(9 December 2014) This weekend, Maia and Alex Shibutani are looking to make their mark at the Grand Prix Finals in Barcelona, Spain, hoping to possibly claim a medal and continue evolving as world-class ice dancers as they embark on the new 2018 Olympic cycle.

This prestigious event, scheduled to be held December 11-14, is paramount because it serves as a showdown for the top six world qualifiers in the men’s, ladies, pairs and dance disciplines and represents an important seeding reference for athletes going into the 2015 World Championships.

This competition also represents an important benchmark for the Shibutanis because it is the first time they have qualified for a Grand Prix final since 2011, when they were fifth.

The brother/sister duo, who train in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Marina Zoueva and who were third at 2014 U.S. Championships, ninth at the 2014 Olympics and sixth at the 2014 Worlds last season, racked up the fourth-highest scores among all Grand Prix dance teams to qualify for this event, taking home silver at Skate America in October and also at the NHK Trophy in November.

“We are excited to be back in the Grand Prix Final,” said Alex, 23, in a pre-event conference call last week. “We feel great and have a lot of confidence right now.”

Those words seem to ring truer than ever based upon the team’s recent string of excellent performances.

Since wrapping up the 2014 season, the two, who could’ve easily walked away from competing altogether last spring, (with a 2011 World bronze medal and two silver and bronze U.S. senior medals to their names) seem to be skating with a whole new perspective, understanding and outlook, something that seems to definitely be reflected in their performances these days.

“The biggest change [this season for us] is who we are as a team,” said Maia, 20. “Now we have clear goals, we know who we are and have that confidence to show in our skating.”

The Shibutanis certainly seem to know how to do things right. The two, who originate from Old Greenwich, Connecticut, experienced meteoric success practically from the moment they first started competing together back in 2004.

That year, they were second at Junior Nationals in the juvenile division. In the following seasons, they went on to claim first at the national level in every division from intermediate through junior, an unusual accomplishment for any team, to say the least.

In 2011, their first year as seniors, the Shibutanis claimed silver at the U.S. Championships and a bronze at Worlds.

The next two seasons, they placed second and third at the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Championships, respectively, and eighth at the 2012 and 2013 Worlds.

Certainly, the two seem to know how to make magic happen.

“They are determined skaters who know how to get the job done,” said Slavka Button-Kohout, one of their first coaches from Greenwich, Connecticut who is a U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame member. “They are hard working, talented and smart.”

In 2012 and 2013, when the two experienced a bit of a drop in placement at Worlds, due most likely, to the increasing skating standard among world-class ice dancers across the board, they seemed to become more determined than ever to keep moving forward.

“The standard of ice dancing, particularly at the world level, has grown tremendously in recent years,” said Kohout-Button, the coach of the five-time U.S. champion, Janet Lynn. “I think all of the teams have to fight to make it to the top of the leaderboard.”

Last season, the Shibutanis managed to pick up steam once again at the World level with a sixth-place finish at Worlds in Japan.

More importantly, though, they seemed to gain a fresh perspective on their role as athletes and skaters as a result of their experience in Sochi.

There, Maia and Alex used social media to tweet, message and show photos of their experience at the Olympics, an effort that was appreciated by their thousands of followers, and helped deign them as American athlete ambassadors of sorts.

At this point, Maia and Alex, seem to have taken that experience, along with all their years of skating together, as a means of how they now view their role as skaters.

“We are continuing to learn more about ourselves and how we react to each environment,” said Maia.

This season, the two are skating to ‘Asturias Variations’ as a Flamenco and ‘The Last Corrida’ as a Paso Doble for their short and to several Johann Strauss Selections for their free dance, including the classic ‘Blue Danube.’

“This year’s programs we’ve really enjoyed [doing],” said Alex. “We know who we are and what feels comfortable.”

The two, who have been competing together for nearly 11 years, also credit their strong family dynamic as an asset to their progress and development as international contenders.

“We’ve been through it all together,” said Alex, adding that at the end of the day, he and his sister are looking at this competition as an important opportunity to continue building their standard and level of experience.

“We’re happy about the direction we’re taking our skating,” said Alex. “It’s a stepping stone for us.”