World silver medalist Isabeau Levito has withdrawn from next week’s Grand Prix figure skating event in Finland, according to a U.S. Figure Skating update Monday.
Levito, a 17-year-old from New Jersey, finished third in her Grand Prix season debut at Skate America three weeks ago.
The world’s top figure skaters compete twice over the six-week, six-event Grand Prix regular season. Levito was scheduled to compete in her second Grand Prix in Finland, where a podium finish could have qualified her for December’s Grand Prix Final.
The Final, which takes the top six per discipline over the Grand Prix regular season, is the first event of the season where all of the world’s top-ranked skaters gather.
Skaters must compete twice on the Grand Prix Series to be eligible for the Final. Levito placed second and fifth at the Final the last two seasons, her first two seasons on the senior international level.
After the Grand Prix Series, the next top-level event is the U.S. Championships the final weekend of January. The three-woman U.S. team for March’s world championships is announced after nationals, though skaters can make the team without competing at nationals.
Levito placed third, first and third at nationals the last three seasons. She was also the top U.S. woman at worlds the last two seasons with silver this past March and a fourth-place finish in her senior worlds debut in 2023.
Belgian Loena Hendrickx, a world medalist in 2022 (silver) and 2023 (bronze), is also listed as out of Grand Prix Finland. Hendrickx previously withdrew before her other Grand Prix in France, citing a need for more time to prepare to compete.
The women’s Grand Prix winners so far this season have been three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan (Skate Canada), U.S. champion Amber Glenn (Grand Prix France) and Wakaba Higuchi of Japan (Skate America).
The Grand Prix season continues this week with NHK Trophy in Japan, live on Peacock starting Thursday night.
