The 2012–13 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating was a series of senior international figure skating competitions in the 2012–13 season. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earned points based on their placement at each event and the top six in each discipline qualified to compete at the Grand Prix Final, held in Sochi, Russia.
Organized by the International Skating Union, the Grand Prix series ran from October 13 – December 9, 2012. Skaters competed for medals, prize money, and a chance to compete in the Grand Prix Final. The series set the stage for the 2013 European, Four Continents, and World Championships, as well as each country's national championships.
The corresponding series for junior-level skaters was the 2012–13 ISU Junior Grand Prix.
Schedule The ISU announced the following schedule of events taking place in autumn 2012:
Date Event Location October 19–21 2012 Skate America Kent, Washington, United States October 26–28 2012 Skate Canada International Windsor, Ontario, Canada November 2–4 2012 Cup of China Shanghai, China November 9–11 2012 Rostelecom Cup Moscow, Russia November 16–18 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard Paris, France November 23–25 2012 NHK Trophy Miyagi, Japan December 6–9 2012–13 Grand Prix Final Sochi, Russia
Rule changes Between seasons, the ISU eliminated the option for seeded skaters to compete at a third GP event and the option for pairs to compete in both the senior Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix in the same season.
General requirements Skaters who reached the age of 14 by July 1, 2012 were eligible to compete on the senior Grand Prix circuit.
Prior to competing in a Grand Prix event, skaters were required to have earned the following scores:
Discipline Minimum Men 159.66 Ladies 113.43 Pairs 120.90 Ice dance 109.59 Minimums not required for host country skaters. Skaters who need the minimum score may compete at: U.S. International F.S. Classic 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy 2012 Ondrej Nepela Memorial 2012 Finlandia Trophy (no pairs event) 2012 Cup of Nice
Assignments The International Skating Union released the initial list of Grand Prix assignments on May 21, 2012: Due to the 2012 China anti-Japanese demonstrations, the Japan Skating Federation said it might withdraw its competitors from the Cup of China if the organizers did not provide security guarantees. The event was held without incident.
Men Skater Assignment(s) Jeremy Abbott Skate America, Trophée Éric Bompard Florent Amodio Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Michal Březina Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Zhan Bush Rostelecom Cup Patrick Chan Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Artur Dmitriev, Jr. Cup of China Richard Dornbush Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Javier Fernández Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy Liam Firus Skate Canada International Artur Gachinski Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Jinlin Guan Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Yuzuru Hanyu Skate America, NHK Trophy Jorik Hendrickx Trophée Éric Bompard Brian Joubert Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Takahiko Kozuka Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Tatsuki Machida Skate America, Cup of China Armin Mahbanoozadeh Skate America Alexander Majorov Skate America Konstantin Menshov Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Ross Miner Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy Takahito Mura Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Daisuke Murakami NHK Trophy Nobunari Oda Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Douglas Razzano Skate America Kevin Reynolds Cup of China, NHK Trophy Adam Rippon Cup of China, NHK Trophy Andrei Rogozine NHK Trophy Song Nan Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Daisuke Takahashi Cup of China, NHK Trophy Denis Ten Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Tomáš Verner Skate America, Trophée Éric Bompard Sergei Voronov Cup of China, NHK Trophy Johnny Weir Rostelecom Cup, Trophée Éric Bompard
Ladies Skater Assignment(s) Mao Asada Cup of China, NHK Trophy Sofia Biryukova Cup of China, NHK Trophy Alissa Czisny NHK Trophy Rachael Flatt Skate America Christina Gao Skate America, Trophée Éric Bompard Elene Gedevanishvili Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy Bingwa Geng Cup of China Gracie Gold Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Sarah Hecken Skate America Joshi Helgesson Cup of China Viktoria Helgesson Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Haruka Imai Skate America, NHK Trophy Polina Korobeynikova Rostelecom Cup, Trophée Éric Bompard Kiira Korpi Cup of China, Rostelecom Cup Amelie Lacoste Skate Canada International Alena Leonova Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Zijun Li NHK Trophy Yulia Lipnitskaya Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Ksenia Makarova Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy Valentina Marchei Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Lena Marrocco Trophée Éric Bompard Maé Bérénice Méité Skate America Kanako Murakami Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Mirai Nagasu Cup of China, NHK Trophy Kaetlyn Osmond Skate Canada International Polina Shelepen NHK Trophy, Skate Canada International Adelina Sotnikova Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Akiko Suzuki Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Ashley Wagner Skate America, Trophée Éric Bompard Agnes Zawadzki Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Caroline Zhang Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Kexin Zhang Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard
