Sophie Joline von Felten, the 2025 U.S. National Junior Champion, has been on the radar since landing a triple Axel at the 2024 U.S. Eastern Sectional Singles Final. Training in Boston, Mass., von Felten is making a name for herself; not only with ambitious jumps, but also with the emotional maturity.

“I was born in Switzerland and went to school there,” she said. Her last residence before moving was Lucerne, where her father still lives and works—supporting her dream from afar. “My dad is Swiss, and my mom is Russian,” she added, representing a blend of backgrounds that mirrors her wide-ranging influences on and off the ice.

Von Felten’s decision to represent the United States stemmed partly from several years of traveling back and forth for training.

“Since I was 12, I have been coming to the U.S. for skating,” she said, adding that she holds a sports visa. “I learned so much here because of how fast I improved. I decided to just continue to train here and also to represent the country where I learned a lot of things.”

Ultimately, she made the switch official during the 2023–24 season and her transition from the Swiss Federation was smooth.

“We just had to pay some money back, but it wasn’t difficult,” she shared.

Before settling in Boston with coaches Alexei Letov and Olga Ganicheva, she trained part-time in Switzerland and part-time in California under Rafael Arutyunyan.

“He helped a lot with technique,” von Felten said. “My triples became more consistent and stable after working with him. I still jump with his technique. The sessions were 30 minutes, but they were pretty intense. Also, Nathan Chen also helped me with my triple Axel.”

Adjusting to Boston and Big Arenas

Training during her early years was definitely a juggling act between continents, and she was lucky to have a Swiss Sports school that supported her at the time. However, von Felten has found comfort in her new Bostonian surroundings, and particularly likes her training rink which she said was “so warm.”

“It’s also big, like the performance center,” she said. “I feel like after I’ve been training in the performance center, I feel less nervous at bigger competitions with a bigger arena, stadium, because it’s kind of this atmosphere. It’s similar.”

The energy of the space has also helped her polish her performance.

“You can present yourself to the audience and judges better—it gives you that competition atmosphere,” she explained. “Like, for example, upstairs for the people who are watching you. It’s got a competition vibe to it.”

Highs and Lows for Junior Grand Prix

Von Felten made headlines in her first Junior Grand Prix (JGP) event of the season in Ljubljana, Slovenia, becoming the first junior woman to land both a triple Axel and a triple Axel-triple toe in one program in an international competition.

“It was amazing that I could manage that in the competition!” she said. “I’ve been working on it a lot, so it gets more consistent, and I feel like I was really well prepared at this JGP event.”

However, her next event in Wuxi, China, proved more difficult.

“I’d never done two big competitions back-to-back on different continents,” she admitted. “I usually take some days off to reset mentally and physically. I was just mentally not prepared for that. So I didn’t have the rest and time I would have liked to prepare again, but it is what it is. ”

“Initially, I was actually planning to go to a regular international competition after the JGP in Ljubljana, where there were like more days in between,” she continued. “It was planned to go to Switzerland actually to stay there like a couple days and then from there to go to, I think it was Tayside Trophy. So I think I had that in mind, and I think I was just mentally not prepared for that.”

Despite the challenges—including less practice time and unfamiliar ice conditions—she described the experience in China as unforgettable.

“They made the arena so fancy with all the decorations and everything!” she recalled. “It was an entertaining arena, and I was really surprised by how many fans I had there. I really appreciate that US Figure Skating gave me this opportunity for this experience.”

Von Felten added that despite subpar results, that “you have to move on from it and don’t give up and just keep working.”

Redemption at Nationals

Von Felten went into the 2025 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships with big goals: clean programs, stronger presentation, and a successful quad Salchow. Although a fall in the short program placed her seventh, she focused on resetting.

“I was just trying not think what happened in the short,” she said. “Because you, you never know what happens in the free. I mean, it always changes. You don’t have to give up, you can still get a better place. I just tried to focus and give it my all in my free skate and see what happens.”

And she did. Her free skate not only included a quad Salchow, but two triple Axels. Although the quad was landed on the quarter, it was the first time a U.S. woman landed the jump.

“It was an incredible feeling,” von Felten recalled of landing the quad. “I mean, it’s always kind of like an incredible feeling when you land a new element in your program, especially in a big competition.”

The skater, who was three months shy of her 16th birthday at the time, was hoping it was enough as the difference between seventh and first was pretty large gap.

“But I was already proud of myself that I could just skate a really good free skate,” she said. “When I realized I won, it was a dream come true, because being a U.S. Junior National Champion in this big country, that’s a huge achievement for me. The hard work paid off!”

