By The Canadian Press

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

Mar 5, 2026 | 1:21 PM

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.

“Mixed emotions,” Kemp said. “I would say we feel like we’re leaving more motivated than we came. I think there’s lots to work on, but obviously we’re happy that the work paid off.”

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

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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 — below their personal best of 179.43.

“We know we could have skated better and we wanted to end the competition on a really big high from a clean skate,” Elizarov said. “You don’t always get that, but we felt like we fought till the end, which is what we’ve been working on for the last couple of months in our program, so we’re happy that we fought.”

Desrochers and Thrasher followed as the last skaters, 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 second with 162.25 overall.

“We’re proud to be able to (go) home with the silver medal,” Desrochers said. “Today’s skate definitely could have been better and we can do better and show better. But, overall, still proud of the short program we were able to put out and grateful for the experience.”

After the scores confirmed their places on the podium, the two Canadian teams shared hugs and wide smiles beside the leader’s chair at Tondiraba Ice Hall. Elizarov then told the crowd they planned to celebrate together.

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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.

The Canadian Press