XI'AN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Individual Neutral Athletes led all three events contested on the opening day of the ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Xi'an 2026 on Thursday, with China's Liu Yuxuan placing third in the women's short program and two Chinese pairs finishing second and third.
In the women's short program, Individual Neutral Athlete Sofiia Dzepka topped the standings with 72.74 points, followed by Japan's Karin Miyazaki on 67.21.
Liu, making her international debut, scored 66.72 points to finish third, just 0.49 points behind Miyazaki.
China's Jin Chenxi and Jin Shuxian placed sixth and eighth, respectively.
13-year-old Liu said she was pleased with her performance and achieved her goal of expressing herself and enjoying her jazz-style program.
"I felt excited and a little nervous, but I tried to manage my nerves so that I could perform at my best," Liu said.
In the pairs' short program, Individual Neutral Athletes Polina Shesheleva and Egor Karnaukhov led the standings with 65.54 points.
China's Chen Yuxuan and Dong Yinbo ranked second with 53.88 points, while compatriots Wang Chenling and Chen Yongzheng placed third with 49.61.
Chen said the throw jump was still a relatively new element for the pair, and their success rate was not yet fully consistent.
In the ice dance rhythm dance, Individual Neutral Athletes Mariia Fefelova and Artem Valov took the lead with 63.10 points. Italy's Zoe Bianchi and Daniel Basile ranked second, while Americans Annelise Stapert and Maxim Korotcov placed third.
China's Li Zhixuan and Ge Quanshuo were the highest-ranked Chinese duo, finishing eighth.
The Xi'an event is the opening stop of the seven-event ISU Junior Grand Prix series for the 2026-27 season, attracting 116 skaters from 32 countries and regions.
The competition continues on Friday with the men's short program, ice dance free dance and women's free skating. Enditem
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