Coping with Tragedy

But triumph soon turned to heartbreak.

Just six days later, the figure skating community was shaken by the loss of 28 members—including von Felten’s friends—in the American Airlines Flight 5342 crash. Among the victims were skaters Jinna Han, Spencer Lane, and renowned coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov from the Skating Club of Boston.

“I just couldn’t believe that this could ever happen to my friends,” she said quietly. “On the last day of Nationals, I was just sitting with Spencer watching the senior men compete. Jinna was also a friend, and we spent so much time together at the rink.”

The club held remembrance activities, including writing boxes where people could leave messages for the victims where the families could read them too.

“It was not an easy time…this was a horrible tragedy, but they are always in my heart,” said von Felten.

Looking Forward

Despite the emotional toll, von Felten pressed on to the 2025 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, hoping to secure more U.S. spots on the JGP circuit for next season. However, she only finished 18th in her debut at this event.

“I really wanted that more talented junior women from the U.S. could go to the next year’s JGP circuit,” she said. “I was upset I couldn’t do it, but I’m thankful to Elyce [Lin-Gracey] for earning the spots.”

Reflecting on the season, she acknowledged valuable growth.

“I learned how to organize myself on competition days and to be mentally ready for the demands of travel and high-pressure events,” she said. “Like JGP Wuxi. Bad competition can happen, but now I have this experience where I traveled a lot and had two big back-to-back competitions.”

Last month, von Felten participated with Junior Act 1 group of Boston at 2025 National Theatre on Ice in Texas, where she helped The Skating Club of Boston secure their fifth gold medal.

She plans to remain a junior internationally due to age eligibility, but will compete as a senior at U.S. Nationals for experience.

“I feel like I’ve improved the most in components and skating skills,” said the 16-year-old. “Not only jumps are important in figure skating, but components and skating skills. It’s the whole package.”

In April, the skater landed a quad flip at a jump camp in Colorado.

“I hope I can get it more consistent,” said von Felten, adding that she’d like to possibly incorporate it into her program next season. “I’ll take it step by step.”

New Programs and Renewed Purpose

Von Felten is debuting two new programs this season which were choreographed by Adam Solya right after Junior Worlds in March in Dortmund, Germany. Her short program, set to “I Will Never Abandon You” by Efisio Cross and “Cassiopeia” by Jonathon Deering, Power-Haus, and Ros Stephen. The program is deeply personal for her.

“I’m actually dedicating this program to my friends, families, and skating community members who lost their lives in the crash,” she revealed. “It’s a tribute.”

In her free skate she will portray “Frida” from the Frida soundtrack.

“Adam thought it would really suit me,” said von Felten. “Frida was such a powerful character. This will be a chance for me to challenge myself, and I like to try different types of music.”

Her goals for the 2024–25 season include qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final, improving both her technical and component scores, and a good showing at nationals in her senior debut there.

Beyond the Ice

Off the ice, von Felten finds joy in quiet hobbies like baking with her father when they are together, as well as reading.

“I also like tennis, but it’s not really a hobby right now because I don’t really have time,” she said. “I started with it earlier than figure skating, actually. I liked it but I had to choose between both. And I was tiny and everyone was taller than me, so it was harder to play against them. And then figure skating started to get better, so I chose that.”

She lives in the U.S. with her mother, while her father travels from Switzerland several times a year.

Currently enrolled in the Pearson Connection Academy, she just completed 10th grade, and her favorite subject is math.

Von Felten is also multilingual—fluent in German, Swiss German, Russian, English, and a bit of French—and travels back to Switzerland often to see her father.

And yes, her dog Gucci, six years old, accompanies her to the rink.

“She’s with me a lot,” she said. “I try and play with her if she wants to.”

A Skater to Watch

Von Felten also shared some of the figure skating idols she admires.

“They all have some different things that I like about them,” she explained. “For example, Nathan Chen, because his jumps and artistry were very impressive. Amber Glenn, because of how powerful her skating is and that she never gives up even in hard times. Also, one of my idols is Alysa Liu because of how she performs. I really like her emotional presentation and she always has a smile on her face. And Isabeau Levito for her elegance.”

Those qualities, not coincidentally, are starting to mirror the person von Felten is becoming. In a season marked by history-making jumps, personal loss, and artistic growth, she has shown what it truly means to rise—gracefully, powerfully, and with purpose.

The skater just competed at the U.S. Junior Cup where skaters are selected for JGP assignments, placing second. She may also compete at the upcoming Cranberry Cup as it will be local.

Related Info:

• ISU Bio
• GS Fan Fest