Team USA Earns Two Historic Medals at World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships

The United States made history on Saturday at the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2022, earning two medals for the first time in the event's history. Skyliners junior earned the silver medal, marking their third straight podium, while Teams Elite secured the bronze medal in their World Junior debut in Innsbruck, Austria.

Skyliners junior claimed the silver medal with a final score of 204.39. This marks their third straight medal at a World Junior Championships, also collecting silver in 2018 and bronze in 2019 (they were unable to compete in 2020 due to the pandemic). Their "Two Faces of Gemini" free skate helped the New York-based squad jump from third to second place, notching 132.05 points. Their 48.50-point technical score was the highest of the competition. The program included Level 4 marks for their pivoting block, synchronized spins, diagonal intersection, no-hold element and step sequence, moves element and traveling circle.

Teams Elite also collected hardware in Austria, earning the bronze medal in their World Junior debut (they were slated to compete in 2020, but were unable to perform due to the pandemic). The two-time U.S. silver medalists finished narrowly behind their countrymates with a total score of 204.11 points. The Illinois-based team performed an energetic Missy Elliott medley for their free skate, which notched 131.70 points, as well as the second highest program components score of the competition with 68.40. Their performance featured Level 4s for their traveling circle, synchronized spins, diagonal intersection, moves element, and no-hold element and step sequence.

Finland's Team Fintastic won the gold medal with a total score of 205.61 points.

With their medals, Skyliners junior and Teams Elite became the first U.S. World Junior Synchronized Skating Team to earn two medals at the event. Skyliners junior also became the first U.S. team to earn three-straight medals at the World Junior Championships.

Fans can rewatch the event on the ISU YouTube page, and check out more Team USA content on the competition central page at the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.