History Made in Ljubljana

Hana Bath © Pinterest

The sixth and penultimate stop of the 2026/27 ISU Junior Grand Prix series delivered a competition full of breakthrough moments in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Three winners not only claimed gold but also made history for their countries. Australia’s Hana Bath became the first Australian singles skater to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final, while Thailand’s Hiro Kaewtathip became the first Thai skater to win a JGP event and qualify for the Final. In ice dance, Darya Grimm and Grigorii Rodin also earned their place in the Final.

Junior Women: Bath Makes History

Hana Bath produced one of the biggest performances of the event.

After sitting second following the Short Program, the Australian delivered a dramatic Free Skate to Moulin Rouge. Her highlight was a spectacular triple Axel–triple toe loop combination, helping her finish with 198.86 points and claim gold.

The result secured Bath a place in the Junior Grand Prix Final — a first for an Australian singles skater at either junior or senior level.

China’s Yuxuan Liu won the Short Program with her playful Grease routine and landed six triple jumps in the Free Skate. However, a missed triple Lutz dropped her to second overall with 188.04 points.

Switzerland’s Leandra Tzimpoukakis took bronze with 176.19 points.

Junior Men: Thailand Gets Its First Gold

Fifteen-year-old Hiro Kaewtathip made Thai skating history.

After finishing third in the Short Program, Kaewtathip delivered a powerful Free Skate to The Storm by Havasi. Two triple Axels helped him move to the top of the standings and win with a personal-best 233.73 points.

The victory made him the first Thai skater to win a Junior Grand Prix event and the first to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Korea’s Jaekeun Lee, who led after the Short Program, finished second with 228.75 points after mistakes on a triple Salchow and quadruple toe loop.

Japan’s Taiga Nishino earned bronze with 227.28 points, landing a quadruple toe and quadruple Salchow in his Free Skate.

Ice Dance: A Dramatic Comeback

Darya Grimm and Grigorii Rodin won gold in only their second international event together.

The German team placed second in the Rhythm Dance with a balletic performance to Giselle, but transformed their position in the Free Dance. Their program to Madonna’s Like a Prayer featured fast footwork and innovative lifts.

Despite Grimm dealing with a foot injury, the pair scored a personal best of 169.40 points to overtake overnight leaders Ambre Perrier Gianesini and Samuel Blanc Klaperman.

The French team finished second with 164.00 points, while U.S. newcomers Aneta Vaclavikova and William Lissauer took bronze with 159.05 points.

On the Road to the Final

A total of 93 skaters and couples from 41 nations competed in Ljubljana: 23 junior men, 36 junior women and 17 ice dance teams. There was no pairs event at this stop.

The Junior Grand Prix series consists of seven events held across seven countries. Skaters collect points throughout the series, with the top six in each discipline qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

2026/27 Junior Grand Prix Schedule

• August 20–22: Xi’an, China
• August 27–29: Riga, Latvia
• September 3–5: Bangkok, Thailand
• September 17–19: Ankara, Türkiye
• September 24–26: Batumi, Georgia
• October 1–3: Ljubljana, Slovenia
• October 8–10: Gdansk, Poland
• December 10–13: Junior Grand Prix Final, Chongqing, China

With only one regular-season stop remaining, the battle for the Final is entering its decisive stage.

Source: article on ice-skating.com published October 5, 2026.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer