Newcomers steal the show at JGP Varese (ITA)

FIGURE SKATING

Newcomers steal the show at JGP Varese (ITA)

07 Sep 2025

It was the time for newcomers to shine at the third ISU Junior Grand Prix event of the season in Varese, Italy. Women’s Champion Sumiko Kanazawa (JPN) and Ice Dance Champions Jasmine Robertson/Chase Rohner (USA) skated off with gold in what is their first ISU Junior Grand Prix season. Men’s Champion Taiga Nishino (JPN) claimed his first medal on the Junior circuit and it was gold. The young Skaters delivered great performances to make themselves proud. Relive the action and catch the winners’ interviews on the ISU YouTube channel.

First Junior Grand Prix, first gold: Sumiko Kanazawa (JPN) is here

It was her very first ISU Junior Grand Prix and she struck gold right away: Japan’s Sumiko Kanazawa made a great international junior debut. The 13-year-old that trains in Kyoto put out a perfect Short Program to “Call Me Cruella” for the lead. Skating to “Peter Pan” in the Free Skating, she flew to gold with six clean triple jumps and showed nerves of steel when recovering from a stumble on her opening triple Lutz. The Japanese scored 185.77 points.

Sumiko Kanazawa (JPN) performs at the ISU JGP Varese (ITA)

“This was my first Junior Grand Prix, so I was sure I would be nervous”, Kanazawa commented. “I came out with the goal of just having fun, so I’m really happy to have won.”

Kanazawa trains with three-time ISU World Junior Champion Mao Shimada (JPN) and feels inspired by her. “When I was practicing the triple Axel, I watched Mao practice it and saw her do a quadruple jump, it is amazing. I’m surprised that she’s competing with me as a junior skater right now as she has such an incredible presence. I’m already looking forward to her performance next week.”

Kanazawa herself will be competing again in the sixth event in Gdansk (POL).

Korea’s Seojin Youn competed in her fifth ISU Junior Grand Prix and claimed her second medal after a bronze in 2023. Sitting in third following the Short Program, Youn won the Free Skating segment with her performance to ”Nella Fantasia” to move up one spot and take the silver with a new personal best score of 183.97 points. ISU Junior Grand Prix Finalist Yihan Wang (CHN) earned the bronze and kept her chance to return to the Junior Final (181.21). Reigning ISU Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist Kaoruko Wada (JPN) missed the podium by less than one point. She came from sixth place in the Short Program and pulled up to fourth with the second-best Free Skating score (180.83).

Taiga Nishino (JPN) celebrates maiden victory

Taiga Nishino of Japan has competed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix since 2023, but he did not get on to the podium before. Determined to change this, the 15-year-old came out strong in Varese to claim the title with two excellent performances. His Free Skating set to “Moonlight Sonata” by Ludwig van Beethoven was highlighted by a quadruple toeloop and quadruple Salchow. Nishino racked up 233.50 points, a new personal best.

Taiga Nishino (JPN) performs at the ISU JGP Varese (ITA)

Nishino revealed how he made so much progress: “Since last year, I have reviewed my training from scratch and made improvements, which has enabled me to achieve good results like in this competition. I would like to continue doing so”, he shared.

The Skater from Yokohama has the third-highest score of the Junior Men on the Junior Grand Prix so far and is aiming at getting closer to the reigning ISU World Junior Champion Rio Nakata (JPN).

“Rio Nakata is both my rival and my friend. I will do my best to catch up with him and even surpass him. I will never slack off in my training and work hard”, Nishino added.

He has been currently assigned to the sixth event in Gdansk (POL) for his second JGP this season.

Habin Choi of Korea was edged out of the gold by just a little over a point and picked up the silver medal, his first on the junior circuit. Choi led following the Short Program and put out a great quad Lutz in the Free Skating. However, one fall and a timing deduction cost him two points and the gold medal (232.19).

Bronze medalist Shun Uemura of Japan was another newcomer in this event that stepped on to the podium (212.55 points). 2024 ISU Junior Grand Prix Finalist Lukas Vaclavik (SVK) finished off the podium like in his first event and thus has no chance anymore to qualify for the Junior Final this season.

What a start: Gold for new Ice Dance couple Robertson/Rohner (USA)

When Jasmine Robertson/Chase Rohner (USA) teamed up in January, they could not have imagined to be on the podium in their very first ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Riga (LAT) in August. Now two weeks later the couple from Michigan even topped that by winning their second event in Varese and most likely booking a ticket to the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. It was a confident win for the Ice Dancers that topped the Rhythm Dance standings with their upbeat performance to “Groove Is In the Heart” and “100% Pure Love”. Their dramatic Free Dance to “Notre Dame de Paris” featured beautiful lifts and smooth footwork. Robertson/Rohner improved their personal best scores from Riga with 156.52 points in Varese.

Jasmine Robertson/Chase Rohner (USA) perform at the ISU JGP Varese (ITA)

“We’ve been training really hard since we’ve partnered up in January,” Rohner said. “Pretty much all day, Monday through Friday, every week.”

Even after their bronze medal from Riga, the couple tried not to think too much about the Junior Grand Prix Final. “We’re just taking it competition by competition, and whatever happens, happens and we’re ready for it,” Robertson pointed out.

The favorites heading into this competition were ISU World Junior competitors and Winter Youth Olympic Champions Ambre Perrier Gianesini/Samuel Blanc Klaperman of France but a fall in the Rhumba pattern dance left them in seventh place in the Rhythm Dance. The French did not give up, fought back with their “Tarzan” Free Dance and jumped to the silver medal, their second silver on the circuit since debuting in 2022 (147.18 points)

Canadians Summer Homick/Nicholas Buelow moved up from fourth to third in the Free Dance to take their first JPG medal (143.56).

A total of 100 young athletes from 36 countries competed in Varese.

What will happen next week?

The ISU Junior Grand Prix continues next week in Bangkok (THA) and some Skaters are looking to secure their spot in the Final while others enter the circuit now:

Three-time and reigning ISU World Junior Champion Mao Shimada (JPN) will compete in her first Junior Grand Prix event this season. She will compete against JGP Riga Champion Mei Okada (JPN) who is eager to qualify for the Junior Final.
Reigning ISU World Junior Champion Rio Nakata (JPN) is back and looking to book his ticket to the Final after his win in Riga.
2025 JGP Ankara silver medalists Rui Guo/Yiwen Zhang (CHN) will be up against two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalists Jazmine Desrochers/Kieran Thrasher (CAN).
The Ice Dance event looks interesting with two-time JGP medalists Hana Maria Aboian/Daniil Veselukhin (USA), JGP Ankara silver medalists Charlie Anderson/Cayden Dawson (CAN) and JGP Ankara bronze medalists Lea Hienne/Louis Varescon (FRA) leading the pack.

Check out the ISU Junior Grand Prix Standings to find out who is on their way to qualify for the Final:

Men Women Pair Skating Ice Dance

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

Subscribe to the ISU YouTube Channel to receive all the latest videos and follow the conversation with #JGPFigure.

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