The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Bulgaria – also known as the Sofia Cup – is an international figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Bulgarian Skating Federation (). It is held periodically as an event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP), a series of international competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. Medals may be awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

History The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) was established by the International Skating Union (ISU) in 1997 and consists of a series of seven international figure skating competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. The locations of the Junior Grand Prix events change every year. While all seven competitions feature the men's, women's, and ice dance events, only four competitions each season feature the pairs event. Skaters earn points based on their results each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are then invited to compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Skaters are eligible to compete on the junior-level circuit if they are at least 13 years old before 1 July of the respective season, but not yet 19 (for single skaters), 21 (for men and women in ice dance and women in pair skating), or 23 (for men in pair skating). Competitors are chosen by their respective skating federations. The number of entries allotted to each ISU member nation in each discipline is determined by their results at the prior World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Bulgaria hosted its first Junior Grand Prix competition during the inaugural season in 1997 in Sofia. Ivan Dinev of Bulgaria won the men's event, Morgan Rowe of the United States won the women's event, Alena Maltseva and Oleg Popov of Russia won the pairs event, and Federica Faiella and Luciano Milo of Italy won the ice dance event. The event was held periodically since then, with its most recent appearance in 2007.

Bulgaria hosted the 2006 Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final – the culminating event of the Junior Grand Prix series – in Sofia. Stephen Carriere and Caroline Zhang, both of the United States, won the men's and women's events, respectively. Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker of the United States won the pairs event, while Madison Hubbell and Keiffer Hubbell, also of the United States, won the ice dance event.

Medalists

Men's singles +Men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1997 Sofia Ivan Dinev Derrick Delmore Yosuke Takeuchi 1998 Ilia Klimkin Stefan Lindemann Soshi Tanaka 2001 Shawn Sawyer Daisuke Takahashi Shaun Rogers 2003 Andrei Griazev Tomáš Verner Shawn Sawyer 2005 Stephen Carriere Traighe Rouse Sergei Voronov Brandon Mroz Kevin Reynolds 2007 Artem Borodulin Adam Rippon Jeremy Ten

Women's singles +Women's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1997 Sofia Morgan Rowe Brittney McConn Chisato Shiina 1998 Tamara Dorofejev Daria Timoshenko Sabina Wojtala 2001 Yukina Ota Olga Agapkina Yukari Nakano 2003 Lina Johansson Kimmie Meissner Cynthia Phaneuf 2005 Yuna Kim Katy Taylor Juliana Cannarozzo Caroline Zhang Ashley Wagner Megan Oster 2007 Chrissy Hughes Satsuki Muramoto Jana Smekhnova

Pairs +Pairs event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1997 Sofia 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 No pairs competition

Ice dance +Ice dance event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1997 Sofia 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007

References

External links ISU Junior Grand Prix at the International Skating Union Bulgarian Skating Federation JGP Bulgaria at Skating Scores