Newcomers Shine at ISU Junior Grand Prix Xi’An 2026

FIGURE SKATING

Junior Grand Prix Xian 2026 Newcomers shine

24 Aug 2026

Rising young stars shone bright as the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Series 2026/27 kicked off with an exciting first event in Xi’an, China, August 20-22. Sofiia Dzepka, Lev Lazarev, pair skaters Polina Shesheleva & Egor Karnaukhov and ice dancers Mariia Fefelova & Artem Valov became the season’s first JGP Champions, all while making their international JGP debuts.

Remember these names: with their victories, each has taken the crucial first step toward qualifying for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. Delivering stellar performances, these champions and their fellow competitors proved just how deep the global pool of figure skating talent really is.

Relive all the excitement and catch exclusive interviews on the ISU Skating Channel on YouTube.

(L-R) Silver medalist Yuxuan Liu, gold medalist Sofia Dzepka and bronze medalist Shuxian Jin pose at the medal ceremony after the Women's Free Skating on day two of the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix on August 21, 2026 in Xi'an, China. © ISU

Dzepka lands quad toe for gold

Sofiia Dzepka entered the international scene with a bang. Competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete, the 17-year-old stormed to a runaway victory with nearly 24 points to spare in her very first Junior Grand Prix event.

Dzepka grabbed a confident lead in the Short Program, performing exquisitely to Pablo de Sarasate’s Spanish-themed Introduction and Tarantella.

In her Free Skating set to The Matrix, Dzepka impressed with a perfect quadruple toe loop, seven triples and beautiful spins to earn a total of 213.28 points.

“It was a real test of my strength and a crucial stage in my sports career. Stepping onto the ice at a tournament of this scale brings incredible emotions and an enormous amount of experience,” Dzepka shared on Instagram about her debut.

With 15 points from her victory, the teenager has taken a major stride towards the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final.

Dzepka was not the only skater to shine in Xi’an. China’s Yuxuan Liu and Shuxian Jin dazzled on home ice, capturing silver and bronze. At just 13 years old, Liu delivered two strong programs in her JGP debut to earn second place with 189.57 points. Teammate Jin, 15, staged an impressive comeback, rising from eighth place after the Short Program to claim the bronze with 188.80 points and secure her first career JGP medal.

Silver medalist Yuxuan Liu (left) and bronze medalist Shuxian Jin (right) pose at the medal ceremony after the Women's Free Skating at the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix on August 21, 2026 in Xi'an, China. © ISU

“Little Prince” Lazarev reigns supreme

Lev Lazarev came out on top in an action-packed Junior Men’s event. The 16-year-old fended off a challenge from the experienced Yanhao Li of New Zealand to strike gold in his Junior Grand Prix debut.

Skating to Bolero and Prequel in the Short Program, Lazarev built a three-point lead over Li. In the Free Skating, Lazarev embodied the role of the “Little Prince” and nailed a quad flip and quad toe as well as two somewhat shaky quad Lutzes to take the gold with a total of 250.21 points, nearly 20 points ahead of the field.

Despite battling a stomach upset during the event, the young skater held his composure to deliver under pressure.

“It was quite tough,“ Lazarev admitted, speaking to the media. “I felt nauseous again today. Overall, it is very, very hot here, therefore it is hard to skate, even though I took out the [quadruple] Salchow and skated with four quads.

“I got quite high technical scores. I still need to improve the component score. I know very well that I did not show my best in terms of choreography today,” he concluded.

Lazarev pocketed 15 points for the Junior Grand Prix standings and will compete next in Bangkok, Thailand, in two weeks, aiming to lock in his spot for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Li opened his performance to “Earn It” and “Blinding Lights” by The Weekend with an excellent quad toe, though a singled triple Axel proved costly, leaving him with a total of 230.89 points. Li, a Junior Grand Prix Finalist in 2024 and the first New Zealand skater to win a Junior Grand Prix event, collected the silver medal, marking his fifth career podium finish on the junior circuit.

