Promising 16-year-old American Isabeau Levito clinches victory in debut international figure skating competition
American teenager Isabeau Levito dazzles the ice, clinching her first senior international figure skating victory at the Grand Prix de France Her exceptional performance sets the stage for a potential US domination this weekend
American teenager Isabeau Levito emerged victorious in her debut senior major international figure skating competition, clinching the prestigious Grand Prix de France title on Saturday. This remarkable achievement positions Levito and her fellow US competitors for a potential clean sweep of victories this weekend. Despite finishing third in the Free Skate, Levito's impressive overall score of 203.22 secured her the top spot and earned her qualification for the Grand Prix Final in December.
Belgium's Nina Pinzarrone secured second place with 198.80 points, followed by Rion Sumiyoshi of Japan in third place with 197.79 points. "I am extremely proud of my progress compared to last season. Winning one of my Grands Prix was a personal goal of mine to solidify my spot in the Final. I am thrilled to have made improvements in this regard," expressed Levito, as quoted on Olympics.com.
Levito held a five-point advantage after the Short Program on Friday. This lead turned out to be crucial as she faced difficulties with her Free Skate in Angers, France, resulting in a score of only 131.39. Fortunately for Levito, the top three competitors from the Short Program failed to impress on Saturday. NBC reports that she is the first American woman to achieve a Grand Prix victory since Ashley Wagner's win at Skate America in 2016.
The Grand Prix de France is the third event out of the six Grands Prix held during the season. On Saturday, Ilia Malinin, a fellow American teenager, will be participating in the men's Free Skate. Currently, the 18-year-old holds the top position after the Short Program.
