The first Challenger of the season is done. In Norwood, Massachusetts, Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia won the Cranberry Cup with 246.15 — 87.65 in the short, 158.50 in the free, first in both. Kim Yu-seong of South Korea took the women on 202.70 (67.77 + 134.93). Silver stayed in Korea: Kim Yu-jae 180.92. Bronze: Logan Higase-Chen, USA, 176.46.
Men: Selevko left immediately
The gap was large. Daniel Martynov of the United States scored 221.38, Mark Gorodnitsky of Israel 203.31. Then the American group: Kai Kovar 198.26, Will Annis 175.80. The opening field was short — nine men reached the free. For Selevko this is a working August: Challenger points and a judged run of the programmes before autumn thickens. For the hosts it is a look at younger singles skaters before the national season.
Juniors closed Saturday. Henry Gao of the USA won the junior men on 183.86; Canadians Colton Moness and Grayson Long took silver and bronze. Long led after the short; under-rotated triple axels in the free moved the gold. Lia Cho of Canada won the junior women.
Tokyo next, then Europe
The series does not pause. 4–6 September is the Kinoshita Group Cup at Tatsumi in Tokyo, the second 2026/27 Challenger. Pairs go separately: 11–12 September, John Nicks, back in Norwood. 17–20 September Lombardia in Bergamo, 24–26 Nebelhorn in Oberstdorf. Grand Prix starts later: France in Angers, 23–25 October.
Cranberry Cup does not decide a season. It prints the first numbers. Selevko left with 246-and-change, Kim Yu-seong with a 200 and a triple axel in the short. Next week the ice is different, the panel is different, and Tokyo will show whether those scores hold when skaters who skipped August join the start list.