BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese figure skating pair Sui Wenjing and Han Cong will battle for a place at the 2019-20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final at the NHK Trophy in Sapporo, Japan this weekend.
Sui/Han, two-time world champions and winners of the Cup of China earlier this month, are hot favorites to win the NHK Trophy - the sixth and final event of the ISU Grand Prix series - and qualify for the final in Turin.
ISU World Junior Figure Skating Champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov of Russia come with a gold medal from Internationaux de France and are aiming for a place on the podium and qualification for their first senior-level final.
Other notable contenders include Canada's Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro, the American pair Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim, their compatriots Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea, and Italy's Nicole della Monica and Matteo Guarise.
In the men's competition, two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu comes with a gold medal from Skate Canada and will be competing on home ice. Skate America silver medalist Jason Brown of the United States is also considered a favorite to reach the Final.
The ladies' event will see a battle between Olympic champion Alina Zagitova of Russia and Japan's Rika Kihira.
Olympic silver medalists Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France lead the ice dance competition and are looking for another gold medal after winning the Internationaux de France on home ice.
China's Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu will also take part in the NHK Trophy, which runs from November 22 to 24.
