ISU Junior Grand Prix in Japan

ISU Junior Grand Prix in Japan
StatusActive
GenreISU Junior Grand Prix
FrequencyOccasional
Country Japan
Inaugurated1999
Previous event2023
Next event2025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final
Organized byJapan Skating Federation

The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Japan – also known as the SBC Cup – is an international figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Japan Skating Federation (Japanese: 日本スケート連盟). It is held periodically as an event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP), a series of international competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. Medals may be awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

History

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) was established by the International Skating Union (ISU) in 1997 and consists of a series of seven international figure skating competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. The locations of the Junior Grand Prix events change every year. While all seven competitions feature the men's, women's, and ice dance events, only four competitions each season feature the pairs event. Skaters earn points based on their results each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are then invited to compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.[1]

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, 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).[2] Competitors are chosen by their respective skating federations. The number of entries allotted to each ISU member nation in each discipline is determined by their results at the prior World Junior Figure Skating Championships.[3]

Jennifer Kirk of the United States, and Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China, the 1999 SBC Cup champions in women's singles and pair skating, respectively

Japan hosted its first Junior Grand Prix competition in Nagano in 1999. Soshi Tanaka of Japan won the men's event, Jennifer Kirk of the United States won the women's event, Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China won the pairs event, and Flavia Ottaviani and Massimo Scali won the ice dance event.[4] The event has been held every few years in different cities: Nagano (2001);[5] Okaya (2003, 2005);[6][7] Karuizawa (2010);[8] Nagakute (2014);[9] Yokohama (2016);[10] and Osaka (2023).[11]

On July 3, 2020, the Japan Skating Federation cancelled its planned event in Yokohama, originally scheduled to be the fourth in the series, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The federation also announced on July 13 that it would not assign any skaters to the Junior Grand Prix if the competitions were to proceed as scheduled.[13] The International Skating Union eventually cancelled all scheduled Junior Grand Prix events for the 2020–21 season, citing increased travel and entry requirements between countries and potentially excessive sanitary and health care costs for those hosting competitions.[14]

The Japan Skating Federation has hosted the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, the culminating event of the Junior Grand Prix series, four times. The 2009 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Tokyo. Yuzuru Hanyu and Kanako Murakami, both of Japan, won the men's and women's events, respectively. Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China won the pairs event, while Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin won the ice dance event.[15] The 2013 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Fukuoka. Jin Boyang of China won the men's event, Maria Sotskova of Russia won the women's event, Yu Xiaoyu and Jin Yang of China won the pairs event, and Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia won the ice dance event.[16] The 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Nagoya. Alexei Krasnozhon of the United States won the men's event, Alexandra Trusova of Russia won the women's event, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor of Australia won the pairs event, and Anastasia Skoptsova and Kirill Aleshin of Russia won the ice dance event.[17] The 2025 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Nagoya. Seo Min-kyu of South Korea won the men's event, Mao Shimada of Japan won the women's event, Guo Rui and Zhang Yiwen of China won the pairs event, and Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin of the United States won the ice dance event.[18]

Medalists

The 2016 Junior Grand Prix in Yokohama champions: Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea (men's singles), Kaori Sakamoto of Japan (women's singles), and Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons of the United States (ice dance)

Men's singles

Men's event medalists
Year Location Gold Silver Bronze Ref.
1999 Nagano Soshi Tanaka Ma Xiaodong Stéphane Lambiel [4]
2001 Daisuke Takahashi Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari Shawn Sawyer [5]
2003 Okaya Evan Lysacek Kazumi Kishimoto Nobunari Oda [6]
2005 Takahiko Kozuka Guan Jinlin Sergei Voronov [7]
2009 Final Tokyo Yuzuru Hanyu Song Nan Ross Miner [15]
2010 Karuizawa Andrei Rogozine Max Aaron Abzal Rakimgaliev [8]
2013 Final Fukuoka Jin Boyang Adian Pitkeev Nathan Chen [16]
2014 Nagakute Shoma Uno Dmitri Aliev [9]
2016 Yokohama Cha Jun-hwan Vincent Zhou Alexey Erokhov [10]
2017 Final Nagoya Alexei Krasnozhon Camden Pulkinen Mitsuki Sumoto [17]
2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [19]
2023 Osaka François Pitot Lim Ju-heon Daniel Martynov [11]
2025 Final Nagoya Seo Min-kyu Rio Nakata Lucius Kazanecki [18]

