2025-26 OES News

[Sylvia]

2026 Olympics-qualified and/or citizenship-related news of OES skaters is being posted in this GSD thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...s-figure-skating-qualification.111830/page-17
For example (just posted today), UKR-born Fedir Kulish was granted Latvian citizenship by the parliament to be able to compete as Latvia's second man at the Olympics (also discussed: Reitan/Majorov, Danilova/Tsiba).

Kimmy Repond is landing all her triples again in practice (per social media) but is not scheduled to compete in this week's Nationals, according to the Swiss Skating Updates account (fsfanupdates_CH) on X who shared the link to the host Club Pattinaggio Lugano's Swiss Nationals program book (15 pages): https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...8/1765919274369/Booklet_CS26_Lugano_FINAL.pdf
Screenshot: https://x.com/fsfanupdates_CH/status/2001434444658299287

https://twitter.com/x/status/2001434444658299287

 

[Sylvia]

Olympic Team Austria's post last week for Olga Mikutina:

Olympic Team Austria on Instagram: "Unterstütze Eiskunstläuferin Olga Mikutina auf ihrem Weg zu den Olympischen Spielen @milanocortina2026 🥇🥈🥉 Jeder Beitrag hilft, die gezielte Vorbereitung auf den Saisonhöhepunkt zu ermöglichen, um Österreich auf d

243 likes, 1 comments - olympic_team_austria on December 18, 2025: "Unterstütze Eiskunstläuferin Olga Mikutina auf ihrem Weg zu den Olympischen Spielen @milanocortina2026 🥇🥈🥉 Jeder Beitrag hilft, die gezielte Vorbereitung auf den Saisonhöhepunkt zu ermöglichen, um Österreich auf der größten...

www.instagram.com

Olga Mikutina's post a few days ago:

𝐎𝐋𝐆𝐀 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀 on Instagram: "When I’m on the ice, I’m happy – there I can be completely myself. I love figure skating because I can do things others can’t, because I can express myself artistically, and because I perform for an audience that supports

Olga Mikutina's inspiring journey to figure skating success is driven by her passion, artistic expression, and desire to represent Austria on the world stage. With a 17-year competitive career, she's participated in the 2022 Winter Olympics and is training for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano...

www.instagram.com

Her crowdfunding page for the 2026 Olympics: https://www.ibelieveinyou.at/de/project/470/road-to-milano-cortina-2026

ETA the federation's recap of Austrian Nationals (Dec. 13, 2025):

Österreichische Meisterschaften 2026: Emotionen, Heimsiege und große Träume - Skate Austria

Ganz ohne Sprünge können sich Läufer:innen im Solo Dance aufs Gleiten und Performance konzentrieren. Bei den Impulstagen im Mai kann man mehr darüber erfahren.

skateaustria.at

 

[Sylvia]

Swiss fed's recap of Nationals (Dec. 23, 2025; French version):

https://www.swissiceskating.ch/fr/news/schweizermeisterschaften-eiskunstlauf-2026

Senior events:

In the men's race, Lukas Britschgi (EC Frauenfeld) left no room for doubt. Solid and consistent, he secured his sixth national title. With the European Championships approaching in January, where he will defend his continental title, and the Winter Olympics just 50 days away, everything is looking good. Behind him, Ean Weiler (CP Champéry) confirmed his progress with the silver medal, while Georgii Pavlov (EC Zurich-Oerlikon) completed the podium.

In the women's competition, the future took center stage. In the absence of Kimmy Repond, Leandra Tzimpoukakis (Dübendorfer EC) dominated the competition. At just 16 years old, she secured the national title with remarkably mature and confident performances. Livia Kaiser (Dübendorfer EC) took the silver medal, making a convincing comeback, ahead of Anastasia Brandenburg (EC Rapperswil-Jona).

In pairs skating, Oxana Vouillamoz and Tom Bouvart (ISC Brig) confirmed their status as promising international talents with a second consecutive national title. In ice dance, Gina Zehnder and Beda Leon Sieber (EC Küsnacht) also secured their second consecutive national title, ahead of the Ticino duo Arianna Sassi and Luca Morini (CP Lugano), after a hard-fought competition.

 

[Sylvia]

Burak Demirboğa, 29, coached by Rana Belkis Göçmen since he was 6 years old ... "will take to the ice for the last time at the Turkish FS Championships [Dec. 19-21, 2025] to be held in Kocaeli, where he started his sport, and will bring his athletic career to an end."

