Madison Chock and Evan Bates can start building a new streak — and extend other record ice dance streaks — at NHK Trophy in Japan, live on Peacock starting Thursday night.
Chock and Bates, the two-time reigning world champions, are coming off a runner-up finish at Skate America last month.
It snapped an eight-event win streak dating to the start of 2023. But it also marked their 19th consecutive Grand Prix Series regular season podium (dating to 2013) and 17th consecutive top-two finish in a Grand Prix regular season event (dating to 2014).
At NHK this week, Chock and Bates can make a 25th career Grand Prix podium (including Grand Prix Finals) to extend their record for ice dancers. If they do that, Chock and Bates will likely also qualify for the Grand Prix Final for a ninth time, also extending their ice dance record.
The Grand Prix Series is figure skating’s regular season circuit with one competition per week for six consecutive weeks each fall. The world’s top skaters compete in two events each.
The top six per discipline over the series qualify for December’s Grand Prix Final, where all of the world’s best skaters gather for the first time each season. The Grand Prix Final is often a preview of the following March’s world championships.
Chock and Bates are clear favorites at NHK given the world’s other top couples are competing the following two weeks for their second Grand Prix starts. Such as Brits Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, who won Skate America after Chock and Bates counted a fall in their rhythm dance.
Still, Chock and Bates’ scores this week will be worth noting. All of the top couples have now competed at least once this season with the following top point totals:
Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) -- 215.63 (Lombardia Trophy)
Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) -- 214.84 (Skate Canada)
Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson -- 210.65 (Nepela Memorial)
Madison Chock/Evan Bates -- 205.63 (Skate America)
The NHK field also includes three-time reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan. Sakamoto won her Grand Prix season debut at Skate Canada, though her point total would have placed fourth at Grand Prix France last week.
Alysa Liu and Bradie Tennell, each a two-time U.S. champion, are also in the women’s field.
Olympic and world silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan headlines the men’s event in his Grand Prix season debut. Kagiyama was the only man within 49 points of American Ilia Malinin at last season’s worlds, though still a distant 24.11 behind.
This season, Kagiyama ranks second in the world by best score (291.54 at Lombardia) behind Malinin (312.55, also at Lombardia). Malinin won the first two Grand Prix events last month to clinch his spot in the Final.
Two-time U.S. Olympian Jason Brown is also entered in NHK after placing eighth at Skate Canada in his first Grand Prix in three years.
The pairs’ event features the top two teams from Skate America.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the 2023 World champions from Japan, have won four consecutive Grand Prix starts, though they missed the 2023 Grand Prix due to injury.
U.S. champions Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, after a runner-up at Skate America, will likely make the Grand Prix Final with a podium at NHK. They can become the fourth U.S. pair to make the Final in the last 15 editions.
2024 NHK Trophy Broadcast Schedule
| Day | Event | Time (ET) | Platform |
| Thursday | Rhythm Dance | 10:35 p.m. | Peacock |
| Friday | Pairs’ Short Program | 12:35 a.m. | Peacock |
| Men’s Short Program | 2:10 a.m. | Peacock | |
| Women’s Short Program | 5 a.m. | Peacock | |
| Free Dance | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Saturday | Pairs’ Free Skate | 12 a.m. | Peacock |
| Men’s Free Skate | 2:35 a.m. | Peacock | |
| Women’s Free Skate | 5:30 a.m. | Peacock | |
| Exhibition Gala | 11:05 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Sunday | Highlights | 12 p.m. | NBC |
