The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating has shifted to Paris, France which is hosting the Trophée Lalique starting today until Sunday, November 18. With three events left in the series, this week's competition will see a number of athletes making their second appearance on the circuit. Full results are also directly available on the ISU Internet site on ww2.isu.org .

Competition in the Ice Dance event will be tough, as three of the top five couples in the world will be present in Paris. Entering their first Grand Prix event are World silver medallists Marina Anissina/ Gwendal Peizerat of France, who will unveil their new programs for the Olympic season. The main challenge will come from Shae-Lynn Bourne/Victor Kraatz of Canada, who already have two victories from Skate America and Skate Canada under their belt, and from Lithuania's Margarita Drobiazko/Povilas Vanagas, fifth at Worlds. Also competing in Paris are Skate Canada's bronze medallists Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA) and Bulgaria's Albena Denkova/Maxim Staviski.

In the Pairs event, reigning World silver medallists Elena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikharulidze (RUS) make their delayed debut in this year's Grand Prix series. The couple from St. Petersburg had been forced to withdraw from the Sparkassen Cup on Ice last week due to an injury sustained in practice by Sikharulidze. Now the Russians will compete at the Trophée Lalique and will try to fend off Kyoko Ina/John Zimmerman (USA), who took the silver at Skate America and at Sparkassen Cup, from the top step of the podium. The Sparkassen Cup was a non-scoring event for the US Champions and they need to pick up points in Paris. This applies also to Tatiana Totmianina/Maxim Marinin of Russia. They claimed the bronze at Skate America and the silver at Skate Canada, which was their additional event. Also aiming for a spot on the podium are 2000 European silver medallists Dorota Zagorska/Mariusz Siudek of Poland and current European bronze medallists Sarah Abitbol/Stephane Bernadis (FRA).

Fresh from her victory at the Sparkassen Cup, 1999 World Champion Maria Butyrskaya (RUS) enters her second point-scoring event in this year's circuit. She faces a tough challenge from the winner of Skate Canada, Sarah Hughes (USA). Also hoping to clinch a medal in Paris are Skate America's bronze medallist Viktoria Volchkova of Russia, Sasha Cohen (USA) and French Champion Vanessa Gusmeroli.

Three-time World Champion Alexei Yagudin (RUS) enters his second Grand Prix event of this season and hopes to repeat his victory of Skate Canada. He is joined by Skate Canada's bronze medallist, Todd Eldredge (USA), who is hoping to pick up more points in Paris to assure his spot in the list of qualifiers for the Final. A podium finish is also the goal of China's Yunfei Li, who was sixth at Worlds. Li has entered the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series this year for the first time. Entering into the mix of contenders are Canada's Emanuel Sandhu (fifth at Skate Canada) and World Junior bronze medallist Vincent Restencourt (FRA).

The schedule for the Trophee Lalique is as follows:

15 November:		Compulsory Dance 
16 November: 		Men Short Program, Ladies and Pairs Short Program, Original Dance
17 November:		Ladies, Men, Pairs Free Program and Free Dance

For further information please contact:

Aline Bussat Ingwersen, 
ISU Media Coordinator
Tel: +41 21 612 66 66   
Fax: +41 21 612 66 77
E-mail: bussat@isu.org	

or

Trophee Lalique
Sylvie Fourcade, 
Press Officer 
+33 1 44 68 44 35 (press room)
E-mail: presse@bercy.fr 

ISU Front Page