GP France Pairs: Is gold already decided?

[gsk8]

The pairs fields for Grand Prix de France are set!

Below are the current entries, ranked by their 2025–26 Season's Best total score (ISU international competitions only).

Based on what we saw last season, how do you see this event playing out?

• Are Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka Berulava the clear favorites for gold, or can anyone challenge them?
• Maria Pavlova / Alexei Sviatchenko are nearly 19 points behind Metelkina/Berulava on Season Best. Is that gap realistic, or do you think they'll be much closer by October?
• With Jiaxuan Zhang / Yihang Huang and Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel separated by just over two points, who do you see taking the final podium spot?
• Is there a team lower down the list that could surprise?
• Which team do you think is being underrated by the Season Best rankings?

Team	Country	SB
Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka Berulava	GEO	225.20
Maria Pavlova / Alexei Sviatchenko	HUN	215.26
Jiaxuan Zhang / Yihang Huang	CHN	196.29
Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel	GER	194.11 *
Camille Kovalev / Pavel Kovalev	FRA	178.43
Aurelie Faula / Theo Belle	FRA	175.14
Hannah Herrera / Ivan Khobta	UKR	160.15
Megan Wessenberg / Denys Strekalin	FRA	154.86

* Interesting Fact: Hocke/Kunkel earned the exact same total score (194.11) at both the Olympic Winter Games and the World Championships!

 

[4everchan]

Well. I will be focused on dance I guess Gold is already decided there too but it will be more interesting to watch

Joking aside, I prefer the Hungarians to the Georgians. It's not like they skate 10 points behind really. Judges may start favouring the Hungarians a bit more now that a few of the top teams have retired and the Hungarians are in the running for a podium at both GPF and worlds. Do I expect them to win this ? No... but if M/B make early season mistakes, it could happen.
I think the Germans will win bronze. The Chinese pair is good but Hocke and Kunkel are much more relatable at this point.
All the other teams won't be factors for podium. France hasn't had a competitive pairs team for a long time now and the way GPs are structured, this is bound to happen. It will be the same for Dance In NHK and China. The top teams will be miles ahead of the local teams.

 

[ladyjane]

It certainly looks as if the gold is allready set in stone. But...ice is slippery. The Hungarians at World's 2026 lost their consistency in the FS, the Georgians can make big mistakes in their lifts, Annika and Robert could have their best skate ever, way above the SB from last year (not expected that early in the season but you never know) and have won a GP before, maybe the Ukranians have evolved since last season (3rd at Jr Worlds), and last but not least, Camille and Pavel could have a sudden brilliant skate. Not expected, all of this and it probably won't be the way I'd rank them in the Skate picks....but then last season was my personal low in the Skate Picks when I did try to take the rankings into account.

 

[yfan1]

The Chinese pair is good but Hocke and Kunkel are much more relatable at this point.

We haven't even seen them in a while. Who knows how they are right now.

 

[DemTuppesSeine]

We haven't even seen them in a while. Who knows how they are right now.

We have last seen them in March, just like the Georgians, the Hungarians, the Germans, the Kovalevs...they were in Prague and finished 9th.

 

[yfan1]

I'd forgotten they were at worlds.

 

[Sackie]

Anything is possible. Remember, Lia and Trent beat the Georgians in the Free Skate at Worlds and almost beat them overall.

 

[4everchan]

Anything is possible. Remember, Lia and Trent beat the Georgians in the Free Skate at Worlds and almost beat them overall.

Yes but the issue in that event is the field only has one team that could really beat the Georgians, unless he really has many issues on his lifts or something like that. Even then, they may finish on the podium.

 

[FlossieH]

The Georgian pair are clear favourites. However, if they were to make mistakes, that could open the door for another pair. The Hungarian pair tend not to score well on PCS. The Chinese pair have come on a lot the past couple of seasons, but I doubt they will have caught up with a clean Metelkina/Berulava yet.

 

[skylark]

, and last but not least, Camille and Pavel could have a sudden brilliant skate.

I love all your examples/musings but this is my favorite. Camille and Pavel took a giant leap last year ... in my opinion, they majorly showed the influence of their new coach, Bruno Massot. There's always been something compelling for me with this pair, but now more than ever. I look forward to it.

Not expected, all of this and it probably won't be the way I'd rank them in the Skate picks....but then last season was my personal low in the Skate Picks when I did try to take the rankings into account.

 

[TontoK]

I really want to like the Georgians, but I don't.

I think it's because I can never relax when I watch them. I have this sense of doom that doesn't let me really enjoy them. But they do seem to have the jump and throw elements down pat, and that helps a bunch, even if the lifts are scary.

 

[noskates]

Looking at that list, I think the Kovalev's are totally outmatched. This should be an interesting competition.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Hungarians are due to get the PCS needed to challenge the Georgians who have been basically handed/politicked into high PCS. I think the Hungarians are more consistent and the Georgians are spotty so gold is def not granted. I think the Hungarians are also upping their technical game too?