Genrikh Gartung Moves Full-Time to the Senior Ranks
German Champion Genrikh Gartung enters his first full senior season with new programs, growing confidence and ambitious goals for 2026-27. After claiming his first senior national title and making his debut at major international championships, the 18-year-old now turns his attention to a new chapter in his career.
Genrikh Gartung performs his short program at the 2026 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
Leaving the Junior Ranks Behind
Last season, Gartung split his schedule between junior and senior events. He won two bronze medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, finished 11th at the World Junior Championships and reached the free skate at both the European and World Championships in his senior championship debut.
The Russian-born skater also captured his first national senior title.
Although he could still compete as a junior, Gartung plans to skate only at the senior level.
As he enters the senior ranks, Gartung faces new challenges. Senior men’s skating demands consistency, stronger technical content and success against deeper competition fields, especially in a post-Olympic season when the next generation of skaters fights for attention.
Gartung ranks among Germany’s rising men’s singles skaters and now aims to establish himself at the international level.
“Overall, it was not a bad season,” he said. “I gained a lot of experience, especially at my first senior Europeans and Worlds.”
His second appearance at Junior Worlds left him wanting more. An error on the triple Axel in the Short Program dropped him to 17th place, but he fought back in the Free Skating, climbing six places and finishing sixth in that segment.
“Actually, I had quite a few mishaps in the season”, the teenager acknowledged. “I definitely had hoped for more. But it was chaotic with switching back and forth between juniors and seniors.”
The demanding schedule left him mentally drained by the end of the season, but he has no regrets.
“I think all the experience will be useful for the next season,” he noted.
Taking in the experience for the future
Competing at the European and World Championships taught him some of last season’s most valuable lessons.
“Now I know what these competitions are like and that there is no need to be too nervous. I can prepare more calmly,” he said. “My preparation was a bit chaotic at times and sometimes I might have even freaked out a little too much, worrying that I would not be ready.”
Coaches Ria Schiffner and Niko Ulanovsky watched him grow throughout the season.
“As coaches, we are very happy with him,” Schiffner commented. “The focus was mainly on juniors and to test the waters in seniors a bit. At the beginning of the season, we did not even expect him to qualify for Europeans and Worlds. As a result, there were more competitions than we anticipated.
“We are pleased with his performances at the junior events especially,” she added. “At Europeans and Worlds, the goal was to make the final and he did that, too.”
Ulanovsky watched his student grow both on and off the ice.
“He now understands why he is doing all this,” Ulanovsky said. “It’s not just about winning but to develop yourself in all areas of life.”
The coach also noticed growing confidence and maturity throughout the season.
“He isn’t a little boy anymore,” said Ulanovsky. “He is now a grown-up young man who knows what he wants.”
Ulanovsky pointed to changes in Gartung’s personality and approach.
“He is open for new ideas. He used to be much more reserved, but now he’s opened up.”
Creating new programs: Depeche Mode and Pulp Fiction
Gartung carried that openness into his work with Joti Polizoakis, former German Ice Dance Champion and Olympian, who choreographed his Free Skating program to “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode.
Polizoakis demonstrates a movement, Gartung mirrors it, and the two frequently stop to discuss details and refine the program step by step. Throughout the process, he connects with the music, comes out of his shell and moves more freely across the ice.
“This is something new for me,” Gartung noted. “I enjoy dancing. Joti showed me ice dance, and I started to like it.”
“I used to not like just skating,” he explained. “I only liked jumping. But now I am developing a new interest, and I just enjoy to skate, to dance and to move in a new way.”
He immediately embraced the music choice after Polizoakis suggested it.
“This is great music,” he said. “However, and this might sound surprising, I didn’t even know the band Depeche Mode before.”
For the Short Program, Gartung and his coaches decided to explore something different. They traveled to Miami, Florida, where Nikolai Morozov choreographed his program to music from Pulp Fiction.
“This music was my idea,” Gartung revealed. “I already had thought about this music before. I wanted to do something fun, upbeat.”
Morozov and Gartung quickly connected and built the program together.
“We found a common language quickly and built the program. We worked really well together.”
After the training camp ended, Gartung stayed in Miami for an extra week and enjoyed his first visit to the United States.
“Our goal was it to do something different for the programs and to show a different side of Genrikh,” coach Schiffner shared. “Nikolai [Morozov] and Genrikh went along very well from the first minute character-wise. As a result, Genrikh was very open to Nikolai’s somewhat crazy ideas.”
Planning the season ahead
This summer, the 18-year-old will continue training at his home base in Oberstdorf. In mid-August he plans to take part in the German test skates before likely heading to Nebelhorn Trophy at the end of September and additional Challenger events later in the season. Gartung and his team also hope to secure an ISU Grand Prix assignment. He wants to use those opportunities to gain more experience against stronger senior competition.
Gartung already lands the quad Lutz and quad Flip in competition and continues training the quad Salchow and quad toe loop. However, the German Champion does not necessarily plan to add more quads right now.
Rather than chasing additional technical difficulty, Gartung wants to sharpen the strengths he already brings into competition. He now values clean performances and stronger presentation as much as adding new elements.
“I want to go out and skate in a good mood,” he said. “I don’t really think about specific placements, but it would be nice to make the top ten at Europeans.”
The ambitious athlete constantly pushes himself and rarely accepts less than his best.
“To be satisfied, I need to skate the best way possible in competition,” he said. “I have to really try hard before I am happy with myself.”
Gartung now aims to establish himself among the sport’s next wave of talent while building on his first senior title and refining his new programs.
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