The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final is here! Led by junior star Mao Shimada (JPN), the best young Skaters of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series are ready to shine in Nagoya (JPN) this week.

Who is competing? 

Rio Nakata (JPN) leads Junior Men

The 2025 ISU World Junior Champion Rio Nakata of Japan and 2024 ISU World Junior Champion Minkyu Seo of Korea are joined by four newcomers in the Junior Final. 

Rio Nakata (JPN) is looking for redemption in the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Nagoya ©ISU

• Reigning ISU World Junior Champion Rio Nakata (JPN) is looking for redemption as he had to settle for bronze in the Junior Final a year ago. He is the top qualifier after taking gold at JGP Riga and Bangkok.
• Arch rival and ISU World Junior silver medalist Minkyu Seo (KOR) has yet to win the Junior Final and will fight for gold. He comes with two gold medals from the circuit to Japan.
• Habin Choi (KOR), Taiga Nishino (JPN) and Lucius Kazanecki (USA) are all newcomers to the Junior Final
• Denis Krouglov (BEL) is the first Belgian skater to qualify for the Junior Final since Kevin van der Perren back in the 2001/02 season.

Mao Shimada (JPN) going for record fourth title

Three-time and reigning ISU World Junior Champion Mao Shimada of Japan leads an all Japanese-Korean field in the Junior Women's.

Mao Shimada (JPN) is aiming at a record fourth ISU Junior Grand Prix Final title in Nagoya ©ISU

• Junior queen Mao Shimada (JPN) is already the most successful junior skater in history. She has won a record of three consecutive ISU World Junior and ISU Junior Grand Prix Final titles and aims at the fourth one in what is going to be her last junior season. 
• The famous Kim twins Yujae Kim (KOR) and Yuseong Kim (KOR) for the first time qualified both for the ISU Junior Final and are determined to bring double power to Nagoya.
• Japan’s Mayuko Oka, Mei Okada and Sumika Kanazawa all compete in their first Junior Final and get to do so in their home country.

A Canadian-Chinese Pairs Affair

Canadian and Chinese Pairs dominated the ISU Junior Grand Prix this season and three from each country advanced to the Junior Final 

Ava Kemp/Yohnatan Elizarov (CAN) are the top Pairs qualifiers in the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Nagoya ©ISU

• Ava Kemp & Yohnatan Elizarov (CAN) top the Junior standings with two victories and the highest score from their events in Riga (LAT) and Ankara (TUR). They are the silver medalists from the Junior Final 2023/24 but missed the series in the past season.
• Xuanqi Zhang & Wenqiang Feng (CHN) come with gold from Gdansk (POL) and silver from Riga to their first Junior Final
• Jazmine Desrochers & Kieran Thrasher (CAN) qualified for their third consecutive Junior Final. With  two bronze medals from the Junior Final on the record, they are aiming for more hardware in Nagoya. 
• Rui Guo & Yiwen Zhang (CHN) and Yuxuan Chen & Yinbo Dong (CHN) are newcomers in the Junior Final. Guo & Zhang have a quad twist in their arsenal
• Julia Quattrocchi & Etienne Lacasse (CAN) compete in their first Junior Final as a team, but Julia was in the Junior Final a year ago with her previous partner.  

New kids on the block in Junior Ice Dance

All but one Ice Dance couple are new in the Junior Final and will battle it out for the leadership in the discipline.

 Hana Maria Aboian/Daniil Veselukhin (USA) come as top qualifiers into the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Nagoya ©ISU

• Hana Maria Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin (USA) and Iryina Pidgaina & Artem Koval (UKR) top the standings after two victories on the Junior circuit. The Americans are competing in their first Junior Final while the Ukrainians have more experience and are ready to step on to the podium after coming fourth in the event a year ago.
• Layla Veillon & Alexander Brandys (CAN) and Ambre Perrier Gianesini & Samuel Blanc Klaperman (FRA) come to Nagoya with a gold and a silver medal from their events.
• Jasmine Robertson & Chase Rohner (USA) suprised by making the Junior Final in their first season as a team.
• Dania Mouaden & Theo Bigot (FRA) qualified with two silver medals.

Where to Watch

All the Junior events will be live-streamed on the  Skating ISU YouTube channel.

Connect with the world of ice skating through the new ISU App.

The schedule of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final is as follows:

Thursday, December 4: Junior Pairs, Junior Men’s & Junior Women’s Short Programs
Friday, December 5: Junior Rhythm Dance, Junior Men’s & Women’s Free Skating
Saturday, December 6: Junior Pairs Free Skating, Junior Free Dance
Sunday, December 7: Exhibition Gala

ISU Junior Grand Prix Standings

Check out the road to the ISU Junior Grand Prix 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:

5. 20 - 23 Aug 2025          Riga/LAT*
6. 27 - 30 Aug 2025          Ankara/TUR*
7. 03 - 06 Sep 2025          Varese/ITA
8. 09 - 13 Sep 2025          Bangkok/THA*
9. 23- 26 Sep 2025           Baku/AZE 
10. 01 - 04 Oct 2025          Gdansk/POL*
11. 08 - 11 Oct 2025          Abu Dhabi/UAE

*The events in Riga, Ankara, Bangkok and Gdansk included Pair Skating.

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: 

5. 04 - 07 Dec 2025         Nagoya/JPN