Today an emerging talent, tomorrow an Olympic Champion: Enjoy a thrilling glimpse into the future of figure skating with the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix series 2026/27! The ISU is shining a spotlight on the world’s most promising young skaters, offering them a global stage to showcase their skill, passion, and potential. Reigning Olympic and World Champions such as Alysa Liu, Mikhail Shaidorov, Ilia Malinin and Kaori Sakamoto all kicked off their journey to the top right here. Catch every moment live on the ISU Skating Channel on YouTube.

Alysa Liu competes in the Junior Women Free Skating at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2019  (Senior & Junior) in Turin, Italy © ISU

Rising stars ready to shine

Seven exciting stops across Europe and Asia will feature an incredible array of fresh talent. Who will deliver a breakout performance? Who will emerge as figure skating's next household name? Keep your eyes on these top contenders:

• Hana Maria Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin (USA): The reigning ISU World Junior Ice Dance Champions come off a golden season and look eager to continue their reign.
• Hana Bath (AUS): After winning Australia’s first single skating medal at the ISU World Junior Championships 2026, a silver, Hana is back for more. She comes armed with a powerful triple Axel.
• Taiga Nishino (JPN): The reigning ISU World Junior bronze medalist aims to spearhead the next wave of Japanese elite Junior Men.
• Rui Guo/Yiwen Zhang (CHN): The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champions dazzle with their quadruple twist as they stake their claim as the new leaders in Junior Pairs.
• Ambre Perrier Gianesini & Samuel Blanc Klaperman (FRA): Fresh off securing World Junior silver, this dynamic French ice dance duo has its sights set firmly on the top of the podium.

• Mayuko Oka and Mei Okada (JPN): Hailing from Japan’s endlessly deep talent pool, these two young women are primed to build on their impressive momentum from last season.
• Denis Krouglov (BEL): Following a huge leap forward as an ISU Junior Grand Prix finalist, Krouglov is fully charged to take his skating to the next level.
• The Debutants: Dozens of international newcomers are stepping onto the junior stage for the very first time - ready to make their mark and deliver plenty of surprises.

Denis Krouglov performs at the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix - Baku, on September, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. © ISU 

What happens in the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix?

• The ISU Junior Grand Prix series consists of seven events in seven countries that happen within seven weeks
• The skaters/couples collect points in their ISU Junior Grand Prix events and the top six in each discipline from the series qualify for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final
• The two finals for junior and senior level skaters are held together
• The ISU Junior Grand Prix series starts in August and ends in December

Hana Bath at the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix - Abu Dhabi on October 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. © ISU 

Who gets to compete in the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix series?

• ISU member countries receive spots based on the results of the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships 2026 
• Skaters must be age-eligible: minimum 13 years old and have not reached 19 years (Singles), 21 years (Ice Dance) or 21 (female)/23 years (male) (Pair Skating) before July 1, 2026
• Skaters can compete in a maximum of two events of the series
• More than 300 young skaters from around 50 countries are expected to compete across the four disciplines

Where and when do the ISU Junior Grand Prix events 2026/27 take place?

• Stop 1: August 20-22 ISU JGP Xi’an, CHN 
• Stop 2: August 27-29 ISU JGP Riga, LAT
• Stop 3: September 3-5 ISU JGP Bangkok, THA
• Stop 4: September 17-19 ISU JGP Ankara, TUR
• Stop 5: September 24-25 ISU JGP Batumi, GEO
• Stop 6: October 1-3 ISU JGP Ljubljana, SLO
• Stop 7: October 8-10 ISU JGP Gdansk, POL
• ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Final: December 10-13, Chongqing, CHN 

The ISU introduced the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix in 1997 to provide the next generation of figure skaters with the opportunity to grow and to develop the sport worldwide. 

You may also want to see

 The ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Series Explained