Photo Credit: Getty Images
By: Kristen Henneman
Six U.S. athletes head to the final stop of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series in Wuxi, China, Oct. 9-12.
Sophie Joline von Felten will represent Team USA in the women’s event while Patrick Blackwell will skate for the red, white and blue in the men’s event. In the ice dance competition, Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal and Olivia Ilin and Dylan Cain will appear for the Unites States. No pairs event will be contested in Wuxi.
Von Felten, Blackwell and the Peals have all previously medaled in the Junior Grand Prix Series so far this season and will have a chance to clinch a place at ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2024 in France in December.
Representing the United States for the first time overseas last weekend at Junior Grand Prix Slovenia, von Felten crushed her personal best scores en route to gold. It was her first medal at an international event, and in the free skate, she became the first junior woman to land a triple Axel and a triple Axel-triple toe loop in one program at an international event.
Blackwell heads to China with a silver from JGP Czech Republic. The skater who features a backflip in his free skate also set new personal bests at his first Junior Grand Prix of the season in Ostrava.
With a bronze at JGP Thailand, the Peals, who competed at the 2024 World Junior Championships, earned their third career JGP medal and look to stand on the podium again in China.
Ilin and Cain finished seventh at their first Junior Grand Prix of the season in Turkey. The 2024 Youth Olympic Games silver medalists in both the individual and team event, Ilin and Cain will aim to top their career-best sixth place finish in Turkey last season.
Competition begins Thursday with the rhythm dance and men’s short program. On Friday, the women’s competition gets started with the short program and the first medals are awarded following the men’s free skate. The competition wraps up Saturday with the free dance and women’s free skate.
Fans can watch all the action from JGP China, as well as the entire Junior Grand Prix Series, live on the ISU YouTube channel.
Now in its 27th season, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series consists of seven international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. Each athlete is eligible to score points in two of the seven scheduled events (pairs can compete in two of four designated events). The top six point-earners in each discipline qualify for the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2024, taking place Dec. 5-8 in Grenoble, France.
For more information on the Junior Grand Prix Series, including full results, news and more, visit the Junior Grand Prix Competition Central on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.
U.S. ENTRIES AT JGP CHINA
Athlete | Hometown | Training Town
Women
Sophie Joline von Felten | Boston, Mass. | Boston, Mass.
Men
Patrick Blackwell | East Greenwich, R.I. | Norwood, Mass.
Ice Dance
Olivia Ilin and Dylan Cain | Gaithersburg, Md.; North Bethesda, Md. | Rockville, Md.
Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal | Nashville, Tenn.; Nashville, Tenn. | Nashville, Tenn.
