Gdansk, Poland

#FigureSkating

Several Skaters and Couples secured their spot in the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final at the fifth event of the series in Gdansk (POL). Pair Skaters Anastasia Golubeva/Hektor Giotopoulos Moore (AUS) and Ice Dancers Nadiia Bashynska/Peter Beaumont (CAN) celebrated back to back victories while Ami Nakai (JPN) and Takeru Amine Kataise (JPN) took their first gold medals.  

Confident victory for Ami Nakai (JPN)

Ami Nakai (JPN) celebrated a confident victory in Gdansk following her bronze medal from Riga and thus qualified for the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. 2022 ISU World Junior silver medallist Jia Shin (KOR) claimed the silver while Minsol Kwon (KOR) earned the bronze.

Ami Nakai (JPN) Minsol Kwon (KOR)  Jia Shin (KOR) ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 Gdansk (POL) ISU 1243799995

Ami Nakai (JPN) Minsol Kwon (KOR) and Jia Shin (KOR) pose during the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 in Gdansk (POL).  © ISU

Skating to “I Got Rhythm”, Nakai took the lead with a flawless performance. The 14-year-old opened her Free Skating to the “Miss Saigon Rhapsody” with a triple Axel and followed up with seven other triples to total 205.90 points. She set new personal best scores in both segments. “I was so happy to land a clean triple Axel in international competition. I want to put two triple Axels in the free skating (in the Final),” the teenager commented.

Shin struggled in her Short Program when she fell in her footwork and slightly underrotated her triple loop (q). The Korean rallied back in the Free Skating, nailing six triples. She collected 194.69 points to move up from third to first place. Kwon stood in second place following the Short Program and slipped to third after missing a triple Lutz in the Free Skating (186.63 points). Nakai and Shin qualified for the Final while Kwon will have to wait and see what happens next week in Egna at the last event of the series.

Takeru Amine Kataise’s (JPN) golden JGP debut

Eighteen-year-old Takeru Amine Kataise (JPN) might have debuted late on the ISU Junior circuit, but he did so with a bang by striking gold in Gdansk. The Japanese Skater started with a flawless Short Program to the Yoshitsune Main Theme into the competition. He produced eight triples and level four spins in his Free Skating to “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” and accumulated 234.24 points overall. Kataise will compete again next week in Italy.

Takeru Amine Kataise (JPN)  ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Gdansk (POL) ISU 1243826157

Takeru Amine Kataise (JPN) poses during the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Gdansk (POL).  © ISU

“I am very happy to get the first position in this competition. I was very, very nervous since this morning and I am a little relaxed and relieved now,” Kataise said. “I don’t have quad jumps so I think I have to work on spins and skating skills. I got high points, so I think it worked for me.”

Robert Yampolsky (USA) improved from his fourth place finish in Riga to claim the silver, his first medal on the Junior circuit. The bronze went to Minkyu Seo (KOR), who took home his first JGP medal as well.

Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore (AUS) pocket second gold

ISU World Junior silver medalists Anastasia Golubeva/Hektor Giotopoulos Moore (AUS) stayed in Gdansk for their second event and picked up their second title as well as a spot in the Final. The couple won the Short Program to “Architect of the Mind” in spite of a fall on the double Axel. They defended their lead in their Free Skating set to “Sing Sing Sing”, “Summer Time” and “Mr. Pinstripe Suit”, that was highlighted by a triple twist, throw triple Salchow and level-four lifts. However, they missed the triple toe-double toe combination and the throw triple loop (161.17 points). “It wasn’t as good as last week. We had two falls in the program, not super happy about it. But it happens to everybody in skating and lots of work ahead of us now to make sure we skate clean next time,” Giotopoulos Moore shared.

Violetta Sierova/Ivan Khobta (UKR) won the silver medal like they had the week before and set a new personal best with 154.76 points. JGP Czech Skate Champions Sophia Baram/Daniel Tioumentsev (USA) settled for the bronze this time, but like the two other medalists qualified for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. The Baltic Cup was the fourth and last event that included Pair Skating.

