Russian figure skater Sofia Dzepka will replace Elena Kostyleva at the ISU Junior Grand Prix stage in Bangkok, according to a report by Russian news outlet Sovetsky Sport.
Kostyleva has been moved to the reserve list for the competition in Thailand, which is scheduled to take place from September 3 to September 5.
Kostyleva was originally listed as the primary athlete in the preliminary entry list for the event. However, she suffered a gluteal muscle injury shortly before the opening stage of the Grand Prix series in Xi'an, China.
Dzepka competed in China as a replacement for her injured teammate and secured the gold medal, winning the event by a margin of nearly 24 points.
Grand Prix Final qualification
Competing at the stage in Bangkok is necessary for Dzepka to maintain her chances of qualifying for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. Under the series rules, skaters require results from two qualifying events to secure a spot in the season showcase.
Meanwhile, Kostyleva resumed on ice training a few days ago as she continues her recovery from the gluteal muscle injury.
Junior Grand Prix structure
The ISU Junior Grand Prix is an annual series of international figure skating competitions organized by the International Skating Union, the governing body founded in 1892 for international ice skating disciplines. The circuit features individual events held across various host countries, allowing junior athletes to compete internationally.
In single figure skating, competitors perform both a short program and a free skate. Scores from both segments are added together to determine the overall standings, and athletes earn qualification points based on their final rank at each stage.
The top scoring competitors across the entire circuit qualify for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, which brings together the season's top junior skaters alongside the senior Grand Prix Final.
Host cities and media reporting
The upcoming event in Bangkok serves as one of the Asian stops on the junior circuit, held in the capital of Thailand. The earlier competition took place in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province in central China.
The roster change was reported by Sovetsky Sport, a major Russian daily sports news publication that provides ongoing coverage of national figure skating teams and international competitions.
