Skating pictures by Yoriko Suzuki
For the subsequent entry in our New Crew Collection, we meet Iris Lahti & Oskari Liedenpohja, junior ice dancers who signify Finland and teamed up for the 2025-26 season. They’re coached by Neil Brown. You possibly can observe them on their workforce Instagram @team_lahti.liedenpohja.
Tell us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular recollections.
Iris: I began skating once I was 6 years previous. I actually fell in love with it on the first trial with my childhood greatest buddy. After skating faculty our paths separated as she continued in synchro, and I began studying jumps and spins in single skating. After a again damage as 11 years previous I made a decision to change to ice dance and fell instantly in love with it. I actually love dancing and with the ability to interpret on the ice. I skated for 3 years in solo dance and switched after that to ice dance.
Oskari: I additionally began skating at age 6. I began with single skating – my mom was additionally a single skater and a skating trainer in her youthful years. Nevertheless, I observed fairly early that single skating was fairly not for me, and I made a decision to attempt ice dance as a substitute and have stayed on that path since.
What drew you to ice dance?
Iris: After the Springs A season and the primary 2 com
Oskari: On the age of 9 I made a decision to develop into an ice dancer with the goals of reaching a excessive degree in worldwide competitions and within the Olympics. Ever since I grew to become part of this stunning sport, I’ve been working to develop into one of the best ice dancer I might be. I danced along with my earlier accomplice Enna Kesti for 10 years. With Iris, we began dancing collectively final March and simply began our 2nd yr collectively. And the dream continues to be alive!
Inform us how your partnership began. Describe the tryout.
As Oskari’s earlier accomplice determined to finish her profession, our coach recommended a tryout for us. This tryout session came about in the identical week simply earlier than Iris’s ISU Solo Dance Competitors in Atlanta, US. As we all know one another already beforehand, it didn’t require that a lot time to determine. Our tryout was a pleasant expertise for each of us with numerous pace, and so forth. When Iris returned, we began to follow collectively.
What’s one thing that shocked you about your accomplice whenever you first began coaching collectively?
Iris: Though Oskari is sort of 5 years older than I’m and we didn’t know one another that nicely earlier than our partnership, it was shocking how straightforward it was nonetheless to get alongside, from the very starting of the partnership.
Oskari: Beginning skating with a brand new individual is like distinction between day and evening. I used to be shocked by how motivated and fearless my accomplice is.
What experiences do every of you carry to the partnership? (Worldwide competitions, coaching, and so forth.)
Oskari possesses 10 years’ expertise on ice dancing with a accomplice. He has competed each nationally and internationally in all Novice classes and a pair of yrs in Juniors earlier than the partnership. Together with his earlier accomplice they reached gold medal as A Novice in ISU Olomouc in 2022. Oskari could be very robust in lifts, and his unfold eagle is unbelievable.
Together with her background in single skating and solo ice dance, Iris brings robust skating abilities and prime quality of steps to this partnership. As a coach she could be very decided and goal-oriented and thus they’ve adopted loads of new coaching practices as a pair. Iris has additionally competed each in nationwide and worldwide degree each in singles and solo dance. Earlier than the partnership her class was Junior Solo Ice Dance the place she reached bronze medal in ISU Edge Cup in 2025.
What has been the most important adjustment for every of you thus far within the partnership?
Iris: For me particular to begin working towards with any individual else. I’ve been an athlete for the previous 9 years, of which 8 years as a part of a person sport (first singles and after that as a solo ice dancer). Sharing your practices with any individual else, communication and making compromises has required additional effort from me.
Oskari: Studying to skate with a brand new accomplice has been a brand new expertise. Doing related edges and actions.
What’s it that you just already like most about dancing together with your new accomplice?
Iris: We share the identical targets and ambitions for this sport. We’re able to work arduous to succeed in our targets.
Oskari: I gained extra motivation which has made me prepare tougher.
The place are you at the moment coaching (location, amenities, lessons), and what does a typical coaching day seem like for you?
