Team Challenge Cup adds skaters after online voting

Following online voting, several skaters have been added to the rosters of the three continent-based teams that will compete in the upcoming Team Challenge Cup, which kicks off later this month.

The team-skating competition is the first of its kind. U.S. Figure Skating officials previously said they hope the Team Challenge Cup will become the season-ending event in alternating years. This event kicks off April 22-24 at the Spokane Arena.

Fans selected Adam Rippon, the 2016 U.S. champion, to join previously named participants Jason Brown and Nam Nguyen of Canada. They also selected Ashley Wagner, who won the 2016 world silver medal, to join Gracie Gold and Gabrielle Daleman, of Canada, on Team North America.

Team Asia added ladies skater Rika Hongo of Japan and men’s skater Boyang Jin of China. Jin is the reigning world bronze medalist and Chinese champion.

Team Europe added ladies skater Elena Radionova of Russia and men’s skater Maxim Kovtun, also of Russia, who is the European bronze medalist.

Skating officials also announced that 2016 world champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia will replace fellow Russian Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Chinese champions Xuehan Wang and Lei Wang will replace Wenjing Sui and Cong Han on Team Asia.

With the changes to the rosters, skating officials noted that the field includes three reigning world champions. They include Medvedeva (Team Europe); pairs champions Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada (Team North America); and French ice dance team Grabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (Team Europe).