Grand Prix Final 2016 - A Variety of Blues (Ice Dance SP)

Different is always exciting, and I can definitely appreciate how unique each and one of the couples competing in Marseilles are. So although I can't say if the winners of this competition come from Canada, France or the US, I can at least be sure all routines will leave their mark on the viewers.

Madison Chock/Evan Bates are grungy, but have it rough not just metaphorically. She falls during a transition, which must be why she messes up the twizzles. Their score: 70.87.

Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir go with a pop classic and a ballad from Prince. Every element of their routine flows into the next naturally. I've said it tens of times before, and I'm happy I get to say it again: their chemistry is the best in ice-dance. They get 80.50 points.

It's seduction and a swing party for Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron. I actually like the first part more than the routine of Tessa and Scott, but the swing comes out of nowhere and kind of ruins the mood. There are little wobbles throughout the routine as well. Their score: 77.86.

Olympic champions Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir are back, casually breaking World records
Photograph: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America
Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev do drama very well, in sync with Christina Aguilera's Mercy. That being said, the swing trumpets in (literally) and ruins the atmosphere once again. The twizzles are not as good as the others' either, I'm afraid. They get 74.04 points.

Classy Sinatra (with a twist) provides the music for Maia/Alex Shibutani. As strange as it is to go from Blues to Hip Hop, their musical transition is the smoothest of the night. The fact the second song is a remix of the first helps. Theirs are the best twizzles of the night in my opinion. Their score: 77.97.

Finally, Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue bring modern tunes to the ice rink with a mix of no fewer than four genres (might be more, that's how many I counted). I love the idea of the routine, which is a journey through the evolution of music. With songs like Ice Ice Baby, they're definitely the odd ones out in Marseilles, but that's not a bad thing. They get 72.47 points,

So, Virtue/Moir and the Shibutanis might be back on the podium together judging by their positions at the moment. The Canadians take first place effortlessly, while the Americans finish on a somewhat surprising second, ahead of the French World champions.

Want more from the Grand Prix Final 2016? Have a look here.

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