TOKYO — Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the two-time reigning world champions from the United States, showcased an impressive free dance performance on Saturday, securing their victory in the ice dance competition at the NHK Trophy. After leading the rhythm dance on Friday, the talented duo executed level four spins and lifts, amassing a remarkable score of 129.63 points for a total of 215.95.
U.S. skaters Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko claimed the second position with a score of 198.97, while Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius came in third with 195.52 points. By winning their first NHK Trophy title, Chock and Bates also earned a place in the Grand Prix Final set to take place from December 5 to 8 in Grenoble, France.
Following their second-place finish at Skate America, Chock and Bates opted to revamp their program, which proved to be a successful strategy. Their performance featured a captivating routine set to “Round Midnight” and “Take Five.” It began with a level four rotational lift and concluded with a fluid curve lift, coupled with a challenging stationary lift.
“We were really pleased with the performance today,” Bates commented, reflecting on their execution. “It felt really smooth, and we really tried to get into the mood of the very sultry jazz-forward program.”
In the ranks of other competitors, Caroline Green and Michael Parsons from the U.S. placed fourth with a total of 188.76 points.
In the pairs category, the duo of Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava from Georgia rose to the top of the free skate standings, surpassing the Japanese pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara with a final score of 213.05 points. Miura and Kihara, who had initially led after the short program, settled for the second spot with 209.45 points. The U.S. pair of Ellie Kim and Danny O’Shea secured third with 197.44 points.
As part of the ISU’s Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, the NHK Trophy stands as the fourth event of the season. The men’s and women’s free skates were set to take place later in the day.