Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik secured their first career ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix title on Sunday in Everett, Washington.
The American ice dance duo earned a total score of 201.88 points across the Rhythm Dance and Free Dance segments.
This victory marks a significant milestone in their competitive career, as “the pair claimed their first win at an ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix competition”, according to Yahoo Sports.
The performance earned the pair 15 points toward their qualification for the Grand Prix Final.
French skaters Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud finished in second place, while Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek of Czechia took home the bronze medal.
The event also featured a historic moment in a different discipline, as “Alexa Gasparotto became the first Black woman to land a triple axel at a Grand Prix”, as noted by Forbes.
Zingas and Kolesnik have maintained a strong trajectory throughout the 2025-26 season.
They previously secured a silver medal at the Cup of China and a bronze medal in Finland.
With Olympic veterans Madison Chock and Evan Bates currently on an indefinite hiatus, the duo is increasingly viewed as a primary gold medal prospect for U.S. Figure Skating.
The team is now preparing for the NHK Trophy in Japan, which is scheduled for late November.
Success at the upcoming event could solidify their path to the Grand Prix Final, which will be held in China this December.
Looking further ahead to 2027, the pair intends to compete at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Salt Lake City.
They also aim to qualify for the 2027 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Finland.
The weekend in Washington also saw Ilia Malinin win the men’s title during his season debut, as reported by “the latest Skate America results”.
As the season progresses, the skating community continues to monitor the emergence of these new talents on the international stage.