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Does Success As A Junior Translate To Success As A Senior?

Alexandr Fadeev won the World Junior title in France in 1980 and made history as the first man to translate a win at the World Junior Championships to a win at the World Championships five years later in Japan

Does success as a junior translate to success as a senior? There's absolutely no 'one size fits all' answer to this question but taking a look back through skating history reveals some interesting facts about how skaters who have won the World Junior Championships have fared later in their careers.

Today we'll take a look at how all of the past winners at the World Junior Championships have fared when they competed in the World Championships. While these results don't take into account 'surprise' Olympic medal wins by skaters who never placed in the top five at the Worlds like Adelina Sonitkova and Paul Wylie, they do reveal some interesting facts. In singles skating, for instance, fifteen women who won the World junior title never competed at the senior Worlds as compared to nine men. However, twenty-two World titles were won by women who also won the World Junior title, as compared to thirteen men.

Ilia Kulik's winning performance from the 1995 World Junior Championships

Rudy Galindo and Kristi Yamaguchi were the only pair that won the World junior title to both win medals at the World Championships as singles skaters. Only four pairs, Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, Wenjing Sui and Cong Han and Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, have won both junior and senior World titles together. However, five other skaters who won the World junior title in pairs, Maxim Trankov, Maria Petrova, Anton Sikharulidze, Ingo Steuer and Aliona Savchenko were World Champions as seniors with different partners. 

Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov


Only two ice dance teams have won World junior and senior titles together - Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. Marina Anissina and Ilya Averbukh won the World Junior Championships twice and were both World Champions with different partners. Madison Chock and Evan Bates both won World junior titles with different partners. Their best finishes as seniors at the World Championships with those partners was ninth in both cases, in successive years.

