It may seem like an exaggeration, but it really is a testament to the depth of this pairs field. And after last week’s Skate America pairs craziness, we know that lots can happen at Finlandia Trophy as we finish up the Grand Prix series before setting our sights on the Final. Minerva Fabienne Hase/Nikita Volodin enter this week looking for an improvement from Skate Canada, and they are the favorites here for the title.
2025 Finlandia Trophy predictions
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GOLD Minerva Fabienne Hase/Nikita Volodin GER - Known to be one of the more consistent pairs out there, Hase/Volodin made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes in their free skate at Skate Canada that broke their undefeated streak on the Grand Prix. If they are on this week, there’s no other pair here who can catch them—this is a rehearsal for the Grand Prix Final.
SILVER Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi JPN - NHK Trophy was a revelation for a pair that has shown so much promise but less consistency over the past couple of seasons. They hit 200 for the first time in their career and showed that their potential was translating into real performance. They will need to win the event to get into the Grand Prix Final, but a podium finish here will be big for a team who has not finished higher than sixth on the Grand Prix until this season.
BRONZE Ellie Kam/Danny O’Shea USA - The difference in three weeks between their first and second competitions of the season was night and day. And their bronze at Skate Canada was a return to form for a pair that has a number of injuries to deal with over the past nine months. Their side-by-sides were more what we expect from them, and their throws had some traction in Canada. They will be looking for silver here to return to the Grand Prix Final.
4. Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov USA - So much of their fate is tied to whether their side-by-side jumps are working that particular competition, it really can mean the difference between podium or not here. They were fifth at NHK Trophy, where the field was also very deep. They will have a chance to vie for a podium spot again this week.
5. Jiaxuan Zhang/Yihang Huang CHN - Their scores have gone nowhere but up this season so far, and you wonder where their ceiling is this year in their first season on the senior circuit. Their skating has generally been consistent, and they will need all of that this week among this field.
6. Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud CAN - They put down the short program of their career at Skate Canada three weeks ago, and you can see the improvements and great potential in both of their programs this season. The free skate has been more of a gauntlet for them, but if they can put down clean skates here, they’ve got a shot at the podium.
7. Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini ITA - It’s been a solid season for the nine-time Italian medalists—they’ve been together for a long time and they are looking strong in their quest for a second Olympic berth. A big score here will help them solidify their spot even more.
8. Ioulia Chtchetinina/Michal Wozniak POL - 14th at Worlds last season, Chtchetinina/Wozniak just haven’t gelled this season in the same way as they did last year. They were eighth at Skate Canada and are hoping to make some improvements this week.