Artistik buz patenci Demirboğa, başladığı "pistte" bitirecek

Artistik buz pateni milli sporcusu Burak Demirboğa, branşa başladığı Kocaeli’de düzenlenecek Türkiye Şampiyonası’nda bu kez son kez piste çıkarak sporculuk kariyerini noktalayacak. - Anadolu Ajansı

www.aa.com.tr

Turkish fed. held a special ceremony after the Nationals Men's FS to honor Burak Demirboga's career as well as his coach (9 photos): https://www.instagram.com/p/DSiW_wSDIV0/
His coach posted this throwback photo with a young Burak captioned "25 straight YEARS after saying "I don't want a female mentor" !!!!":

@rana_gocmen on Instagram: "“Ben kadın hoca istemem” demenin ardından aralıksız geçen 25 YIL !!!! Uluslararası platformda bu işin yapılabileceğinin, hedeflerin ulaşılabilir olabileceğinin kanıtı oldun sen … senden daha iyi Sporcular yetiştireceğin

636 likes, 23 comments - rana_gocmen on December 22, 2025: "“Ben kadın hoca istemem” demenin ardından aralıksız geçen 25 YIL !!!! Uluslararası platformda bu işin yapılabileceğinin, hedeflerin ulaşılabilir olabileceğinin kanıtı oldun sen … senden daha iyi Sporcular yetiştireceğin günlerde...

www.instagram.com

Burak's own photos and message thanking everyone who supported him during his career:

Burak Demirboga on Instagram: "Uzun zamandır bugünün gelmesinden korkuyordum. Buzla vedalaşmak, benim için her zaman çok zor bir fikirdi ve mümkün oldukça bunu düşünmek istemedim. Ama artık vakti geldi. Gözümü açtığımdan beri yanımda olan; tüm başar

665 likes, 34 comments - burakdemirboga on December 22, 2025: "Uzun zamandır bugünün gelmesinden korkuyordum. Buzla vedalaşmak, benim için her zaman çok zor bir fikirdi ve mümkün oldukça bunu düşünmek istemedim. Ama artık vakti geldi. Gözümü açtığımdan beri yanımda olan; tüm başarıları birlikte...

www.instagram.com

Auto-translation of the beginning:

I've been dreading this day for a long time. Saying goodbye to the ice has always been a very hard idea for me, and I didn’t want to think about it, when it was possible. But the time has come.
My dear teacher, the one who has been with me since I opened my eyes; with whom we won all the successes together, some days we cried together from joy and some days from sadness, every time I enter the exit, in whom I trust saying "I have a teacher Rana"... @rana_gocmen
I forever thank you for bringing me this far.

Alp Eren ÖZKAN, 22 (https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00103450.htm), defended his senior title and will compete in his second Europeans for Turkiye.

David Goueveia, 26 (https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00102695.htm), who represented Portugal at the Olympic Qualifying comp. in September, posted today that he had ankle surgery on Dec. 17 and still has "a passion that is still alive, / and a deep desire to return.":

David Gouveia on Instagram: "October 2025 That fall was the last straw. The one we hadn’t anticipated. The one that turned an entire season upside down. In a matter of seconds, everything stopped. Competitions were canceled. Goals were shattered.

106 likes, 13 comments - david_gouveia__ on December 23, 2025: "October 2025 That fall was the last straw. The one we hadn’t anticipated. The one that turned an entire season upside down. In a matter of seconds, everything stopped. Competitions were canceled. Goals were shattered. Months of...

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Austrian fed's recap of Nationals (Dec. 13, 2025) - Olga Mikutina, Maurizio Zandron, Gabriella Izzo/Luc Maierhofer and the Straubs will compete at Euros:

Österreichische Meisterschaften 2026: Emotionen, Heimsiege und große Träume - Skate Austria

Ganz ohne Sprünge können sich Läufer:innen im Solo Dance aufs Gleiten und Performance konzentrieren. Bei den Impulstagen im Mai kann man mehr darüber erfahren.

skateaustria.at

There were goosebumps in the ice dance: Anita and Andreas Straub not only won the national championship title, but also officially confirmed their nomination for the European Championships. This means that Austria will be represented in all disciplines at the European Championships for the first time in over a decade – a historic milestone for Austrian figure skating.

Andreas Nordebäck's 4Lo practice clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSuvQ0oCIZY/

Replying here to @olympic who asked in the 2026 Olympics FS Qualifying thread:

Now, what about Estonian Nina? I like watching her too

Niina Petrokina's Instagram stories from yesterday (expiring in ~1 hour) show her landing 3Lz & 3F in practice ("... I wasn't able to jump Lz or F for about 9 months"): https://www.instagram.com/petrykinaniina/

 

[Sylvia]

This Estonian interview article (Dec. 14, 2025) reveals that Niina Petrokina's injury and subsequent surgery involved the Achilles tendon in her right leg:

Petrõkina sooritas treeningul kauaoodatud hüppeid

Valitsev iluuisutamise Euroopa meister Niina Petrõkina jõudis oma taastumisprotsessis suure verstapostini, kui sai treeningul esmakordselt kolmest lutz'i ja flip'i harjutada.

sport.err.ee

Figure skating singles champion Niina Petrõkina's season started more difficult than expected, as she had to undergo surgery in October and her leg still hurts.
On October 9, Petrykina underwent surgery in Munich, during which the Achilles tendon in her right leg was freed from an inflamed joint capsule that was limiting movement.
At the end of November, she returned to competitions and became the Estonian champion on the second weekend of December . "In October, I didn't think I would even go to these competitions," Petrõkina said in an interview with ERR. "The question was whether you choose health or continue skating and training. But something happened that made you have to study. Get back in shape quickly."

