Photo credit Getty Images
By Kristen Henneman
Both U.S. teams competing at the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 in Gothenburg, Sweden, are in medal position going into the free skate Saturday as Skyliners junior claimed second and Teams Elite secured third in the short program.
If both teams were to finish on the podium Saturday, it would mark the second time Team USA has had two teams stand on the podium at the World Junior Championships. Skyliners junior and Teams Elite earned silver and bronze, respectively, in 2022.
Skyliners junior, the reigning World Junior bronze medalists, also look to keep their medal streak alive. They have brought home hardware from the World Junior Championships the last five years they've attended (2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018).
No U.S. team – at any level – has ever won gold at a World Championships. Skyliners junior holds the record for the best result by a junior team with silver in 2022 and 2018.
Skyliners junior scored a new season’s best for their short program with 73.51 points, trailing Les Supremes of Canada by just 0.32 points.
The 2025 U.S. silver medalists and five-time World Junior medalists tallied the highest total element score of the event for their performance to "Nessun Dorma" by The Tenors, earning Level 4 marks on their first four elements. Skyliners junior was also awarded grades of execution of over 2.00 on three of their elements. Their Level 4 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection was their highest-scoring element, generating 9.43 points.
“Our season has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Putting out a skate that was filled with emotion and purpose was our goal,” Skyliners junior skater Emily Duarte said. “I felt that our skate wasn’t the best we were capable of, but definitely one to remember.”
The reigning U.S. champions, Teams Elite claimed 72.85 points for third place in the short program standings.
Skating to "Lacrimosa" by Mozart, Teams Elite came out strong with a pivoting block that earned 8.45 points, a Level 4 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection that generated 9.11 points and a Level 4 twizzle element that added 8.45 points to their total. Overall, they secured Level 4 designations on four elements to kick off their third appearance at the World Junior Championships.
Teams Elite won gold at both their Challenger Series events this season. They sit less than a point out of the lead.
“It went as best as it possibly could,” Teams Elite skater Maddie Ortiz said. “We put everything out there and had no regrets. It was everything we could’ve hoped for.”
Competition concludes Saturday with the free skate. Visit the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone for live results and how to watch information.
