Photo Credit: Getty Images
Leah Neset and Artem Markelov took home the World Junior crown Saturday in Taipei, Taiwan, to complete a perfect season.
The team from Colorado Springs, Colorado, won the free dance, topping the overall standings by more than seven points. The gold marks Team USA’s third title in the last four years the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships have been held and 12th overall.
Capping off an undefeated 2023-24 season, Neset and Markelov secured six golds during the campaign. They started their year with a win at the Lake Placid Ice Dance International before winning gold at their two Junior Grand Prix assignments and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. In January, they became the first athletes to win three U.S. junior championships before finishing the 2023-24 season by solidifying themselves as the best junior ice dance team in the world.
Skating to "Anytime Anywhere" by Sarah Brightman and "Cry" by Thomas Bergerson, Neset and Markelov’s came out strong in the free dance as their first three elements all recorded grades of execution of more than two points. Their performance, which was awarded 99.60 points, featured three Level 4 elements, including their combination lift, which scored an incredible 13.78 points – the highest-scoring element of the competition.
They finished the competition with a total of 169.76 to clinch their first World Junior Championships medal.
Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal earned a top-five result in their World Junior debut. They tallied 92.44 points for their free dance and 154.09 points overall.
In their performance set to music from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, the sibling duo showcased a strong Level 4 combination lift that received just under 13 points.
Yahli Pedersen and Jeffrey Chen jumped up four spots in the standings after the free dance to finish ninth overall with 144.55 points.
Together less than a year after teaming up in April 2023, they finished eighth in the free dance with a score of 87.74. Their strongest elements came in the middle of the routine with their synchronized twizzles and circular step sequence.
In the men’s competition, Jacob Sanchez closed out his World Junior Championships debut with a top-10 result. He claimed 199.17 points overall, including 125.82 in the free skate.
Daniel Martynov wrapped up his second appearance at the World Junior Championships with a free skate score of 124.14 and a total score of 195.83. He finished 13th overall.
Click here for full results at the 2024 World Junior Championships.
