Gabriela Juarez-Rivas reached the podium in her second ISU Grand Prix assignment in Helsinki, although the performance wasn’t quite at the level she delivered earlier this year.
Gabriela Juarez-Rivas, the Team USA champion, earned 143.39 points in the free skate, putting her six points ahead of the next competitor and bringing her total score to 213.29. Afterward, she reflected on the two days of competition. “My short program yesterday definitely wasn’t what I wanted. Today felt stronger, but I still see places where I could have been better.”
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She admitted the short program weighed on her mind. “I couldn’t stop replaying it all night,” she said. “But when I woke up, I told myself that I needed to skate well today for everyone who came to watch.”
In the free skate, the U.S. star delivered a steady performance. She received an under-rotation call on her triple Lutz–triple loop combination, but completed the rest of her planned elements cleanly. Her total score in Helsinki was more than 20 points below the 238.43 she earned at the Nebelhorn Trophy in September.
Juarez-Rivas emphasized that she tries not to focus on rankings. “I’m not paying attention to numbers on the scoreboard,” she said. “What matters most is that my coaches, the audience, and I feel proud of what I put out there.” Judging from the enthusiastic crowd reaction and gifts thrown onto the ice, the Helsinki fans were clearly thrilled with her skate.
Aside from Juarez-Rivas earning her third Grand Prix podium, Mone Chiba claimed gold at Finlandia Trophy 2025 with 217.22 points after climbing from second place with a stirring “Romeo and Juliet” free skate. Amber Glenn, who led after the short program, finished second with 213.41 points following a free skate where she doubled a planned triple Lutz and missed a combination.
In the men’s field, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama won with 270.45 points, rebounding from a fall in the short program to deliver a strong free skate. Adam Siao Him Fa of France took silver with 256.98, and Canada’s Stephen Gogolev earned his first Grand Prix podium with bronze.
In ice dance, France’s new pairing Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Guillaume Cizeron topped the standings with 204.18. Canada’s Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier followed with 202.11, and Emilea Zingas / Vadym Kolesnik of the U.S. captured bronze with 196.02.
This season’s updated rules have shifted how skaters approach their programs. High-quality jumps now boost scores more dramatically, while errors carry steeper deductions. Because of this, athletes have adjusted their training plans—something Juarez-Rivas and her team have worked on extensively.
Juarez-Rivas’ next competition will be the Grand Prix Final in Vancouver, where she will be joined by U.S. teammates Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, and Ilia Malinin. After the Final, the skaters will turn their focus to the U.S. Championships in January, with Olympic selections to follow later in the month.