Dennis Coi

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONS - MEN

Year

World Junior Champions

Best Result At World Championships

1976

Mark Cockerell

8th in 1985

1977

Daniel Béland

Did not compete at World Championships

1978

Dennis Coi

Did not compete at World Championships

1979

Vitali Egorov

Did not compete at World Championships

1980

Alexandr Fadeev

1st in 1985

1981

Paul Wylie

9th in 1988

1982

Scott Williams

9th in 1986

1983

Christopher Bowman

2nd in 1989

1984

Viktor Petrenko

1st in 1992

1985

Erik Larson

Did not compete at World Championships

1986

Vladimir Petrenko

10th in 1988

1987

Rudy Galindo

3rd in 1996

1988

Todd Eldredge

1st in 1996

1989

Viacheslav Zagorodniuk

3rd in 1994

1990

Igor Pashkevich

8th in 1997

1991

Vasili Eremenko

13th in 1995

1992

Dmitri Dmitrenko

11th in 1999

1993

Evgeny Pliuta

9th in 1998

1994

Michael Weiss

3rd in 1999 and 2000

1995

Ilia Kulik

2nd in 1996

1996

Alexei Yagudin

1st in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002

1997

Evgeni Plushenko

1st in 2001, 2003 and 2004

1998

Derrick Delmore

Did not compete at World Championships

1999

Ilia Klimkin

9th in 2003

2000

Stefan Lindemann

3rd in 2004

2001

Johnny Weir

3rd in 2008

2002

Daisuke Takahashi

1st in 2010

2003

Alexander Shubin

Did not compete at World Championships

2004

Andrei Griazev

11th in 2005

2005

Nobunari Oda

4th in 2006

2006

Takahiko Kozuka

2nd in 2011

2007

Stephen Carriere

10th in 2008

2008

Adam Rippon

6th in 2010 and 2016

2009

Adam Rippon

6th in 2010 and 2016

2010

Yuzuru Hanyu

1st in 2014 and 2017

2011

Andrei Rogozine

13th in 2013

2012

Han Yan

7th in 2014

2013

Joshua Farris

11th in 2015

2014

Nam Nguyen

5th in 2015

2015

Shoma Uno

2nd in 2017 and 2018

2016

Daniel Samohin

20th in 2018

2017

Vincent Zhou

3rd in 2019

2018

Alexey Erokhov

Did not compete at World Championships

2019

Tomoki Hiwatashi

Did not compete at World Championships

2020

Andrei Mozalev

Did not compete at World Championships


Laetitia Hubert

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONS - WOMEN


Year

World Junior Champions

Best Result At World Championships

1976

Suzie Brasher

Did not compete at World Championships

1977

Carolyn Skoczen

Did not compete at World Championships

1978

Jill Sawyer

Did not compete at World Championships

1979

Elaine Zayak

1st in 1982

1980

Rosalynn Sumners

1st in 1983

1981

Tiffany Chin

3rd in 1985 and 1986

1982

Janina Wirth

11th in 1983

1983

Simone Koch

8th in 1988

1984

Karin Hendschke

Did not compete at World Championships

1985

Tatiana Andreeva

Did not compete at World Championships

1986

Natalia Gorbenko

8th in 1989

1987

Cindy Bortz

Did not compete at World Championships

1988

Kristi Yamaguchi

1st in 1991 and 1992

1989

Jessica Mills

Did not compete at World Championships

1990

Yuka Sato

1st in 1994

1991

Surya Bonaly

2nd in 1993, 1994 and 1995

1992

Laetitia Hubert

4th in 1992 and 1998

1993

Kumiko Koiwai

16th in 1995

1994

Michelle Kwan

1st in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003

1995

Irina Slutskaya

1st in 2002 and 2005

1996

Elena Ivanova

Did not compete at World Championships

1997

Sydne Vogel

Did not compete at World Championships

1998

Julia Soldatova

3rd in 1999

1999

Daria Timoshenko

29th in 2004

2000

Jennifer Kirk

17th in 2005

2001

Kristina Oblasova

Did not compete at World Championships

2002

Ann Patrice McDonough

Did not compete at World Championships

2003

Yukina Ota

Did not compete at World Championships

2004

Miki Ando

1st in 2007 and 2011

2005

Mao Asada

1st in 2008, 2010 and 2014

2006

Yuna Kim

1st in 2009 and 2013

2007

Caroline Zhang

Did not compete at World Championships

2008

Rachael Flatt

5th in 2009

2009

Alena Leonova

2nd in 2012

2010

Kanako Murakami

4th in 2013

2011

Adelina Sotnikova

9th in 2013

2012

Julia Lipnitskaia

2nd in 2014

2013

Elena Radionova

3rd in 2015

2014

Elena Radionova

3rd in 2015

2015

Evgenia Medvedeva

1st in 2016 and 2017

2016

Marin Honda

Did not compete at World Championships

2017

Alina Zagitova

1st in 2019

2018

Alexandra Trusova

3rd in 2021

2019

Alexandra Trusova

3rd in 2021

2020

Kamila Valieva

Did not compete at World Championships


Sherri Baier and Robin Cowan

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONS - PAIRS


Year

World Junior Champions

Best Result At World Championships

1976

Sherri Baier and Robin Cowan

10th in 1997

1977

Josée France and Paul Mills

Did not compete at World Championships

1978

Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini

1st in 1984

1979

Veronika Pershina and Marat Akbarov

5th in 1983

1980

Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov

2nd in 1985

1981

Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov

2nd in 1985

1982

Marina Avstriyskaya and Yuri Kvashnin

Did not compete at World Championships

1983

Marina Avstriyskaya and Yuri Kvashnin

Did not compete at World Championships

1984

Manuela Landgraf and Ingo Steuer

8th in 1995 (Ingo - 1st in 1997)

1985

Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov

1st in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990

1986

Elena Leonova and Gennadi Krasnitski

Did not compete at World Championships

1987

Elena Leonova and Gennadi Krasnitski

Did not compete at World Championships

1988

Kristi Yamaguchi and Rudy Galindo

5th in 1989 and 1990 (Kristi – 1st in 1991 and 1992 women's, Rudy - 3rd in 1996 men's)

1989

Ekaterina Chernyshova and Dmitri Sukhanov

Did not compete together at World Championships (Dmitri – 15th in 1993)

1990

Natalia Krestianinova and Alexei Torchinski

13th in 1994

1991

Natalia Krestianinova and Alexei Torchinski

13th in 1994

1992

Natalia Krestianinova and Alexei Torchinski

13th in 1994

1993

Inga Korshunova and Dmitri Saveliev

Did not compete at World Championships

1994

Maria Petrova and Anton Sikharulidze

6th in 1995 (Maria - 1st in 2000, Anton - 1st in 1998 and 1999)

1995

Maria Petrova and Anton Sikharulidze

6th in 1995 (Maria - 1st in 2000, Anton - 1st in 1998 and 1999)

1996

Victoria Maxiuta and Vladislav Zhovnirski

Did not compete at World Championships

1997

Danielle and Steven Hartsell

10th in 1999

1998

Yulia Obertas and Dmitri Palamarchuk

11th in 1999 (Yulia – 5th in 2005)

1999

Yulia Obertas and Dmitri Palamarchuk

11th in 1999 (Yulia – 5th in 2005)

2000

Aliona Savchenko and Stanislav Morozov

9th in 2001 (Aliona - 1st in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018, Stanislav - 4th in 2007)

2001

Dan and Hao Zhang

2nd in 2006, 2008 and 2009

2002

Elena Riabchuk and Stanislav Zakharov

Did not compete at World Championships

2003

Dan and Hao Zhang

2nd in 2006, 2008 and 2009

2004

Natalia Shestakova and Pavel Lebedev

Did not compete at World Championships

2005

Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov

4th in 2010 (Maxim - 1st in 2013)

2006

Julia Vlassov and Drew Meekins

Did not compete at World Championships

2007

Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker

11th in 2009 (Rockne - 10th in 2010)

2008

Ksenia Krasilnikova and Konstantin Bezmaternikh

Did not compete at World Championships

2009

Lubov Ilyushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze

Did not compete together at World Championships (Lubov - 6th in 2017, Nodari - 8th in 2014)

