The World Junior Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). The first World Junior Championships were held in 1976 in Megève, France, and the competition has been held every year since, except for 2021, when the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Skaters are eligible to compete at the World Junior Championships, provided they represent a member nation of the ISU and are selected by their respective federation, if they are at least 13 years old before July 1 of the respective season, but not yet 19 (for single skaters), 21 (for men and women in ice dance and women in pair skating), or 23 (for men in pair skating). Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The corresponding competition for senior-level skaters is the World Figure Skating Championships.
Rio Nakata of Japan and Adam Rippon of the United States are currently tied for winning the most World Junior Championship titles in men's singles (with two each), while Mao Shimada of Japan holds the record in women's singles (with four). Natalia Krestianinova and Alexei Torchinski of the Soviet Union are tied with Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China for winning the most titles in pair skating (with three each), while Luka Berulava of Georgia also won three World Junior Championship titles in pair skating, but with different partners. Elena Krykanova and Evgeni Platov of the Soviet Union hold the record in ice dance (with three).
History The International Skating Union (ISU) adopted legislation in 1975 establishing the Junior Figure Skating Championships. The championships were established on a two-year trial basis with the understanding that if they were successful, they would be renamed the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The inaugural World Junior Championships took place in Megève, France, in 1976. No skaters were permitted to compete who had previously competed at the European Championships, World Championships, or the Winter Olympics, nor could they have previously won a medal at any international senior-level competition. Those prohibitions were removed in 1980. Mark Cockerell and Suzie Brasher of the United States won the inaugural men's and women's event, respectively. Sherri Baier and Robin Cowan of Canada won the inaugural pairs event, and Kathryn Winter and Nicholas Slater of Great Britain won the inaugural ice dance event.
Controversy arose at the 1977 World Junior Championships when South Africa entered skaters in the competition. The Soviet Union filed a written protest with the ISU demanding that South African skaters be barred from competing in response to South Africa's apartheid policies. When the ISU refused, the Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact (Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania) boycotted the competition. In response, the ISU placed a "temporary restriction of not taking part in ISU championships" on skaters from South Africa, although South Africa was not expelled from the ISU.
The competition was elevated to World status beginning in 1978 and the first official World Junior Championships were again held in Megève. They were held without interruption until 2021. The 2021 World Junior Championships were originally scheduled to be held in Harbin, China; however, the ISU announced the cancellation of the event on November 24, 2020, citing "the pandemic developments and related impact on the organizers and participants." The World Junior Championships were the second ISU Championship event to be cancelled during the 2020–21 season, following the cancellation of the 2021 Four Continents Championships on October 16. The 2020–21 ISU Junior Grand Prix series had also been cancelled earlier in the season, on July 20. With the cancellation of the World Junior Championships, there was effectively no opportunity for junior-level skaters to compete during the 2020–21 season.
Qualifying Skaters may compete at the World Junior Championships if they represent a member nation of the International Skating Union (ISU) and are selected by their federation. Member nations select their entries according to their own criteria. Some countries rely on the results of their national championships while others have more varied criteria, which may include success at certain international events or specific technical requirements. All of the selected skaters must have earned the minimum total element scores, which are determined and published each season by the ISU during the current or immediately previous season. Member nations may enter at least one competitor or team in each discipline; a points system allows member nations to enter additional competitors or teams, up to a total of three per discipline, based on the nation's performance in that discipline at the previous World Junior Championships.
Skaters are eligible to compete on the junior-level circuit if they are at least 13 years old before July 1 of the respective season, and if they have not yet turned 19 (for single skaters), 21 (for males and females in ice dance, and females in pair skating) or 23 (for males in pair skating).
