Hana Bath makes Australian history with Junior Grand Prix gold

Australian figure skating has celebrated a historic moment, with 16-year-old Perth skater Hana Bath becoming the first Australian woman to win an ISU Junior Grand Prix gold medal.

Bath produced a stunning free skate in Riga, Latvia, scoring 209.07 points to take gold ahead of Japan’s Mei Okada.

The two-time Australian national champion landed two triple Axels during her winning performance, the difficult jump that has become her trademark.

“I’m really happy that I could win it for Australia, and I’m really proud to represent my country,” Bath said.

The victory continues a remarkable rise for Bath, who last season won silver at the Junior Grand Prix in the UAE before becoming the first Australian woman to win a medal at the ISU World Junior Championships, taking silver earlier this year.

Bath said the improvements in her skating this season had come from working closely with her coaches and training alongside some of the world’s best young skaters.

“I’ve worked a lot with my coaches, and I have so many good skaters around me that I can look up to and learn a lot from just by watching them at the rink,” she said.

Despite her historic win, Bath is focused on continuing to develop throughout the season.

“I just hope I can continue enjoying all my competitions and improving on all the parts I need to work on,” she said.

Bath is also working towards adding a quadruple jump to her repertoire.

“I’m working on it, so I hope I can bring it in soon,” she said.

Bath, who was the first Australian woman to land a triple Axel and a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, thanked the fans who have supported her following her historic victory. “Thank you everyone for cheering for me and supporting me. I’m really happy to be able to perform in front of all of you.”