Ami Nakai (JPN) performs during the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
The ISU Junior Grand Prix Series is live! The next generation of up and coming young Figure Skaters started off with an exciting competition in Bangkok (THA) with Ami Nakai (JPN), Rio Nakata (JPN) and Ice Dancers Leah Neset/Artem Markelov (USA) taking the top prizes. It was also a premiere for Thailand, that hosted an ISU Junior Grand Prix event for the very first time.
Close win for Nakai (JPN)
Reigning ISU World Junior bronze medalist Ami Nakai of Japan edged Korean newcomer Yuseong Kim for gold by less than one point in the Junior Women’s event. Nakai was the top favorite and took the lead in the Short Program skating to “Baby, God Bless You” with a clean performance. While her Free Skating to “Glimmer of Faith” and “Only Hope” was highlighted by six clean triples and level-four spins, the 15-year-old lost points on an error on her planned triple Axel that she popped into a double and also by repeating one double Axel too many (190.65 points). Nakai collected her second ISU Junior Grand Prix gold medal after winning in Gdansk (POL) last year. “I popped the triple Axel today, so I’ll make sure to land it in my next Junior Grand Prix event. I’m going to Turkey,” Nakai said.
Gold medalist Ami Nakai of Japan poses during the medal ceremony for the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand.@ISU
Kim celebrated a successful ISU Junior Grand Prix debut by presenting a clean Short Program and then nailing a triple Axel in her Free Skating set to “The Lark Ascending”. The 14-year-old followed up with five clean triple jumps and two slightly flawed ones to win the Free Skating segment and score a total of 189.92 points.
Yuseong Kim (KOR) performs during the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
The bronze went to Kim’s teammate Heesue Han on 173.99 points, who earned her first medal in her third season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series.
Heesue Han (KOR) performs during the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
Nakata (JPN) celebrates first victory
Japan’s Rio Nakata came reached a third place in the Short Program to capture his first victory in an international competition. He made no major mistake in his performance to “The God Particle” and “160 Bpm”, but the change foot camel spin was rated a level two. The 2022 JGP Riga silver medalist opened his James Bond themed Free Skating with a bang – a great quad toe and hit as well a triple Axel-triple toe combination to earn a total and personal best of 217.65 points. “I felt so happy and a little relieved because I landed my quad and triple Axel. I thought maybe I can win, but I had some mistakes and thought maybe I’ll be second or third,” the teenager noted. He added that he wants to work on his stamina for his next Junior Grand Prix in Istanbul (TUR).
Rio Nakata (JPN) performs during the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
Frenchman Francois Pitot came very close to Nakata with 217.50 points. Standing in second place following the Short Program, the 18-year-old from Orleans (FRA) gave a convincing performance to “Cry Me a River” that featured two triple Axels. Pitot claimed his second ISU Junior Grand Prix medal after a bronze in 2021.
Francois Pitot (FRA) performs during the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
Yanhao Li made a little bit of history by becoming the first New Zealand Skater to win a medal on the ISU Junior Grand Prix by picking up the bronze medal (210.08 points), a major step up from his 16th place a year ago in Riga. Jacob Sanchez (USA) led in the Short Program but slipped to fourth place in the final result.
Yanhao Li (NZL) performs during the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
Neset/Markelov (USA) dominate Dance
Leah Neset/Artem Markelov (USA) celebrated run-away victory in the Ice Dance competition with 18 points to spare and danced off with their first ISU Junior Grand Prix title.
Leah Neset and Artem Markelov (USA) perform during the Junior Ice Dance Free Dance of the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
The couple, ranked fifth at the ISU World Junior Championships 2023, shone in their Rhythm Dance to “Still Loving You” and “I Hate Myself for Still Loving You” with mostly level-four elements. Neset/Markelov widened the gap in their romantic Free Dance to “Anytime Anywhere” that was highlighted by level-four twizzles, combination lift and spin and set a new personal best in all segments (168.47 points). “We are happy we were able to show our new programs and we tried to show the idea,” Markelov explained. “We obviously have a lot of potential and a lot of room for improvement and we’d like to show it in our future events.” The team is headed to the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Osaka (JPN) next.
Celina Fradji/Jean-Hans Fourneaux secured a second silver medal for France in Bangkok by coming second (150.98 points). They had picked “Still Loving You” by The Scorpions as well in the Rhythm Dance and danced to “Partida” and “Porto Dio” in the Free Dance.
Celina Fradji and Jean-Hans Fourneaux (FRA) perform during the Junior Ice Dance Free Dance of the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand. @ISU
Jinny Kim/Namu Lee of Korea took the bronze on 139.32 points, their first ISU Junior Grand Prix medal, to follow in the footsteps of their successful teammates and ISU World Junior silver medalists Hannah Lim/Ye Quan.
Bronze medalists Jinny Kim and Namu Lee (KOR) skating at the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Bangkok in Bangkok, Thailand.@ISU
Korea was the most successful ISU member with three medals (one silver and two bronze) while team Japan claimed two gold medals and France two silvers. The USA take home one gold and New Zealand one bronze. A total of 77 Skaters/Couples from 30 ISU Members competed in Bangkok.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix Series continues next week with the Cup of Austria in Linz (AUT) on August 30th – September 2nd 2023.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix features each year about 300 talented young Skaters aged 13 to 19 (21 for the male Ice Dance and Pair Skating partners) from Europe, North and South America, Asia, Oceania as well as Africa. Skaters/Couples earn points according to the results in each event and the top six in each discipline will advance to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which will take place in Beijing (CHN) on December 7-10.
Full entry lists, results, the General Announcement and further information are available on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series page.
The 2023/24 season marks the 26th edition of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating which was introduced in 1997. The Series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020/21 season.
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Junior Grand Prix Standings
Men Women Ice Dance Pair Skating
Selection Criteria
More than 300 young Skaters from over 50 ISU Members are expected to compete in this year’s Junior Grand Prix Series. Each ISU Member is entitled to enter competitors for the Series while the number of their entries depends on the results achieved at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2023.
The International Skating Union (ISU) has supported the Skating Federation of Ukraine since the start of the war, implementing ISU Communication 2469, and also granting financial support to assist Ukrainian Skaters. The ISU reiterates its sympathy for and solidarity to all affected by the War in Ukraine. The ISU maintains its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.
The ISU Council decided to explore the feasibility issues with regard to potential pathways to implement the IOC recommendations within ISU Sports. The Council will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the ISU activity as well as the decisions and their implementation within the Olympic Movement. In the meantime, ISU Communication 2469 remains in force.
Where to Watch
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2023/24 events will be live streamed on the official ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating YouTube Channel in most countries.
Subscribe to the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating YouTube Channel to receive all the latest videos and follow the conversation with #JGPFigure.
About ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating
The ISU Junior Grand Prix Figure Skating Series started in 1997. It includes seven events and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. The Series features some of the up and coming Skaters of the world and provides young skaters aged 13 to 19 (21 for the male Ice Dance and Pair Skating partners) with the opportunity to compete at a high international level. A points system based on the ranking has been established to determine the qualifiers for the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Points are obtained according to the results in each of the seven events and only the top six Skaters / Couples in each discipline can qualify for the Final. The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating is financed by the ISU Development Program.
Since 2011 all events of the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating are live streamed on the official ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating YouTube Channel.
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