Japan’s Daiya Ebihara took bronze, climbing from fourth place after the Short Program to claim his third JGP medal (219.76 points).

Shesheleva & Karnaukhov golden in Xi’an

Polina Shesheleva & Egor Karnaukhov skated to the title in the Pairs event, leading from start to finish and leaving a clear mark on the competition.

The Individual Neutral Athletes produced an excellent triple twist and double Axel in their Short Program set to Never Let Me Down Again by Depeche Mode. Although an invalidated death spiral cost them technical points, the pair still held a solid lead over China’s Yuxuan Chen & Yinbo Dong after Chen missed the throw triple loop.

Shesheleva & Karnaukhov followed up with a perfect Free Skating to Lights That Flicker. Their performance featured a side-by-side triple flip-Euler-triple Salchow combination and a side-by-side triple Lutz - unusually high-difficulty jumps for Pair Skating. Coupled with superb throws and lifts, the team posted a high score of 191.84 points. Picking up 15 standings points, they are now in pole position to reach the Junior Grand Prix Final.

“There were more nerves than before”, Karnaukhov told media on site. “I am glad that we won but there were some little mistakes. I saw that we got an edge call for the Lutz. We could have shown more emotions, we were holding back because of nerves.

“There are more elements in the Free Skating, therefore we were more nervous [than in the Short Program],” he added with a laugh.

Chen & Dong completed as well a rarely seen side-by-side triple flip (slightly under-rotated) alongside intricate lifts in their Free Skating to remain in second place (157.52 points). The ISU Junior Grand Prix Finalists got 13 points and look to qualify again for the Final when they compete next week at their second event in Riga, Latvia.

The new Chinese team of Chen Ling Wang & Yong Zheng Chen picked up the bronze medal in what was their first international competition (134.50 points).

Fefelova & Valov celebrate confident maiden victory

Ice dancers Mariia Fefelova & Artem Valov celebrated a confident victory in their international debut. Dancing to Tango and Waltz in the Rhythm Dance, the neutral athletes surged into an early lead. They capped their week with a graceful Free Dance to Mozart’s Requiem and Lacrimosa, highlighted by gorgeous lifts and intricate footwork to claim the title with 162.16 points.

“We are certainly pleased with how this competition played out,” Valov told the media. “China gave us a wonderful welcome and the audience’s support was great.

“We felt the responsibility,” he continued. “However, since we already have experience, it did not play a major role. Yes, it was more nerve-wrecking than usual, but that always happens at the first competitions of the season. But then the nerves fade and confidence grows.”

„Each competition is important in its own way,” Fefelova noted. “Here the significance was that we were competing in our first international. It was important to do everything well.”

Zoe Bianchi & Daniel Basile held second place after their dynamic Rhythm Dance. Bringing energy and precision to their lyrical Free Dance set to Ezio Bosso’s Air, On the First Star of the Night and Thunder and Lightnings, the Italian duo displayed level-four twizzles and excellent step sequences to secure silver, marking their third career JGP medal.

Canada’s Summer Homick & Nicholas Buelow danced off with their third consecutive bronze medal on the junior circuit, moving up from fourth place after the Rhythm Dance with a passionate performance to “Evita”.

A total of 116 skaters/couples representing 32 nations competed in the event: 26 Men, 34 Women, 10 Pairs and 18 Ice Dance couples. This marked the first time that Xi’an has hosted an ISU Junior Grand Prix event.

Stay tuned for next week as the ISU Junior Grand Prix action moves to stop number two in Riga, Latvia.

Mariia Fefelova & Artem Valov compete in the Ice Dance Free Dance at the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix on August 21, 2026 in Xi'an, China © ISU

The Road to the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Final 2026/27

Find out who is on the way to the Junior Grand Prix Final :

The ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix 2026/27 schedule