Leah Neset and Artem Markelov are no strangers to winning gold on the national scene, entering the 2022-23 season as the two-time reigning U.S. junior champions.
To start the 2022-23 season, they've continued their winning ways internationally, clinching gold at the first ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating event of the season this past weekend in Bangkok, Thailand.
Neset and Markelov, who kicked off their season with a win at the 2023 Lake Placid Ice Dance International, crushed the competition with a total score of 168.47 – a new personal best – to earn their first Junior Grand Prix gold by more than 17 points.
They established a strong lead after the rhythm dance with an international personal best score of 68.99. Ending with their strongest element, the midline step sequence, Neset and Markelov were the only competitors to earn more than 10 points on an element during the segment, receiving 11.72 points with a grade of execution of 3.14.
The following day, Neset and Markelov's free dance to "Anytime Anywhere" by Sarah Brightman and "Cry" by Thomas Bergerson including two elements that secured more than 10 points, including their Level 4 combination lift, which was awarded more than 13 points from the judges. They wrapped up the ice dance competition and put an exclamation mark on their competition with a free dance that tallied 99.48 points, another international personal best.
In the men's event,
Jacob Sanchez finished just off the podium in fourth. In his return to the Junior Grand Prix Series for the first time since 2021, Sanchez continued his momentum from the end of the 2022-23 season when he won gold at Coupe du Printemps.
He broke his international personal best score in the short program by nearly seven points with a score of 77.69. His performance to "Singin' In the Rain" and "Rain Dance" was highlighted by a triple flip-triple toe loop combination in the second half of the program, which earned 11.43 points. However, Sanchez dropped to fourth overall in the standings after the free skate, scoring 123.80 for a two-day total of 201.49.
Michael Xie also represented Team USA, claiming sixth place with a total score of 181.06.
In the women's event,
Annika Chao was not only making her first appearance at a Junior Grand Prix but competing at the junior level for the first time internationally. She finished fifth in her debut with a total score of 164.04, surpassing her previous personal bests for her short program, free skate and total score.
For full results, visit theÂ
U.S. Figure Skating Competition Central.
