Eighteen-year-old figure skater Mark Lukin won the second stage of the Russian Junior Grand Prix series in Moscow, securing top spot with a combined score of 241.19 points across two programs.
The Muscovite athlete claimed victory at the Aleksandr Gorshkov Memorial tournament, which took place at the Dream Ice Palace in the Russian capital, Russian sports outlet Sovetsky Sport reported.
Lukin established his control over the event during the opening segment, taking the lead in the short program with a score of 81.52 points. That result gave him a narrow advantage of 0.8 points over his nearest rival entering the final day of competition.
He maintained his momentum in the free skate, delivering a performance that earned 159.67 points from the judges. His strong showing in the second program expanded his final winning margin to more than 10 points over the rest of the field.
Aldar Sambuev earned the silver medal after placing second with a total score of 230.82 points. Nikita Malyutin completed the podium in third position, finishing with a combined tally of 224.15 points.
Career milestone for Plushenko Academy skater
Lukin represents the Angels of Plushenko academy, a specialized figure skating school based in Russia. The victory at the Moscow stage represents the finest achievement of the 18-year-old skater's career so far.
The Angels of Plushenko academy was established by two-time Olympic gold medalist Evgeni Plushenko to develop young athletic talent. The club trains elite male and female skaters who represent Moscow and other Russian regions in national competitions.
The tournament ran over four days from October 5 to October 8 at the Dream Ice Palace. Located in Moscow, the venue serves as a regular site for junior developmental competitions and regional figure skating meets.
Memorial tournament and Grand Prix series context
The event forms part of the Russian Junior Grand Prix, a domestic competition circuit structured similarly to the international ISU Junior Grand Prix. The series allows promising junior skaters to accumulate standings points across individual regional stages before qualifying for end-of-season championship events.
The Moscow competition carries special prestige as the Aleksandr Gorshkov Memorial. The tournament honors the memory of Aleksandr Gorshkov, the 1976 Olympic ice dance champion who, together with partner Lyudmila Pakhomova, won six world titles and later served as president of the Figure Skating Federation of Russia until his death in 2022.
The victory by Lukin follows the opening event of the junior series, which took place earlier in the season. Makar Solodovnikov, a skater from St. Petersburg, won the first stage of the Grand Prix before the circuit moved to Moscow for the second leg of the competition.
