15-Year-Old Skating Champion From NJ Is Only U.S. Woman In Grand Prix Finals: How To Watch

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — Fifteen-year-old Isabeau Levito is a star well on the ascendant for U.S Figure Skating, and the South Jersey native is the lone American woman competing in a major competition this weekend.

The reigning World Junior Champion will be the youngest U.S. skater to make the International Skating Union's Grand Prix Final in 15 years. In 2007, then-14-year-old Caroline Zhang made the final. Levito is younger than any of the competitors she'll be facing at the event in Turin, Italy from Dec. 8-10.

American fans can watch the Grand Prix Final on Peacock, a service of NBC. The women's competitions begin Dec. 9, with pairs and men's competition beginning Thursday, Dec. 8. Levito will skate Saturday, Dec. 10.

Levito was born in Philadelphia and trains at the Igloo Ice Rink in Mount Laurel with coach Yulia Kuznetsova, who has been with her since she was three according to the Olympics website.

Levito's mother Chiara Garberi grew up in Italy, not far from the site of the Milano Corina 2026 Winter Games — so a trip to the next Olympics would be significant for Levito and her family in more ways than one.

Levito was too young to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the 2020 Junior Grand Prix Series was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Igloo shut down for two months, as well, so she found new ways to keep busy.

Levito told U.S. Skating she learned to knit and practiced the piano in her off-time, and also worked on her dance abilities while taking virtual classes on her skating.

She came into the 2021-22 season strong, winning bronze at U.S. Nationals and capturing two medals on the Junior Grand Prix before withdrawing from the final due to injury. She also won the World Junior Championships in Estonia this April, becoming the first American to do so since Rachael Flatt in 2008.

Now she is on to her senior career, and sees the 2026 Olympics in Italy on the horizon. This weekend's challenge sees Levito skate against reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, who happens to be one of her idols. She told NBC Sports she admires Sakamoto's look of fierceness and determination when she competes.

"I hope to have it someday," Levito said.

Levito's determination now is to make the podium at the Grand Prix Final. Two American men, Lucas Broussard and Robert Yampolsky, will compete at the Junior Grand Prix Final according to Olympics.com.

After that, NBC Sports contributor Philip Hersh reckons she will go to the 2023 U.S. Championship as title favorite, and says she is "likely to get to" those 2026 Olympics.