Medalists
Men's singles +Men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1976 Megève Mark Cockerell Takashi Mura Brian Pockar 1977 Daniel Beland Mark Pepperday Richard Furrer 1978 Dennis Coi Vladimir Kotin Brian Boitano 1979 Augsburg Vitali Egorov Bobby Beauchamp Alexandre Fadeev 1980 Megève Alexandre Fadeev Vitali Egorov Falko Kirsten 1981 London Paul Wylie Yuri Bureiko Scott Williams 1982 Oberstdorf Scott Williams Paul Guerrero Alexander König 1983 Sarajevo Christopher Bowman Philippe Roncoli Nils Köpp 1984 Sapporo Viktor Petrenko Marc Ferland Tom Cierniak 1985 Colorado Springs Erik Larson Vladimir Petrenko Rudy Galindo 1986 Sarajevo Vladimir Petrenko Rudy Galindo Yuriy Tsymbalyuk 1987 Kitchener Rudy Galindo Todd Eldredge 1988 Brisbane Todd Eldredge Vyacheslav Zahorodnyuk 1989 Sarajevo Vyacheslav Zahorodnyuk Shepherd Clark Masakazu Kagiyama 1990 Colorado Springs Igor Pashkevich Alexei Urmanov John Baldwin 1991 Budapest Vasili Eremenko Alexander Abt Nicolas Pétorin 1992 Hull Dmytro Dmytrenko Konstantin Kostin Damon Allen 1993 Seoul Evgeni Pliuta Michael Weiss Ilia Kulik 1994 Colorado Springs Michael Weiss Naoki Shigematsu Jere Michael 1995 Budapest Ilia Kulik Thierry Cerez Seiichi Suzuki 1996 Brisbane Alexei Yagudin Takeshi Honda Guo Zhengxin 1997 Seoul Evgeni Plushenko Timothy Goebel 1998 Saint John Derrick Delmore Sergei Davydov Li Yunfei 1999 Zagreb Ilia Klimkin Vincent Restencourt Yosuke Takeuchi 2000 Oberstdorf Stefan Lindemann Matthew Savoie 2001 Sofia Johnny Weir Evan Lysacek Vincent Restencourt 2002 Hamar Daisuke Takahashi Kevin van der Perren Stanislav Timchenko 2003 Ostrava Alexander Shubin Evan Lysacek Alban Préaubert 2004 The Hague Andrei Griazev Jordan Brauninger 2005 Kitchener Nobunari Oda Yannick Ponsero Sergei Dobrin 2006 Ljubljana Takahiko Kozuka Sergei Voronov Yannick Ponsero 2007 Oberstdorf Stephen Carriere Patrick Chan Sergei Voronov 2008 Sofia Adam Rippon Artem Borodulin Guan Jinlin 2009 Michal Březina Artem Grigoriev 2010 The Hague Yuzuru Hanyu Song Nan Artur Gachinski 2011 Gangneung Andrei Rogozine Keiji Tanaka Alexander Majorov 2012 Minsk Yan Han Joshua Farris Jason Brown 2013 Milan Joshua Farris Jason Brown Shotaro Omori 2014 Sofia Nam Nguyen Adian Pitkeev Nathan Chen 2015 Tallinn Shoma Uno Jin Boyang Sōta Yamamoto 2016 Debrecen Daniel Samohin Nicolas Nadeau Tomoki Hiwatashi 2017 Taipei City Vincent Zhou Dmitri Aliev Alexander Samarin 2018 Sofia Alexey Erokhov Artur Danielian Matteo Rizzo 2019 Zagreb Tomoki Hiwatashi Roman Savosin Daniel Grassl 2020 Tallinn Andrei Mozalev Yuma Kagiyama Petr Gumennik 2021 Harbin Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Tallinn Ilia Malinin Mikhail Shaidorov Tatsuya Tsuboi 2023 Calgary Kao Miura Naoki Rossi Nozomu Yoshioka 2024 Taipei City Seo Min-kyu Rio Nakata Adam Hagara 2025 Debrecen Rio Nakata Seo Min-kyu 2026 Tallinn Taiga Nishino
