps with the speed and control required to keep the overall score intact.
Yuzuru Hanyu followed with 28 points after victories at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy. His return to the Final created one of the most anticipated storylines of the season, particularly because his second Grand Prix appearance produced a major victory over a deep field. The standings placed Chen and Hanyu at the top, but their contrasting programs promised a close battle in Turin.
Kevin Aymoz qualified with 24 points, a breakthrough result that confirmed his emergence as a leading French skater. Dmitri Aliev, Alexander Samarin, and Boyang Jin completed the six-man Senior lineup. Their routes differed: Aliev and Samarin built their totals through strong Russian Grand Prix performances, while Jin used a pair of solid results to stay ahead of other contenders.
The men’s standings also showed how narrow the margin could be. A skater did not need two victories to qualify, but every placement mattered. Once the leading names had secured their places, the final berths depended on who could finish near the podium twice rather than produce one isolated highlight.
The ladies’ roster made the new order impossible to miss
The ladies’ qualification race was dominated by a remarkable Russian trio. Alena Kostornaia won both Grand Prix assignments and finished with 30 points. Her skating stood out for its combination of difficult triple jumps, strong step sequences, and polished presentation, making her the only undefeated qualifier in the discipline.
Anna Shcherbakova collected 28 points through two victories of her own, while Alexandra Trusova earned 26 after winning one event and placing second at another. Their qualification established a powerful national presence in Torino and set up a direct comparison among three skaters with different technical profiles.
Rika Kihira qualified with 24 points and remained Japan’s principal contender in the field. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva took the fifth place with 22 points, using her experience and reliable triple Axel to return to the Final conversation. Kaori Sakamoto completed the roster on 20 points after two podium-level performances.
The standings gave the ladies’ event a particularly clear narrative. Kostornaia’s unbeaten record made her the points leader, but the qualification totals did not settle the Final itself. A clean free skate, the quality of the short program, and the ability to manage pressure in Turin would still determine the champion.
Pairs and ice dance rewarded reliable partnerships
The pairs roster was headed by Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, who won both of their Grand Prix assignments for 30 points. Their speed across the ice, complex lifts, and established competitive partnership made them the leading qualifiers. They were followed by Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, whose two second-place finishes brought 28 points.
Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii qualified with 26 points after a strong season that continued their rise among Russia’s leading teams. Peng Cheng and Yang Jin, Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise, and Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro filled the remaining places. The final lineup included different styles, from dynamic Russian elements to the flowing presentation of the Canadian and Italian teams.
In ice dance, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron led the standings with 30 points after two wins. Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov followed with 28, while Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue collected 26. These three teams had already established themselves as the central contenders for the title.
Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier completed the six-team field. Their qualification reflected the importance of rhythm-dance precision and free-dance consistency. In a discipline where small deductions can change the order, two strong Grand Prix results were the foundation of every successful campaign.
What the standings meant in Turin
| Discipline | Leading qualifier | Points | Other qualified skaters or teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Nathan Chen | 30 | Yuzuru Hanyu, Kevin Aymoz, Dmitri Aliev, Alexander Samarin, Boyang Jin |
| Ladies | Alena Kostornaia | 30 | Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova, Rika Kihira, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Kaori Sakamoto |
| Pairs | Wenjing Sui / Cong Han | 30 | Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov, Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitrii Kozlovskii, Peng Cheng / Yang Jin, Nicole Della Monica / Matteo Guarise, Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro |
| Ice dance | Gabriella Papadakis / Guillaume Cizeron | 30 | Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov, Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue, Kaitlin Hawayek / Jean-Luc Baker, Madison Chock / Evan Bates, Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier |
The points totals reveal an important feature of the Grand Prix system: they determine access, but they do not determine the Final podium. The leading qualifier starts with momentum and confidence, yet every athlete arrives in Turin with the scores reset for the decisive event.
They also show how broad the Torino roster was. Japan, Russia, the United States, France, Canada, China, Italy, and other skating nations were represented across the disciplines. The qualification standings turned separate autumn competitions into one international field, giving fans a way to compare skaters who had not necessarily faced one another during the regular season.
The Senior qualifiers were joined by Junior competitors who had earned their places through the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. The Junior Final followed the same broad principle: strong results at two events created the points total needed for qualification. That made the Torino weekend a snapshot of both current excellence and future potential.
The roster also reflected a changing generation
The 2019 Final was especially significant because several younger skaters were moving from promise to major championship contention. In the ladies’ event, Kostornaia, Shcherbakova, and Trusova represented a new technical era, with ambitious jump content and highly competitive scoring potential. Their presence changed expectations for what a leading ladies’ program could contain.
Aymoz and the Russian pairs team of Boikova and Kozlovskii carried a similar sense of arrival in their disciplines. Their Grand Prix results were strong enough to displace more established names from the six-place field. Qualification was therefore evidence of competitive progress, not simply participation in a prestigious event.
At the same time, the roster retained the authority of proven champions. Chen, Hanyu, Sui and Han, Papadakis and Cizeron, and Hubbell and Donohue had already demonstrated that they could win major events. Their inclusion gave the Final a clear competitive foundation while the newer qualifiers supplied uncertainty and energy.
That balance is one reason the standings were so useful to fans. They identified the athletes who had earned the right to compete, while leaving enough unresolved questions for the Final itself. The journey to Torino selected the field; the performances at Palavela would decide who could take control of it.
How to follow the qualification story at Palavela
The roster is easiest to understand when the season’s rankings are viewed alongside the event schedule and discipline format. Fans can follow how each skater’s strengths appear in the short program or rhythm dance before the free skate determines the final order.
Useful details to check before the competition include:
- Review the Grand Prix results that produced each skater’s qualifying total.
- Compare the technical content and program style of the leading contenders.
- Check the Palavela schedule for practice sessions, competition times, and the exhibition gala.
- Use the official results and competitor information to follow scores across all four disciplines.
- Explore seating and ticket details to understand how the arena experience is organized.
The Torino event website brings these elements together through schedules, results, venue information, practice-session details, ticketing guidance, volunteer opportunities, and background on the competitors. That material adds context to the standings, showing how a points total becomes a live event with practices, packed sessions, and a gala performance after the medals are decided.
The qualifying standings put the skaters on the Torino roster because they proved themselves across the Grand Prix season, but the Final gave them a new test. Follow the results, explore the Palavela experience, and watch the athletes who turned autumn consistency into a place among the world’s elite.