Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin miss Grand Prix medal in China by just 0.04 points

Armenian pair skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin finished fourth at the Cup of China 2026, an ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix event held in Shenzhen, China.

After the short program, the Armenian duo were in third place, maintaining strong hopes of winning a medal. However, Akopova and Rakhmanin placed fourth in the free skating segment and finished the competition with a total score of 181.46 points.

The Armenian skaters missed out on the bronze medal by just 0.04 points. Japan's Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi secured third place with 181.50 points.

Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, competing as neutral athletes, won the event with 209.84 points. Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava claimed silver with 198.27 points.

Despite narrowly missing the podium, Akopova and Rakhmanin finished among the top four pairs at the Grand Prix event, delivering a competitive performance on the international stage.