U.S. Junior National Team Captures Two Golds at Junior Grand Prix United Arab Emirates
The United States proudly stood on top of the podium in both the ice dance and men’s events, displaying personal best scores at the season’s final Junior Grand Prix event, which took place from October 9-11 in the United Arab Emirates.
Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin clinched their second gold medal of the season, marking their fourth standalone Junior Grand Prix podium finish in ice dance. In addition, Lucius Kazanecki earned his second medal of the season, making history with his first career JGP gold in the men’s discipline.
With these impressive performances, Aboian and Veselukhin will be heading to the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Nagoya, Japan, scheduled for December 4-7. They will be joined by a second U.S. entry in ice dance, Jasmine Robertson and Chase Rohner.
Aboian and Veselukhin delivered a stunning display, notching an international personal best total score of 167.11, significantly outpacing their closest competitors by over nine points. Their rhythm dance, choreographed to “Vogue” by Madonna, included top-scoring elements such as a 9.92-point midline step sequence, enhancing their reputation as a standout team.
Meanwhile, Kazanecki achieved a remarkable milestone with personal best scores throughout the competition. His short program set to “Interstellar” featured breathtaking jumps and earned him commendable scores, which laid the foundation for his ultimate success. In his free skate, Kazanecki dazzled audiences with a quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combination before sealing his victory with a remarkable total score of 219.63, winning by nearly four points.
Additionally, U.S. junior women skaters Rachel Samiri and Alayna Coats made strong debuts. Samiri secured a top-10 finish, placing eighth overall with a personal best score of 162.50. Coats, debuting alongside Samiri, concluded in 13th place after an impressive free skate that earned her a score of 109.72, demonstrating the depth of talent in U.S. figure skating.
The performances at Junior Grand Prix UAE highlight the promising future of U.S. figure skating, showcasing both veterans and newcomers poised for success on the international stage.