2010

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han

1st in 2017 and 2019

2011

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han

1st in 2017 and 2019

2012

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han

1st in 2017 and 2019

2013

Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier

12th in 2015 (Brandon - 7th in 2021)

2014

Xiaoyu Yu and Yang Jin

Did not compete together at World Championships (Xiaoyu - 4th in 2017, Yang - 4th in 2019)

2015

Xiaoyu Yu and Yang Jin

Did not compete together at World Championships (Xiaoyu - 4th in 2017, Yang - 4th in 2019)

2016

Anna Dušková and Martin Bidař

11th in 2018

2017

Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor

16th in 2017 and 2018

2018

Daria Pavliuchenko and Denis Khodykin

Did not compete at World Championships

2019

Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov

1st in 2021

2020

Apollinariia Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov

Did not compete at World Championships

Tatiana Durasova and Sergei Ponomarenko

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONS - ICE DANCE


Year

World Junior Champions

Best Result At World Championships

1976

Kathryn Winter and Nicky Slater

Did not compete together at World Championships (Nicky - 5th in 1983 and 1984)

1977

Wendy Sessions and Mark Reed

Did not compete together at World Championships (Wendy - 11th in 1981)

1978

Tatiana Durasova and Sergei Ponomarenko

Did not compete together at World Championships (Sergei - 1st in 1989, 1990 and 1992)

1979

Tatiana Durasova and Sergei Ponomarenko

Did not compete together at World Championships (Sergei - 1st in 1989, 1990 and 1992)

1980

Elena Batanova and Alexei Soloviev

7th in 1984

1981

Elena Batanova and Alexei Soloviev

7th in 1984

1982

Natalia Annenko and Vadim Karkachev

Did not compete together at World Championships (Natalia - 4th in 1986, 1987 and 1988)

1983

Tatiana Gladkova and Igor Shpilband

Did not compete at World Championships

1984

Elena Krykanova and Evgeni Platov

Did not compete together at World Championships (Evgeni - 1st in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997)

1985

Elena Krykanova and Evgeni Platov

Did not compete together at World Championships (Evgeni - 1st in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997)

1986

Elena Krykanova and Evgeni Platov

Did not compete together at World Championships (Evgeni - 1st in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997)

1987

Ilona Melnichenko and Gennadi Kaskov

Did not compete at World Championships

1988

Oksana Grishuk and Alexandr Chichkov

Did not compete together at World Championships (Oksana - 1st in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997)

1989

Angelika Kirkhmaier and Dmitri Lagutin

Did not compete at World Championships

1990

Marina Anissina and Ilya Averbukh

Did not compete together at World Championships (Marina - 1st in 2000, Ilya - 1st in 2002)

1991

Aliki Stergadiu and Juris Razgulajevs

13th in 1994

1992

Marina Anissina and Ilya Averbukh

Did not compete together at World Championships (Marina - 1st in 2000, Ilya - 1st in 2002)

1993

Ekaterina Svirina and Sergei Sakhnovski

Did not compete together at World Championships (Sergei - 3rd in 2002)

1994

Silwia Nowak and Sebastian Kolasiński

9th in 1999 and 2000

1995

Olga Sharutenko and Dmitri Naumkin

Did not compete at World Championships

1996

Ekaterina Davydova and Roman Kostomarov

Did not compete together at World Championship (Roman - 1st in 2004 and 2005)

1997

Nina Ulanova and Mikhail Stifounin

Did not compete together at World Championship (Mikhail- 18th in 2001)

1998

Jessica Joseph and Charles Butler

25th in 1998

1999

Jamie Silverstein and Justin Pekarek

12th in 2000

2000

Natalia Romaniuta and Daniil Barantsev

16th in 2000

2001

Natalia Romaniuta and Daniil Barantsev

16th in 2000

2002

Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto

2nd in 2005 and 2009

2003

Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin

1st in 2009

2004

Elena Romanovskaya and Alexander Grachev

23rd in 2006

2005

Morgan Matthews and Maxim Zavozin

16th in 2006

2006

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir

1st in 2010, 2012 and 2017

2007

Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev

3rd in 2013

2008

Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates

9th in 2010 (Evan - 2nd in 2015)

2009

Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein

9th in 2011 (Madison - 2nd in 2015)

2010

Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov

4th in 2014 (Nikita - 1st in 2021)

2011

Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin

8th in 2015

2012

Victoria Sinitsina and Ruslan Zhiganshin

7th in 2014 (Victoria - 1st in 2021, Ruslan - 7th in 2015)

2013

Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin

4th in 2019

2014

Kaitlyn Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker

9th in 2019 and 2021

2015

Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov

Did not compete together at World Championships (Anna - 19th in 2019)

2016

Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter

Did not compete at World Championships

2017

Rachel and Michael Parsons

Did not compete at World Championships

2018

Anastasia Skoptsova and Kirill Aleshin

Did not compete at World Championships

2019

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha

14th in 2021

2020

Avonley Nguyen and Vadym Kolesnik

Did not compete at World Championships

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on FacebookTwitterPinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.