(26 September 2021)  Nineteen spots for the Olympic ice dance competition were decided at the World Championships in March 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden. The three U.S. ice dance teams there placed second, fourth and ninth. This was easily enough to guarantee three spots for the USA without having to use the second chance at Nebelhorn Trophy. Therefore there was no ice dance team from the USA in Germany.

The remaining four spots could be won at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf. There is one Olympic spot less than at the preceding Olympic Games because the IOC had asked the ISU to reduce the number of figure skaters by at least four athletes. Therefore there will be one dance couple (and one pair) less in Beijing than in 2018, 2014, 2010 and before. The required rhythm of this season in the Rhythm Dance is the „Street Dance“ to the steps of the Midnight Blues. So the spectators could hear many modern songs which mainly younger people like.

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis from Finland won the Nebelhorn Trophy with 181.19 points and therefore the first remaining Olympic spot after missing the Final at Worlds in March 2021. They are coached by the Finnish national ice dance coach Maurizio Margaglio, a former Italian World champion who is also a Technical Specialist in competitions without anay Finnish skaters. In their Rhythm Dance they skated to the Blues “Breathe You In My Dreams“ by Trixie Whitley and the Hip Hop “River“ by Bishop Briggs. Their five elements were beautifully performed and had mainly GOEs of +2 and +3. The twizzle sequence and the stationary lift got a level 4, but the three step elements only level 1 and 2. But this is normal for the beginning of a season.

Their free dance to “Wild Side“ by Roberto Cacciapaglia and to “Bruises“ by Lewis Capaldi was in parts a bit monotonous, but beautifully executed. Three of the six level elements had a level 4, including the technically demanding lift combination at the beginning of the program which was rewarded mainly with GOEs of +4. Their step sequence and their spin had a level 2 and the three Choreo elements without levels had many pluspoints and got GOEs of mainly +3. Their components had an average of 8.1. Versluis said: “After our disappointing result at the World Championships we worked really hard all spring and summer to qualify. It was not as stressful for us because the summer made us confident to qualify for the Games and we could enjoy the performance.“

Katharina Mueller & Tim Dieck from Germany won the silver medal with 173.74 points. The German National champions had won an Olympic spot for Germany at the World Championships and did not skate in Oberstdorf for a spot, but only for opening their season. “Spirit In the Skys“ by Norman Greenbaum, “Toxic“ by Britney Spears and “Seven Nation Army“ by The White Stripes were their music pieces for the Rhythm dance. Their levels were mixed: The twizzles had a level 4, the curve lift a level 3, but they did not meet any of the four key points for the Midnight Blues. In their lively and innovative free dance to two songs by Whitney Houston and to “Queen Of the Night“ by Alexandra Burke, the levels were much better (five times +4 and twice +3). Their components were around 7.7 and they could move up from fourth to second place.

Maria Kazakova & Georgy Reviya, competing for Georgia, won the bronze medal with 173.20 points and the second Olympic spot for their country. They had been second at Junior Worlds 2020. Their Blues “Chosen One“ and their Hip Hop “Yeah“ by Usher were wild and very energetic. In their twizzle sequence in the rhythm dance, both skaters stumbled a little bit which brought them some negative GOEs. The four other elements were good. In their free dance to “Dummy“ by Charlie Clouser, to “Texas Gypsy Massacre“ by Xtortion Audio and to “Mephisto's Lullaby by Xtortion Audio, they danced quite wild, not always exact, but fascinating for the public. Therefore they had the second best free dance. Their twizzle sequence and the lifts were highlights in the program and there was no obvious mistake.

Tina Garabedian & Simon Proulx Senecal skate for Armenia and took fourth place with 173.3 points and the third Olympic spot. They are Canadians and train in the Montreal Ice Academy, but Garabedian has Armenian roots. They had a special reason to be very happy about their qualification for the Games. At the World Championships, Senecal was tested positive of Covid 19 in a quick test. But for being sure he could do a second and a third PCR test. He had to stay in his hotel room until the third test result came and he said it was negative. But when this test result arrived the Rhythm Dance was over and it was too late for them to compete. Senecal says that the first test result was wrong because he had been tested negative the day before flying to Sweden. But the officials could neither confirm nor deny it due to privacy in medical cases. After Worlds the couple complained of having been robbed of an Olympic spot, but it remains unclear who is right. At least this problem is solved now as they won an Olympic spot at the Nebelhorn Trophy. In their Rhythm Dance, the levels were mixed and thte GOEs around +1 and +2. Their conservative free dance to “Autumn Leaves“ and “Lucky to Be a Lady“ had no mistake.

Natalie Taschlerova & Filip Taschler from the Czech Republic finished in fifth position with 172.98 points and gained the fourth and last Olympic spot. The brother and sister team had relatively good levels in the rhythm dance, but Taschlerova made a small mistake in the twizzles sequence of the free dance. The Hungarian couple of Anna Yanovskaya & Adam Lucacs is sixth with 160.42 points. Therefore Hungary is the first alternate country in case another country will give back its Olympic spot.

Yua Min & Daniel Eaton, competing for South Korea, ended up on seventh place with 158.54 points. Therefore their country is second alternate. Third alternate for a second Olympic spot would be Italy after Carolina Portesi & Michael Chrastecky are eighth with 157.74 points. But a participation at the Games is not very likely. Italy will probably be represented at the Games only with their top team Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri. Nine more countries have no chance to compete at the Games.