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Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin perform together on the ice during a pairs or ice dance routine. Hana Maria wears a light blue, sparkly costume with a flowing sheer skirt and has long, brown hair that streams behind her as she moves across the ice. She raises one arm above her head and extends one leg behind her while looking toward Daniil. Daniil wears a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants, with short, dark brown hair slicked back. He skates alongside her while holding her hand.
Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating

Aboian and Veselukhin Aim to Extend Win Streak at Junior Grand Prix Turkey

Thirteen skaters to represent United States in Ankara

9/15/2026 12:00:00 PM

By: Abby Farrell
World Junior ice dance champions Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin lead a 13-skater U.S. contingent this week at the fourth event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series in Ankara, Turkey. The competition takes place Sept. 17-19 at the Ümitköy Ice Skating Complex.

Here is what you need to know before the competition begins:  
 
Event: ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Ankara
When: Sept. 17-19, 2026  
Where: Ankara, Turkey
Watch: All Junior Grand Prix competitions are streamed live on the ISU YouTube channel

U.S. ENTRIES AT JGP TURKEY
Athlete | Hometown | Training Town

Men
Ryan Azadpour | Wilsonville, Ore. | Snoqualmie, Wash.*
Kirk Haugeto | Anaheim, Calif. | Irvine, Calif.

Women
Jessica Jurka | Parker, Colo. | Colorado Springs, Colo.

Pairs
Sofia Jarmoc and Luke Witkowski | Boston, Mass.; Boston, Mass | Norwood, Mass.
Kaitlyn Oh and Aaron Felberbaum | Northbrook, Ill.; Selkirk, N.Y. | Park Ridge, Ill.*
Elizabeth Yun and Mitchell Castelletti | Irvine, Calif.; Roseville, Minn. | Bloomington, Minn.*

Ice Dance
Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin | Woodbridge, Conn.; Newington, Conn. | Newington, Conn.
Effie Chen and Gordei Chitipakhovian | Boston, Mass. | St. Petersburg, Russia | Novi, Mich.*

* Indicates Junior Grand Prix debut  


Aboian and Veselukhin look to extend an undefeated streak that began last season with gold at the 2026 Lake Placid Ice Dance International and included wins at both of their Junior Grand Prix Series events, the Junior Grand Prix Final and their second consecutive U.S. junior ice dance title. A medal in Ankara would mark their sixth podium finish on the JGP circuit.

Fellow ice dancers Effie Chen and Gordei Chitipakhovian will make their JGP debut. The duo, who teamed up in June 2025, will compete together internationally for the first time.

Sofia Jarmoc and Luke Witkowski lead the way for the U.S. pairs entries. The 2026 U.S. junior pairs silver medalists will vie for their second career JGP medal. The team that trains in Norwood, Massachusetts, placed fourth at JGP China last month.

Elizabeth Yun and Mitchell Castelletti enter their second season together and will make their JGP debut. The 2025 U.S. novice pairs champions secured the bronze medal at the 2026 Denver International Cup last season.

A new team, Kaitlyn Oh and Aaron Felberbaum will make their international competitive debut at this event. The pair has earned two podium finishes at National Qualifying Series events so far this season. 

In the men's event, Kirk Haugeto returns to the JGP Series for the first time since 2022. The 2025 U.S. junior men's pewter medalist opened this season with a sixth-place finish at the 2026 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy. 

Ryan Azadpour will make his JGP debut. Last month, the skater hailing from Wilsonville, Oregon, earned a sixth-place finish at the 2026 Cranberry Cup International.

Jessica Jurka will represent the U.S. in the women's event. Last season, the Colorado native earned a top-10 finish at her JGP debut in Thailand before securing the pewter medal at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.

Competition kicks off Thursday, Sept 17 at 3 a.m. ET with the women's pairs and men's short programs. The rhythm dance opens competition on Friday, Sept. 18 at 3:15 a.m. ET, followed by the pairs and women's free skates. Medals will be awarded in the men's and ice dance events on Saturday, Sept. 19. Competition begins at 3 a.m. ET.  

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, which started in 1997, 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 2026, which will take place Dec. 10-13 in Chongqing, China.  

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 website
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