Sofja Stepčenko

Sofja Stepčenko (born 21 December 2006) is a Latvian figure skater. She is and a two-time Latvian national champion (2022-23) and 2023 Volvo Open Cup champion. She placed eleventh at the 2023 European Championships.

Early years
Stepčenko competed in the advanced novice category for two seasons and then moved up to the junior ranks. She made her ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) debut in September 2021.

2022–23 season
Stepčenko began her season on the Junior Grand Prix series, finishing twenty-first at the 2022 JGP France and twelfth at the 2022 JGP Latvia. In November, making her senior international debut, she placed fourth at the Volvo Open Cup and seventh at the Tallinn Trophy. Her first senior international medal, gold, came in December 2022 at the Latvia Trophy. The second-best Latvian woman at the event was Angelīna Kučvaļska, who finished in fifth place.

Stepčenko was nominated to represent Latvia at the 2023 European Championships, which took place in January in Helsinki, Finland. Ranked fourteenth in the short program, she qualified to the free skate and climbed to eleventh overall. This was the best European result by a Latvian woman since Angelina Kučvaļska's fourth place at the 2016 edition. Stepčenko came twenty-third at the 2023 World Championships.

2023–24 season
Stepčenko started the season by competing on the Junior Grand Prix series, finishing sixth at the 2023 JGP Turkey. She went on to compete on the senior international level as well, winning the 2023 Jelgava Cup and placing twelfth at the 2023 CS Nepela Memorial.

Appearing again on the Junior Grand Prix, Stepčenko finished tenth at the 2023 JGP Armenia. Her next event was the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy, where she finished eleventh. Going on to compete at two events in Latvia, Stepčenko won silver at the 2023 Volvo Open Cup and gold at the 2023 Latvia Trophy.

Selected to compete at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, Stepčenko placed twenty-first in the short program and thirteenth in the free skate, finishing thirteenth overall. At this event, Stepčenko scored a new personal best free skate score. Soon after, Stepčenko competed on the junior level at the 2024 Volvo Open Cup, winning the gold medal.

Competing at the 2024 Youth Olympics, Stepčenko finished sixteenth.

2024-25 season
In July, it was announced that Stepčenko was now being coached by Stephane Lambiel in Champéry.

Competitive highlights
GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Detailed results
Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.