Hana Bath turned a short-programme deficit into a golden moment at the Volvo Sports Centre in Riga on Friday, delivering the highest free-skate score of the women's competition to overhaul Japan's Mei Okada and claim the Junior Grand Prix women's title with a combined total of 209.07 points. The result gave Australia its most prominent figure skating result in years and closed out a three-discipline final day in which Japan and China also claimed gold.
Bath turns the tables in the free skate
Okada had led after Thursday's short programme, but Bath produced a decisive free skate scored at 140.01 points — the top mark among all junior women in Riga — to overhaul the Japanese favourite. Okada finished with 205.47 points for silver, a result that still earns vital points toward JGP Final qualification but that illustrated how quickly fortunes can shift in junior competition. China's Yihan Wang completed the podium at 195.03 points after holding third in both segments throughout the weekend. Japan's Kei Yamada climbed from fifth after the short programme to fourth overall at 191.44, while American Skylar Lautowa-Peguero rounded out the top five at 187.56.
Bath, who also posted the top free-skate score at the 2026 Junior World Championships earlier this year, has now demonstrated a pattern of closing strongly under pressure at major ISU junior events. Her consistency across both programmes in Riga made the comeback look controlled rather than lucky.
Men's: Takahashi holds firm as Lee closes late
Japan's Sena Takahashi, who led the men's field after Thursday's short programme, needed every point of his first-segment advantage to hold off South Korea's Jaekeun Lee on Friday. Lee won the free-skate segment to close to within 0.55 points in the combined standings, but Takahashi's aggregate total proved just enough for gold in the tightest finish of the competition. Canada's William Chan retained his short-programme third place to take bronze, with Switzerland's Ean Weiler fourth. Takahashi now collects important points toward the JGP Final alongside his Riga gold.
Pairs: China dominant from start to finish
The pairs competition offered the least suspense of the entire event. China's Chen Yuxuan and Dong Yinbo led after the short programme and extended that advantage through the free skate, finishing with a combined total of 153.51 points. They were unchallenged in both segments. The American pairing of Reagan Moss and Jakub Galbavy held on for silver at 145.28 despite slipping to third in the free skate, as the Czech Republic's Debora Anna Cohen and Lukas Vochozka used a stronger free skate to claim bronze at 143.49. France's Clelia Liget-Latus and Allan Daniel Fisher finished fourth at 128.16.
Road to the JGP Final
With two events now complete in the 2026–27 Junior Grand Prix series, the picture in each discipline is sharpening. Bath, Takahashi, and Chen/Dong all depart Riga with significant points toward the six spots available at the JGP Final. Okada and Lee, despite their respective silver finishes, also advance their Final campaigns with solid points hauls. The remaining five JGP events across the autumn will determine the field for the season-ending showpiece.