Ukrainian figure skater Yegor Kurtsev won a silver medal at the ISU Junior Grand Prix stage in Ankara, scoring 201.95 points. This is his first medal at tournaments of this level in his career, and for Ukrainian men's singles skating — the first award at the Junior Grand Prix in seven years.
The previous similar success dates back to 2019, when Ivan Shmuratko won bronze at the stage in Annecy. Since then, Ukrainian male figure skaters have not appeared on the Junior Grand Prix podium — and this gap explains why Kurtsev's result matters more than a typical medal from the season's opening.
Short program record as a practical signal
In the short program, which Yegor has been performing since the previous season, he received 71.00 points — a new personal record that exceeded his previous score of 70.05 points, set at the World Junior Championships. For the coaching staff, this means one thing: the technique has stabilized to the point that even the "old" program now brings higher judge scores.
In the free program, the athlete performed with a new routine and added 130.95 points, finishing second only to Japan's Daiji Ebihara.
For Ukrainian figure skater Yegor Kurtsev, these competitions became his first international start of the new competitive season
This formulation from the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, which UNN cites, is important precisely because of the word "first": the medal was won not at the height of the season, but at the start — meaning the base that the athlete showed is calculated for even higher results in subsequent stages.
From Bakuriani to Ankara
Kurtsev already had gold at the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Bakuriani-2025, but the Junior Grand Prix — is a different level of competition where representatives of leading figure skating nations compete, including Japan. The transition from a continental youth tournament to the world Junior Grand Prix and immediately a medal — is a sign that the progress was not a one-time flash.
The next stages of the series will be a test: whether Kurtsev will be able to maintain or improve the 201.95 points result when competitors also show updated programs. If so — Ukraine will get its first real candidate in seven years for the Junior Grand Prix final in men's singles skating.
