site.btaLutay, Tkachenko Earn Bulgaria Junior Worlds Ice Dance Spot

Bulgaria qualified for the ice dance at the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships after Silvia Lutay and Konstantin Tkachenko met the technical minimum at Sofia Trophy 2026 on Monday.

The pair, formed six months ago and training in Russia, finished seventh on their international debut in a field featuring duos from 10 other nations. That result, along with their scores for the technical elements in the rhythm dance and free dance, earned them a place at the championships in Tallinn, Estonia, from March 3 to 8, 2026.

The International Skating Union set overall technical minimum criteria for the Junior and Senior categories in men’s and women’s singles, pair skating and ice dance, which applied to major championships.

Bulgaria last had an ice dance duo at the junior worlds in 2018, when Yana Bozhilova and Kaloyan Georgiev finished 25th in Sofia.

At Sofia Trophy, which drew more than 330 skaters across all age groups, Bulgarian athletes won a total of 16 medals: six gold, four silver and six bronze.