Above photo credit: Getty Images
By Abby Farrell
Elyce-Lin Gracey brought home the bronze in the women’s event on the final day of the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Debrecen, Hungary.
The 2023 U.S. junior bronze medalist’s podium finish marks the first World Junior Championships medal for Team USA in the women’s event since Isabeau Levito and Lindsay Thorngren claimed gold and bronze, respectively, in 2022.
In the midst of a breakout season, Lin-Gracey, whose score at 2024 Nebelhorn Trophy is the fifth-highest score in the world this season, moved up from fourth after the short program to third after securing 122.60 points in the free skate.
Her medal-winning performance to music from the ballet Cléopâtre didn’t get off to the best start, earning a negative grade of execution on her triple Lutz-triple toe loop, but Lin-Gracey came roaring back, skating clean the rest of the way. Her triple flip-double Axel-double toe loop sequence in the second half of her program put an exclamation mark on the skate, earning 11.27 points.
Combined with a program component score of 58.07 points, Lin-Gracey clinched her place on the podium with a final tally of 188.71 points.
2025 U.S. junior champion Sophie Joline von Felten also represented Team USA, finishing 18th overall with 165.40 points, including 111.47 points in the free skate.
In the pairs event, 2024 World Junior silver medalists Olivia Flores and Luke Wang moved up from eighth after the short program to sixth overall with a total score of 148.40.
Their free skate to music from The Lion King by Hans Zimmer placed fifth in the segment standings and was highlighted by their reverse lasso lift that contributed 6.98 points. They received a free skate score of 97.38.
Finishing ninth were Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer with 146.86 points overall. Placing sixth in the free skate, the 2024 World Junior bronze medalists executed three Level 4 elements, including two lifts and a combination spin to earn a free skate score of 95.91.
For full results from the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2025, click here.
