The Grand Prix of Finland is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organised and hosted by the Finnish Figure Skating Association. The first competition was held in 2018 in Helsinki as a replacement for the Cup of China, which had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2022 as a replacement for the Rostelecom Cup after Russia was banned from international figure skating competitions. The Grand Prix of Finland has been held under several names: the Grand Prix of Helsinki, the Grand Prix of Espoo, and the Finlandia Trophy.
Beginning with the 1995–96 season, the International Skating Union (ISU) launched the Champions Series – later renamed the Grand Prix Series – which, at its inception, consisted of five qualifying competitions and the Champions Series Final. This allowed skaters to perfect their programs earlier in the season, as well as compete against the skaters with whom they would later compete at the World Championships.[2] This series also provided the viewing public with additional televised skating, which was in high demand.[2] Skaters earned points based on their results in their respective competitions and the top skaters or teams in each discipline were invited to compete at the 1995–96 Champions Series Final in Paris.[3]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in international figure skating competitions.[7][8] The ISU also ordered that no international competitions would be held in Russia or Belarus. Therefore, the Rostelecom Cup, which was scheduled for that November, was cancelled.[9] As such, the Grand Prix of Finland – now called the Grand Prix of Espoo – was staged to serve as a replacement.[10]
Finland
Yuzuru Hanyu
Michal Březina
Cha Jun-hwan
Ilia Malinin
Kévin Aymoz
Daniel Grassl
Alina Zagitova
Loena Hendrickx
United States
Germany
Canada
Hungary
Georgia
Great Britain
