SHANGHAI, August 21. /TASS/. Russian figure skaters Maria Fefelova and Artyom Valov won the gold medal at the Grand Prix stage for juniors hosted by the International Skating Union (ISU) in China’s Xi’an.

The Russians scored 162.16 points (63.10 for the rhythm dance + 99.06 for the free dance). Italy’s Zoe Bianchi and Daniel Basile finished second with 154.25 points (57.96+96.29), while Canada’s Summer Homick and Nicholas Buelow placed third with 143.68 points (55.94+87.74).

The ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix series 2026/27 is taking place in Xi’an through August 22.

The ISU allowed Russian skaters to take part in international competitions as neutral athletes in the 2026/27 season.

Russian figure skaters have largely been absent from international tournaments since February 2022. Adelia Petrosyan and Pyotr Gumennik, who took part in the Olympic Games in Italy and finished sixth, were the only Russian skaters to do so.