Evgeni Semenenenko wins the 2026 Nepela Memorial with a personal-best 292.09 points

The 34th Nepela Memorial wrapped up its men’s competition in Bratislava on 26 September. Evgeni Semenenenko, competing as a neutral athlete, won the ISU Challenger Series event with 292.09 points — the best result of his career and roughly 18 points above his previous personal best. His free skate, performed to the music of The Count of Monte Cristo, included five quadruple jumps and followed a record-setting 101.16 in the short program.

The Bratislava podium

Italy’s Daniel Grassl took second place with 278.80 points. Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov finished third on 272.75 in his first competition since winning gold at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. Gleb Lutfullin (251.46) and Adam Siao Him Fa (249.35) completed the top five.

The ice a competition like this demands

A free skate with five quadruple jumps puts a rink to the test: firm, level ice, a stable temperature, machine passes between groups and barriers that protect skaters moving at full speed. It is the same standard Napapiri has applied to its real-ice rinks for competitions, municipalities and event organizers since 1993, with installation and technical support included.

The tournament ends this Sunday

After the women’s short program, Julia Sauter leads the standings on 64.03 points, a personal best, ahead of Lee Haein (63.12) and home skater Olivia Lengyelova (62.28). The women’s free skate and the free dance close the tournament this Sunday 27 September at the Ondrej Nepela Arena.

Cover photo: Evgeni Semenenenko at the 2024 Russian Figure Skating Championships exhibition gala. Photo by Divmel ic, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive photograph of the winner: it is not from this event and does not show a Napapiri installation.