ETA - re-posting here from the Olympics Qualification thread:

Dec. 15, 2025 Estonian article: https://sport.err.ee/1609886017/sheffieldi-em-otsustab-kumb-vendadest-selevkodest-paaseb-olumpiale
Estonia has one place in figure skating in both the women's and men's singles at the Winter Olympics in Cortina, Milan. The European Figure Skating Championships, which begin in Sheffield on January 14, will determine which of the Selevko brothers will qualify for the Olympics.

 

[Sylvia]

Adam Hagara interview by SkatingChina at NHK Trophy (2025/12/27):

Adam Hagara’s Journey to His First Grand Prix in the Olympic Season: Focusing on Personal Bests Amid Media Spotlight | SkatingChina

As Slovakia's most remarkable figure skater, Adam Hagara has been competing in both junior and senior events since he was just 15 years old. This season, he officially graduated from the juniors and took part in his very first Grand Prix, the NHK Trophy. His journey into the world of figure...

skatingchina.com

As Slovakia's most remarkable figure skater, Adam Hagara has been competing in both junior and senior events since he was just 15 years old. This season, he officially graduated from the juniors and took part in his very first Grand Prix, the NHK Trophy. His journey into the world of figure skating began by following in the footsteps of his older sister, Alexandra. Now, she has not only been his guiding star on the ice but also his coach, supporting him as he trains. [...]
Not long ago, Adam faced the challenge of an ankle injury that temporarily halted his training for the quad Salchow. He lives in Boleráz, but his training takes him to Trnava and Bratislava—his main training locations, about 50 kilometers from home. When his father heads to work in Bratislava, he drives Adam to training and school, and before returning home in the evening, Adam fits in one more training session.
With his cheerful and optimistic personality, Adam embraces challenges with grace and determination, and truly enjoys the fun of skating. After the gala, we were fortunate to hear him share more about his thoughts on the sport, his life, and some fun behind-the-scenes stories from serving as Nepela’s stunt double in a film shoot.

 

[Sylvia]

Cross-posting from the Euros subforum in Kiss & Cry... Team Armenia - Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin and Semen Daniliants - will not be able to compete at Euros in Sheffield due to a (visa?) paperwork processing issue, according to their post today: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdKv5giKok/

 

[Sylvia]

Estonia's Elina Goidina posted this clip yesterday ("Finally I did it 3A+2A"): https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTfKCfGiGux/
She is 15 and coached by Sergei Rozanov: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00115602.htm

I've been meaning to post this article on Daniil Valanov, 17 (https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00112698.htm), that was published on Dec. 8, 2025, after he won the Junior Men's event at Norwegian Nationals for the third straight year:

Ukjent tenåring skrev norsk idrettshistorie: – Noe verden vil legge merke til

En tenåring fra Bergen har fått for vane å skape norsk idrettshistorie. Nå tar ekspertene frem de helt store ordene.

www.nrk.no

"In October, he became the first Norwegian to land the iconic jump triple axel in competition" [both programs at JGP Gdansk; FS one was better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65hJ-ZZnc1w] (there's a good 3A practice clip in the article).
More auto-translated excerpts:

On Sunday he made history again, when he became the first Norwegian to land a quadruple jump [clip of his 4S with hand down included in article]. He did so during the freestyle race at the Norwegian Championships, and he was rewarded with a superb gold.
– The gold wasn't the biggest thing today. I managed a quadruple jump on home soil. That was the best thing that happened today, says a happy Valanov a few hours after the race.
The figure skater turned 17 on Friday, but despite his young age, he has managed to do things that no Norwegian has managed before him.
– And I'm not going to stop here. I'm going to continue, says the ambitious Bergen resident, who only looks ahead.
– I want to raise the level of Norwegian figure skating, and I want people to think: "In Norway, we have Daniil Valanov, a really good figure skater. Not in Norway, but in the world in general."

Camilla Gjersem is a former figure skater and current vice president of the Norwegian Skating Federation:

– It's a huge achievement to land both a triple axel and a quadruple jump in competition for the first time in two months, she says.
Gjersem clarifies that the 17-year-old is still a junior runner, but that he is already at a level that could have earned him a European Championship ticket - if he had been a senior.
– In addition to a very talented young male athlete, Norway also has Mia Risa Gomez, who set a Norwegian record as recently as the weekend. I sincerely believe we can have two Norwegian Olympic participants in 2030. The level is historically high.

Lise Røsto Jensen, figure skating manager at the Norwegian Skating Federation:

– He has great potential, he is definitely an Olympic candidate in the future. He is still a junior, but from next year he is allowed to try his hand as a senior, she explains.
Jensen believes that talents like Valanov and Gomez are of great importance for Norwegian figure skating:
– They are both great role models for other runners, dedicated runners who sacrifice a lot to reach the top in a demanding sport. Norwegian figure skating has developed greatly in recent years.

Valanov also is practicing 4Lz, 4F & 4T: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSDV_eGjLQB/

 

[Vagabond]

Niina Petrokina is not obskur!