We’re coaching with the opposite Finnish junior {couples} within the skating membership’s group periods at varied ice rinks in Helsinki. We sometimes have 2 morning ice periods and 5 afternoon/night ice periods throughout the week. As well as, we do off-ice coaching, ballet, dance, and ballroom dance.
On a typical coaching day, we have now morning follow from 7-8:30am. After faculty we proceed with afternoon/night follow from approx. 4pm to 7:30pm which usually consists of one on-ice session (1.5 hours) and one off-ice coaching (1 hour).
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each need to relocate? If that’s the case, inform us concerning the transfer(s).
Neil Brown is our head coach. He’s supported by Henna Lindholm and different coaches from our skating membership Helsingin Luistelijat. Already earlier than our partnership began, we already practiced in the identical skating membership in Helsinki, so none of us wanted to relocate.
Who choreographed your packages. Did another person prepare your music? If that’s the case, please share these experiences.
Our packages are choreographed by our head coach Neil Brown, supported by our unbelievable dance trainer Sini Parkkinen. We determine on music along with Neil, who can also be arranging it and finalizes along with the Skating Music Man Rob Colling.
Inform us about your packages final season. Who/what impressed your music decisions and total themes?
The themes and music had been chosen along with our head coach Neil Brown. In RD the rhythms had been Quickstep and Rumba and the theme 90’s. Thus, we ended up with Rhythm Is a Dancer by SNAP! and Mr. Useless by Tradition Beat. Within the FD we wished to indicate one other aspect of us and ended up with Teddy Swims’s Some Issues I’ll By no means Know, Lose Management and I’m Not Your Man.
Inform us about your competitions so final season.
We did complete of 11 competitions throughout the season 2025-2026 together with each nationwide and worldwide ones. We began already in July with a digital competitors based mostly on which the winner was chosen to the 1st ISU JGP in Riga. We managed to succeed in that spot and competed in our 1st ISU JGP solely after 5 months from beginning working towards collectively. Through the autumn we additionally did ISU Mezzaluna Cup, ISU NWR Trophy, ISU Tallinn Trophy, in addition to nationwide Summer season Competitors, 1st qualifier and Finnish Nationals. After the brand new yr we competed in ISU Problem Cup, ISU Finnish Ice Dance Open and in ISU Skate Berlin Worldwide. For the JWC we had been nominated for the 1st reserve spot.
Is there a contest efficiency that stands out as a breakthrough second for you as a workforce (thus far)?
In our final competitors of the season in ISU Skater Berlin Internationals, we had been capable of carry out very good free dance and we reached our greatest complete and technical scores from a global competitors this season. It was additionally an ideal expertise to get invited to carry out within the exhibition gala on the finish of the competitors.
There was no single competitors the place each packages would have been good, however we did good job in particular person dances and positively realized rather a lot from each expertise and now we’re higher skaters due to them. We additionally improved our efficiency constantly all through the season.
What have been a few of the largest classes you’ve realized from competing final season?
You can not plan every little thing upfront and there is likely to be surprises across the nook, each constructive and unfavorable. From the failures and arduous experiences, you sometimes be taught essentially the most.
What’s every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What shall be your largest problem(s)?
We’re very a lot wanting ahead to begin presenting our new packages, that are at the moment in progress. Our rhythm dance is one thing completely totally different in comparison with the earlier season 2025-2026 and in free dance we are able to current Oskari’s very long time want what involves the music and the theme. We’re additionally wanting ahead to the alternatives to take part in JGP competitions and hopefully additionally within the JWC this season.
Our largest problem is to succeed in the consistency and abilities required for transferring to the Senior class after this season, as this shall be our final season in Juniors.
When you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. They’re each unimaginable artists and unbelievable skaters with many skills and success within the internation arenas. They’ve their distinctive type combining robust presence within the efficiency in addition to superior footwork and difficult transition. They’ve additionally been able to bringing one thing new to the game in every of their packages yearly all through their lengthy profession.
What’s one phrase that greatest describes your partnership?
Dedication
Please share something you want to our readers to find out about you as a workforce.
Oskari spends his leisure time doing crossword puzzles and listening to podcasts. Iris loves knitting, studying and enjoying piano.
