Eight U.S. Athletes Head to Second Junior Grand Prix Series Event in France

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Aug. 24, 2021) - Eight U.S. athletes are headed to the second event of the 2021 International Skating Union (ISU) Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) Series this week in Courchevel, France. This is the second consecutive event hosted in Courchevel; the event was originally scheduled to take place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but was relocated due to local quarantine regulations. Competition starts on Thursday, Aug. 26, with the women’s and men’s short programs. The rhythm dance and women’s free skate will take place on Friday, Aug. 27, and the event will conclude with the men’s free skate and free dance on Saturday, Aug. 28.

Isabeau Levito will headline the U.S.

contingent in the women’s competition. Levito is the 2021 U.S. junior champion and will be making her junior international debut in Courchevel. Josephine Lee will make her JGP debut and trains out of Lakewood, California.

In the men’s competition, Maxim Zharkov and Kai Kovar will both make their JGP debuts in France. Zharkov won the junior competition of the 2021 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series presented by Toyota and finished 12th in the junior field at the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Kovar is based in Ogden, Utah, and finished 11th in the junior competition at the 2020 U.S. Championships.

In the ice dance field, 2021 U.S. junior silver medalists Oona Brown and Gage Brown will take the ice in their fifth JGP event. The Browns finished 10th at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2020. Isabella Flores and Dimitry Tsarevski will also represent the U.S. in France, making their JGP debut as a team. The 2021 U.S. junior pewter medalists teamed up in 2020 and recently won the junior competition at the 2021 Lake Placid Ice Dance International.

Entering its 24th season, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series consists of seven international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. Each athlete is eligible to score points in two of the seven scheduled events (pairs can compete in two of four designated events). Depending on the developments during the JGP Series, the ISU Council will evaluate if and how the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2021 (scheduled to be held on December 9-12, 2021, in Osaka, Japan) could be held by applying alternative qualification criteria.

The ISU will stream the event live on its YouTube page. Fans can follow along on the JGP Series Competition Central page on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.

 

U.S. ENTRIES AT JGP FRANCE 2
Athlete | Hometown | Training Town

Women
Josephine Lee | Irvine, Calif. | Lakewood, Calif.
Isabeau Levito | Mount Holly, N.J. | Mount Laurel, N.J.

Men
Kai Kovar | Ogden, Utah | Ogden, Utah
Maxim Zharkov | Coral Springs, Fla. | Coral Springs, Fla.

Ice dance
Oona Brown and Gage Brown | Long Island, N.Y. | Dix Hills, N.Y.
Isabella Flores and Dimitry Tsarevski | Colorado Springs, Colo.; Lakewood, Colo. | Colorado Springs, Colo.