A Grand Prix title as a birthday gift?
Loena Hendrickx has herself to thank for that.
The reigning world silver medallist turned 23 on Saturday (5 November) and skated to her first-ever Grand Prix title, capturing the women's event at Grand Prix de France in Angers, France.
Hendrickx, who became the first Belgian woman to make a Grand Prix podium a year ago, now becomes the first to clinch a title. She did so with a skate that put the icing on her cake: A 143.59 score buoyed by six triple jumps and an overall score of 216.34, giving her a victory by over 20 points.
The crowd burst out into a rendition of "Joyeux Anniversaire!" after Hendrickx received her scores.
It was a bumpy afternoon of figure skating leading into Hendrickx, with the Republic of Korea's Kim Yelim, who was ninth at Beijing 2022, struggling in her free skate but finishing strong to score a 194.76 total and capture her best Grand Prix finish, too - a second place.
Sumiyoshi Rion of Japan is on a Grand Prix podium in her debut on this stage, leaping from fifth to finish in third place with a score of 194.34. Sumiyoshi attempted a quadruple toe-loop to open her free skate, falling on the jump.
Kim's teammate Lee Haein came from sixth to finish in fourth (193.49), while American Audrey Shin rounded out the top five (183.93).
Japan's Kawabe Mana had a hard day at the office, dropping from third to sixth (182.50).
Two-time Olympian Mae Berenice Meite made a successful return to the ice in front of her home fans in France, as well, having had her 2021-22 season greatly reduced after she picked up a foot injury at the 2021 World Championships.
She finished in eighth place overall behind two inspired skates, scoring a 175.68.
In ice dance, Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri won their first-ever Grand Prix title, as well, in what was their 17th career appearance, dating back to 2012. They won with a 207.95 overall.
Hendrickx snaps Japanese streak on Grand Prix
For the first time this season we have a women's champ who is not from Japan.
Japan has had a strong start to the women's event at the first two Grand Prix stops of the season, with reigning world champion Sakamoto Kaori winning Skate America and Watanabe Rinka surprising for the title at Skate Canada last week.
Hendrickx said she had made last-minute changes to her "Poeta" and "Fallen Angel" free skate, adding extra challenges to be ready for her first Grand Prix of the season.
She found new music in just the last few weeks after her performance at Japan Open in early October.
"It feels amazing," said Hendrickx, who is coached by her brother Jorik, a fellow Olympic figure skater. "I was a bit nervous because this program was new and we made changes last-minute. Mentally it was hard. I wanted to skate good. I'm glad I could show my best on my birthday - I'm happy."
Kim voiced disappointment in her free skate, in which she had falls on both her opening triple Lutz and a triple Salchow. She said she'll eye stronger skating at her next Grand Prix, NHK Trophy.
Sumiyoshi said she only began attempting her quad toe a few months ago.
"I just started practicing this last summer," she said via an interpreter. "Come this year I was able to really elevate [the jump]. The success rate is about 80 percent including stepping out and not clean, but [I'm landing] about half right now."
Aside from Hendrickx, Meite's skate won over the audience, hitting six triples herself and covering her face in disbelief when her scores flashed up. The 28-year-old skated her first Grand Prix de France in 2010.
Fittingly, it was Meite who delivered a birthday cake to Hendrickx after the Belgian had won the title, prompting the birthday serenade from the French crowd.
Ice dance: Guignard/ Fabbri get GP gold - finally
A 17th Grand Prix appearance and six previous podium finishes, but gold finally belongs to the Italians Guignard and Fabbri, who said this season they're looking to show a difference side to their skating post-Olympics.
"It's a really emotional moment because it's our first victory at a Grand Prix," said Fabbri. "Charlene is French, so it's particularly special for her."
"We wanted to show something that we've never done before," he said of their free dance, featuring the music of "My Love Will Never Die", "Mephistos Lullaby" and "Eden".
"We wanted it to be different than what we've experienced before."
The duo topped the scorecard in both the technical elements and program components in their free, for which they scored a 124.43 overall - just off a career best.
Canada's Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen won the silver medal, which Sorensen called "the icing on top of the cake." They registered a 201.93.
"This is one step closer to our goal of going to the Grand Prix final," Fournier-Beaudry said.
France's Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud won the bronze with a 187.15.