Canadian pairs win gold, silver at world junior figure skating championships

By Canadian Press on March 5, 2026.

TALLINN — Canadian pair Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov are world junior figure skating champions.

The Winnipeg duo captured gold Thursday in Tallinn, Estonia, climbing from second to first place with a winning free skate to “Clair De Lune” by Claude Debussy.

Kemp and Elizarov are Canada’s first world junior pairs champions since Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini in 1978.

Jazmine Desrochers of Mississauga, Ont., and Kieran Thrasher of Oakville, Ont., claimed silver to secure a double podium for Canada.

Kemp and Elizarov trailed leaders Desrochers and Thrasher by 0.62 points following the short program. They scored 105.68 in the free skate, despite a fall from Kemp on her triple toe loop and a spin out on their throw triple loop, for a total of 167.90.

Desrochers and Thrasher followed with Desrochers stepping out on their throw triple loop and falling on their throw triple salchow. They scored 99.41 points in their free skate to “Since I’ve Been Loving You” by Led Zeppelin to finish with 162.25 overall.

After the scores confirmed their places on the podium, the two Canadian pairs shared hugs and wide smiles beside the leader’s chair at Tondiraba Ice Hall.

Kemp, 17, and the 22-year-old Elizarov are silver and bronze medallists at the Junior Grand Prix Final who finished fourth in the senior event at last January’s Canadian championships.

The 19-year-old Desrochers and 21-year-old Thrasher are two-time Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medallists.