Violetta Sierova and Ivan Khobta (UKR) ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 Gdansk (POL) ISU 1243790561

Violetta Sierova and Ivan Khobta (UKR) skates during the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 in Gdansk (POL).  © ISU

Bashynska/Beaumont (CAN) repeat as champions in Gdansk

ISU World Junior bronze medalists Nadiia Bashynska/Peter Beaumont (CAN) repeated as gold medalists in Gdansk. Their Rhythm Dance to the Waltz “Espana” and the “Tango Grand” included a level-four rotational lift and Argentine Tango pattern. The Canadians built on their lead significantly in their Free Dance to “The Red Violin” and “O Doux Printemps d’autrefois”, completing a level-four combination lift, dance spin and twizzles. The team collected 171.61 points, which was a new personal best for them and they qualified for the Final.

Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont (CAN)  ISU Junior Grand Prix 2022 Gdansk (POL) ISU 1243826194

Nadiia Bashynska/Peter Beaumont (CAN) poses during the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 in Gdansk (POL).  © ISU

‘’This is a big achievement for both of us,’’ said the Ukrainian-born Bashynska, whose grandparents and father were in the audience. ‘’We personally put in a lot of work into this choreography, a lot of soul and feelings. We feel every single moment in this program. It is clearly our favorite program by far.’’

‘’Knowing we had a win under our belts was a boost for us this week,’’ added Beaumont. ‘’We went in with the mindset that we could do it again.’’

ISU JGP Riga Champions Darya Grimm/Michail Savitskiy (GER) this time took silver at 154.41 points. The German Junior Champions were second the Rhythm Dance and Free Dance in spite of a fall by Grimm coming out of the rotational lift. Bashynska/Beaumont and Grimm/Savitskiy booked their ticket to Turin for the Final.

Darya Grimm and Michail Savitskiy(GER) ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 Gdansk (POL) ISU 1243826046

Darya Grimm and Michail Savitskiy (GER) competes during the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2022 in Gdansk (POL). © ISU

Jordan Lewis/Noah McMillan (CAN) took the bronze medal, their first medal after coming seventh in Riga (149.83 points).

A total of 134 Skaters/Couples representing 41 ISU Members competed in the fifth ISU Junior Grand Prix event of the season. The ISU Junior Grand Prix series 2022/23 continues next week with the sixth and last event in Egna (ITA).

Full entry lists, results, the General Announcement and further information are available on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series page.

Selection Criteria

More than 300 young Skaters from over 50 ISU Members are expected to compete in this year’s Series. Each ISU Member is entitled to enter competitors for the Series while the number of their entries depends on the result of the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2022.

Following the IOC recommendation and in order to protect the integrity of ice skating competitions and for the safety of all the participants of international ice skating competitions, the ISU Council based on Article 17.1.q)i) of the ISU Constitution, agreed that with immediate effect and until further notice, no Skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia (Russian Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (Skating Union of Belarus) shall be invited or allowed to participate in International ice skating competitions including ISU Championships and other ISU Events. The same applies to Officials listed in the respective ISU Communications and/or Regulations under Russia and Belarus (see ISU Communication 2469).

 

Junior Grand Prix Standings

Men                              Women                                     Ice Dance                                 Pair Skating

 

Where to Watch

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events will be live streamed on the official ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating YouTube Channel in most countries. Find out where to watch the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating competitions.

Subscribe to the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating YouTube Channel to receive all the latest videos and follow the conversation with #JGPFigure.

 

ISU Junior Grand Prix Schedule

The schedules of each ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events are available below:

24 - 27 Aug 2022                      Courchevel/FRA

31 Aug - 3 Sept 2022                Ostrava/CZE

7 - 10 Sept 2022                        Riga/LAT

21 - 24 Sept 2022                      Yerevan/ARM

28 Sept - 1 Oct 2022                 Gdansk/POL

5 - 8 Oct 2022                           Gdansk/POL

12 - 15 Oct 2022                       Egna/ITA