Russian junior figure skaters delivered a triumphant performance at the first stage of the International Skating Union (ISU) Junior Grand Prix series, held from August 20 to 22 in Xi’an, China. Russian athletes won gold medals in all four disciplines of the tournament. This marked the first full-scale international appearance by Russian figure skaters under the ISU aegis following a long hiatus that began in 2022.
WHICH RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATERS WON AT THE XI’AN EVENT
In the women’s singles event, Sofia Dzepka took the title with a combined score of 213.28 points across her two programs. She executed a clean quadruple toe loop and finished nearly 24 points ahead of her closest rivals. Among the men, Lev Lazarev triumphed with a score of 250.21 points. Polina Shesheleva and Egor Karnaukhov won the pairs competition with a total score of 191.84 points. In ice dance, Maria Fefelova and Artem Valov took top honors. Thus, Russian figure skaters left no gold medals for their competitors.
WHY THIS TOURNAMENT WAS A MILESTONE FOR RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATING
The International Skating Union has authorized Russian athletes to compete in international events under a neutral status starting from the 2026/27 season. Prior to this, Russian figure skaters had virtually no presence on the international stage after February 2022. The exceptions were Adeliya Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, who participated in the Olympic Games in Italy and finished in sixth place. The event in Xi’an marked the first opportunity for the junior national team to test their skills at the international level following a long hiatus. The results exceeded expectations: Russian figure skaters dominated every discipline, reaffirming the high caliber of the domestic figure skating school.
Russian junior figure skaters made a triumphant return to the international stage by winning every discipline at the first event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Xi’an. Sofia Dzepka, Lev Lazarev, Polina Shesheleva with Egor Karnaukhov, and Maria Fefelova with Artem Valov claimed gold in each of the four disciplines. This event marked a crucial milestone in the return of Russian figure skating to the global stage.
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