Women's singles

Women's event medalists
Year Location Gold Silver Bronze Ref.
1999 Nagano Jennifer Kirk Yukari Nakano Marianne Dubuc [4]
2001 Akiko Suzuki Fang Dan [5]
2003 Okaya Miki Ando Mai Asada Aki Sawada [6]
2005 Aki Sawada Xu Binshu Juliana Cannarozzo [7]
2009 Final Tokyo Kanako Murakami Polina Shelepen Christina Gao [15]
2010 Karuizawa Risa Shōji Kiri Baga Zhang Kexin [8]
2013 Final Fukuoka Maria Sotskova Serafima Sakhanovich Evgenia Medvedeva [16]
2014 Nagakute Serafima Sakhanovich Yuka Nagai Elizabet Tursynbaeva [9]
2016 Yokohama Kaori Sakamoto Marin Honda Mako Yamashita [10]
2017 Final Nagoya Alexandra Trusova Alena Kostornaia Anastasia Tarakanova [17]
2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [19]
2023 Osaka Mao Shimada Yo Takagi Tsai Yu-Feng [11]
2025 Final Nagoya Kim Yu-seong Mei Okada [18]

Pairs

Pairs event medalists
Year Location Gold Silver Bronze Ref.
1999 Nagano
[4]
2001
No other competitors [5]
2003 Okaya
[6]
2005
  • Bianca Butler
  • Joseph Jacobsen
 [7]
2009 Final Tokyo [15]
2010 Karuizawa No pairs competition [8]
2013 Final Fukuoka [16]
2014 Nagakute No pairs competitions [9]
2016 Yokohama [10]
2017 Final Nagoya [17]
2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [19]
2023 Osaka No pairs competition [11]
2025 Final Nagoya
  • Guo Rui
  • Zhang Yiwen
  • Zhang Xuanqi
  • Feng Wenqiang
  • Ava Kemp
  • Yohnathan Elizarov
 [18]

Ice dance

Ice dance event medalists
Year Location Gold Silver Bronze Ref.
1999 Nagano [4]
2001
  • Miriam Steinel
  • Vladimir Tsvetkov
  • Daria Borisova
  • Alexandr Chepurnov
 [5]
2003 Okaya
[6]
2005
  • Polina Jakobs
  • Alexander Baidukov
 [7]
2009 Final Tokyo [15]
2010 Karuizawa
[8]
2013 Final Fukuoka [16]
2014 Nagakute [9]
2016 Yokohama
[10]
2017 Final Nagoya [17]
2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [19]
2023 Osaka
  • Célina Fradji
  • Jean-Hans Forneaux
 [11]
2025 Final Nagoya
  • Ambre Perrier Gianesini
  • Samuel Blanc Klaperman
  • Iryna Pidgaina
  • Artem Koval
 [18]

References

  1. ^ "ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 24, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  2. ^ "Communication No. 2655: Single & Pair Skating". International Skating Union. July 15, 2024. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2024/25 – Announcement". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e "1999/2000 Junior Grand Prix, 8th event – 1999 SBC Cup". The Figure Skating Corner. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d e "2001 Junior Grand Prix – SBC Cup". Tracings. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e "2003 Junior Grand Prix – SBC Cup". Tracings. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e "2005 JGP SBC Trophy". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e "2010 JGP SBC Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e "2014 JGP SBC Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e "2016 JGP Yokohama". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e "2023 JGP Osaka". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  12. ^ Japan Skating Federation [@skatingjapan] (July 3, 2020). "ISUジュニアグランプリシリーズ2020/21" [ISU Junior Grand Prix Series 2020/21] (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Japan Skating Federation [@skatingjapan] (July 13, 2020). "新型コロナウイルス感染症の情勢を考慮し、フィギュアスケートのISU ジュニアグランプリ大会およびチャレンジャーシリーズ大会への派遣中止を決定いたしました。" [Considering the new coronavirus infectious disease situation, we have decided to stop dispatching figure skaters to ISU Junior Grand Prix competition and Challenger Series competition.] (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "ISU Junior Grand Prix Series 2020/21 cancelled". International Skating Union. July 20, 2020. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d e "2009 Junior Grand Prix Final". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d e "2013 Jr Grand Prix Final". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d e "2017 Jr Grand Prix Final". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e "2025 Jr Grand Prix Final". Skating Scores.
  19. ^ a b c d "Communication No. 2289: Decisions of the Council". International Skating Union. October 19, 2019. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
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