Pairs Skater Assignment(s) Vera Bazarova / Yuri Larionov Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Stefania Berton / Ondřej Hotárek Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Marissa Castelli / Simon Shnapir NHK Trophy Lindsay Davis / Mark Ladwig NHK Trophy Caydee Denney / John Coughlin Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Gretchen Donlan / Andrew Speroff Skate America Jessica Dube / Sebastien Wolfe Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Maylin Hausch / Daniel Wende Rostelecom Cup Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres Skate America Yuko Kawaguchi / Alexander Smirnov Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Stacey Kemp / David King Skate America Paige Lawrence / Rudi Swiegers Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Anastasia Martiusheva / Alexei Rogonov Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Kirsten Moore-Towers / Dylan Moscovitch Cup of China, NHK Trophy Qing Pang / Jian Tong Skate America, Cup of China Peng Cheng / Hao Zhang Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Daria Popova / Bruno Massot Trophée Éric Bompard Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave NHK Trophy Tiffany Vise / Don Baldwin Skate Canada International Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Caitlin Yankowskas / Joshua Reagan NHK Trophy
Ice dancing Skater Assignment(s) Lorenza Alessandrini / Simone Vaturi Skate America Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev Skate America, Cup of China Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Pernelle Carron / Lloyd Jones Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Madison Chock / Evan Bates Cup of China Penny Coomes / Nicholas Buckland Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Meryl Davis / Charlie White Skate America, NHK Trophy Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Charlene Guignard / Marco Fabbri Cup of China Xintong Huang / Xun Zheng Cup of China, NHK Trophy Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Elena Ilinykh / Nikita Katsalapov Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Lynn Kriengkrairut / Logan Giulietti-Schmitt Skate America Ksenia Monko / Kirill Khaliavin Rostelecom Cup Nicole Orford / Thomas Williams Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Nathalie Péchalat / Fabian Bourzat Cup of China, Trophée Éric Bompard Kharis Ralph / Asher Hill Skate Canada International Cathy Reed / Chris Reed NHK Trophy Ekaterina Riazanova / Ilia Tkachenko Skate Canada International, Trophée Éric Bompard Maia Shibutani / Alex Shibutani Rostelecom Cup, NHK Trophy Victoria Sinitsina / Ruslan Zhiganshin Cup of China, Rostelecom Cup Isabella Tobias / Deividas Stagniunas Skate America Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje Skate America, Cup of China Xiaoyang Yu / Chen Wang NHK Trophy Nelli Zhiganshina / Alexander Gazsi Skate America, Rostelecom Cup Julia Zlobina / Alexei Sitnikov Skate Canada International
Changes to preliminary assignments Changes to the initial assignments:
Skate America Evan Lysacek withdrew due to injury; Armin Mahbanoozadeh replaced him.
Skate Canada International Mary Beth Marley / Rockne Brubaker withdrew due to split. Katarina Gerboldt / Alexander Enbert withdrew due to Gerboldt's injury.
Cup of China Samuel Contesti withdrew due to retirement, replaced by Sergei Voronov. Carolina Kostner withdrew due to insufficient fitness. Miki Ando withdrew because she was unable to find a permanent coach. Wenjing Sui / Cong Han withdrew due to Sui's injury. Narumi Takahashi / Mervin Tran withdrew because she required surgery on a repeatedly dislocating left shoulder. Caitlin Yankowskas / Joshua Reagan withdrew due to Reagan's rib injury.
Rostelecom Cup Alexandra Nazarova / Maxim Nikitin withdrew and were replaced by Nicole Orford / Thomas Williams Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave withdrew after she broke his cheekbone during a twist lift. Johnny Weir withdrew in competition due to right hip injury
Trophée Éric Bompard Samuel Contesti withdrew due to retirement, replaced by Jinlin Guan. Carolina Kostner withdrew due to insufficient fitness. Miki Ando withdrew because she was unable to find a permanent coach. Johnny Weir withdrew due to right hip injury Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy withdrew due to Savchenko's severe sinus infection.
NHK Trophy Mary Beth Marley / Rockne Brubaker withdrew due to split. Wenjing Sui / Cong Han withdrew due to Sui's injury. Narumi Takahashi / Mervin Tran withdrew because she required surgery on a repeatedly dislocating left shoulder. Caitlin Yankowskas / Joshua Reagan withdrew due to Reagan's rib injury. Replaced by Alexa Scimeca / Chris Knierim. Anastasia Martiusheva / Alexei Rogonov and Nicole Della Monica / Matteo Guarise replaced withdrawals in the pairs event. Polina Shelepen withdrew due to worsening of a long-standing ankle injury. Alissa Czisny withdrew in order to continue her recovery from surgery and was replaced by Mirai Nagasu. Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave withdrew due to Van Cleave's broken cheekbone.
Medal summary Event Discipline Gold Silver Bronze Skate America Men Takahiko Kozuka Yuzuru Hanyu Tatsuki Machida Ladies Ashley Wagner Christina Gao Adelina Sotnikova Pairs Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov Pang Qing / Tong Jian Caydee Denney / John Coughlin Ice dancing Meryl Davis / Charlie White Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje
Event Discipline Gold Silver Bronze Skate Canada Men Javier Fernández Patrick Chan Nobunari Oda Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond Akiko Suzuki Kanako Murakami Pairs Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford Stefania Berton / Ondřej Hotárek Ice dancing Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir Anna Cappelini / Luca Lanotte Ekaterina Riazanova / Ilia Tkachenko
Event Discipline Gold Silver Bronze Cup of China Men Tatsuki Machida Daisuke Takahashi Sergei Voronov Ladies Mao Asada Yulia Lipnitskaya Kiira Korpi Pairs Pang Qing / Tong Jian Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov Ice dancing Nathalie Péchalat / Fabian Bourzat Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje