ISU World Team Trophy 2023: Preview, full schedule, and how to watch live action of competition from Japan
Figure skating's season-ending event will be held 13-16 April in Tokyo. See the schedule and how you can watch the action live.
Figure Skating
Japan will look to end the 2022-23 figure skating season on a continued high with victory at the ISU World Team Trophy in Tokyo.
After sweeping the men's, women's, and pairs titles at the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama last month, Team Japan turns its sights to the 13-16 April 2023 edition of the biennial event at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, eyeing its first trophy in six years.
The Team Trophy will be contested by the top six-ranked countries in the world. Japan is No. 1 this season followed by the United States, Canada, Republic of Korea, Italy, and France. South Korea will be competing for the first time.
The hosts will be captained by Sakamoto Kaori, now the two-time defending women's world champion. She will not, however, be joined by her male counterpart, Uno Shoma, who on Monday (10 April) withdrew due to a right-ankle injury he suffered at the World Championships which has not healed.
Sato Shun has been named as Uno's replacement.
With Monday's developments, giving Japan a huge rock to rely on will be its first-ever pairs world champion, Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi. Rounding out the team will be women's Grand Prix Final winner Mihara Mai, Tomono Kazuki in the men's and ice dancers Muramoto Kana/Takahashi Daisuke, both who are coming off career-best performances in the free skate in Saitama.
As the rankings indicate, the U.S. is primed to pose the biggest threat to Japan.
Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates are hot coming off their first-ever world title, with pairs runners-up Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier plotting to restore order for Team USA in their discipline.
The couples will be joined by teenagers Ilia Malinin and Isabeau Levito, the former who won his first world bronze in Saitma behind his lethal quadruple Axel.
The complete list of team entries can be found here.
ISU World Team Trophy 2023: Schedule
The full competition and practise schedule can be found here. All times local (GMT+9):
Thursday, 13 April - ISU World Team Trophy 2023
- 14:55 - Opening ceremony
- 15:50 - Ice dance rhythm dance
- 17:15 - Women's short program
- 19:25 - Men's short program
Friday, 14 April - ISU World Team Trophy 2023
- 16:00 - Pairs short program
- 17:25 - Ice dance free dance
- 19:00 - Women's free skate
Saturday, 15 April - ISU World Team Trophy 2023
- 15:15 - Pairs free skate
- 16:50 - Men's free skate
Sunday, 16 April - ISU World Team Trophy 2023
- 14:00 - Gala exhibition
ISU World Team Trophy 2023: How to watch live action
The World Team Trophy is an official International Skating Union event.
Fans can tune in via a partner broadcaster or the ISU's YouTube channel. Details can be found here.