Women's singles +Women's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1976 Megève Suzie Brasher Garnet Ostermeier Tracey Solomons 1977 Carolyn Skoczen Christa Jorda Corine Wyrsch 1978 Jill Sawyer Kira Ivanova Petra Ernert 1979 Augsburg Elaine Zayak Manuela Ruben Jacki Farrell 1980 Megève Rosalynn Sumners Kay Thomson Carola Paul 1981 London Tiffany Chin Marina Serova Anna Antonova 1982 Oberstdorf Janina Wirth Cornelia Tesch Elizabeth Manley 1983 Sarajevo Simone Koch Karin Hendschke Parthena Sarafidis 1984 Sapporo Karin Hendschke Simone Koch Midori Ito 1985 Colorado Springs Tatiana Andreeva Susanne Becher Natalia Gorbenko 1986 Sarajevo Natalia Gorbenko Linda Florkevich 1987 Kitchener Cindy Bortz Shannon Allison 1988 Brisbane Kristi Yamaguchi Junko Yaginuma Yukiko Kashihara 1989 Sarajevo Jessica Mills Surya Bonaly 1990 Colorado Springs Yuka Sato Surya Bonaly Tanja Krienke 1991 Budapest Surya Bonaly Lisa Ervin Chen Lu 1992 Hull Laëtitia Hubert 1993 Seoul Kumiko Koiwai Tanja Szewczenko 1994 Colorado Springs Michelle Kwan Krisztina Czakó Irina Slutskaya 1995 Budapest Irina Slutskaya Elena Ivanova Krisztina Czakó 1996 Brisbane Elena Ivanova Elena Pingacheva Nadezhda Kanaeva 1997 Seoul Sydne Vogel Elena Sokolova Elena Ivanova 1998 Saint John Julia Soldatova Elena Ivanova Viktoria Volchkova 1999 Zagreb Daria Timoshenko Sarah Hughes 2000 Oberstdorf Jennifer Kirk Deanna Stellato Sarah Meier 2001 Sofia Kristina Oblasova Ann Patrice McDonough Susanna Pöykiö 2002 Hamar Ann Patrice McDonough Yukari Nakano Miki Ando 2003 Ostrava Yukina Ota Miki Ando Carolina Kostner 2004 The Hague Miki Ando Kimmie Meissner Katy Taylor 2005 Kitchener Mao Asada Yuna Kim Emily Hughes 2006 Ljubljana Yuna Kim Mao Asada Christine Zukowski 2007 Oberstdorf Caroline Zhang Mirai Nagasu Ashley Wagner 2008 Sofia Rachael Flatt Caroline Zhang Mirai Nagasu 2009 Alena Leonova Ashley Wagner 2010 The Hague Kanako Murakami Agnes Zawadzki Polina Agafonova 2011 Gangneung Adelina Sotnikova Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Agnes Zawadzki 2012 Minsk Yulia Lipnitskaya Gracie Gold Adelina Sotnikova 2013 Milan Elena Radionova Yulia Lipnitskaya Anna Pogorilaya 2014 Sofia Serafima Sakhanovich Evgenia Medvedeva 2015 Tallinn Evgenia Medvedeva Serafima Sakhanovich Wakaba Higuchi 2016 Debrecen Marin Honda Maria Sotskova 2017 Taipei City Alina Zagitova Marin Honda Kaori Sakamoto 2018 Sofia Alexandra Trusova Alena Kostornaia Mako Yamashita 2019 Zagreb Anna Shcherbakova Ting Cui 2020 Tallinn Kamila Valieva Daria Usacheva Alysa Liu 2021 Harbin Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Tallinn Isabeau Levito Shin Ji-a Lindsay Thorngren 2023 Calgary Mao Shimada Ami Nakai 2024 Taipei City Rena Uezono 2025 Debrecen Elyce Lin-Gracey 2026 Tallinn Hana Bath Mayuko Oka
Pairs +Pairs event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1976 Megève 1977 No other competitors 1978 1979 Augsburg 1980 Megève 1981 London 1982 Oberstdorf 1983 Sarajevo 1984 Sapporo 1985 Colorado Springs 1986 Sarajevo 1987 Kitchener 1988 Brisbane 1989 Sarajevo 1990 Colorado Springs 1991 Budapest 1992 Hull 1993 Seoul 1994 Colorado Springs 1995 Budapest 1996 Brisbane 1997 Seoul 1998 Saint John 1999 Zagreb 2000 Oberstdorf 2001 Sofia 2002 Hamar 2003 Ostrava 2004 The Hague 2005 Kitchener 2006 Ljubljana 2007 Oberstdorf 2008 Sofia 2009 2010 The Hague 2011 Gangneung 2012 Minsk 2013 Milan 2014 Sofia 2015 Tallinn 2016 Debrecen 2017 Taipei City 2018 Sofia 2019 Zagreb 2020 Tallinn 2021 Harbin Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Tallinn 2023 Calgary 2024 Taipei City 2025 Debrecen 2026 Tallinn
Ice dance