Russian skaters sweep golds on international comeback (VIDEOS)

Junior figure skaters won all four disciplines at an ISU Grand Prix event in China after a four-year absence

Russian junior figure skaters have won gold medals in all four disciplines at an ISU Junior Grand Prix event in China, following a four-year absence from the competition due to an international ban. The event concluded in Xi’an on Saturday, with the Russians competing as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs).

Polina Shesheleva and Egor Karnaukhov claimed the pairs title after finishing first in both the short program and free skate. They earned a combined 191.84 points, ahead of China’s Chen Yuxuan and Dong Yinbo, who took silver with 157.52.

🇨🇳 | ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Xi'An 2026
✔️Junior Pairs | Short Program

⚪️Polina Shesheleva and Egor Karnaukhov
✅Score: 65.54#JGPFigure #JGPXiAn #FigureSkating pic.twitter.com/rw53LYFieR

— Figure Skating ❄️⛸️ (@majuskating) August 20, 2026

Lev Lazarev won the men’s competition with 250.21 points after also topping both programs. New Zealand’s Li Yanhao finished second with 230.89 points, while Japan’s Daiya Ebihara took bronze with 219.76.

Sofia Dzepka secured the women’s title with 213.28 points, while Maria Fefelova and Artyom Valov rounded out the Russian victories by winning the ice-dance competition with 162.16 points.

shesheleva/karnaukhov 100% a class act our stunning first pair pic.twitter.com/Mq8sBNHAcf

— uu (@archerxprey) August 22, 2026

Russian figure skaters were excluded from most international events in 2022 in response to the Ukraine conflict. The International Skating Union (ISU) suspended athletes from Russia and Belarus in March of that year.

Several international federations have since restored Russian participation. In April, the women’s water polo team became the first Russian national squad in four years to compete at a major team event under the country’s flag and anthem after World Aquatics fully lifted its restrictions.

LEV LAZAREV FREE SKATE HE WINS at JUNIOR GRAND PRIX XI’AN 2026🥇

3 Clean Quads ‼️

🎶”The Little Prince”🎶 FS 163.45 and OVERALL 250.21 won by 19.32 points! pic.twitter.com/K8Gaxuj4vJ

— Figure Skating Stuff (@figureskatinghq) August 22, 2026

On June 30, the ISU approved the return of eligible Russian and Belarusian skaters for the 2026–27 season following their participation as neutral athletes at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

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The IOC provisionally reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee in July, a move welcomed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said that “common sense has prevailed.”

Russian officials have repeatedly denounced what they have called the “politicization” of sports. President Vladimir Putin has accused the IOC leadership of “flagrantly flouting the Olympic ideals they should be defending,” while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the West of engaging in “sports aggression.”