The 2026-2027 figure skating season started this past weekend at the ISU Challenger Series Cranberry Cup, hosted by the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, MA. It’s an early-season competition in a post-Olympic year, which typically starts “slow,” with skaters taking longer to come back to the ice and finish putting together their programs. This probably explains several notable withdrawals from the event, as well as a somewhat shorter list of competitors than in previous seasons.    

Correspondent Victoria Burdman, of Celebrate the Weekend, caught up briefly with Mark Gorodnitsky of Israel, who took bronze in the senior men’s event behind Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia (gold) and Daniel Martynov of the U.S. (silver). 

This was Gorodnitsky’s fifth appearance at Cranberry Cup. The Israeli skater won the event in both 2022 and 2023. However, after finishing only 11th at last year’s Cranberry Cup, Gorodnitsky wound up taking off the rest of the 2025-26 season, in part because the Israeli team had failed to qualify a men’s spot for the 2026 Milano Olympics. It was a bitter pill, especially as Gorodnitsky himself did not have a chance to help qualify a spot. Despite placing 12th at the 2024 World Championships, he was not selected to compete at either of the Olympic qualifying events (the 2025 World Championships or 2025 Skate to Milano).

But Gorodnitsky notched a successful return to competition at this year’s Cranberry Cup, after a full year away from the sport. The Israeli skater has been training in Toronto, Canada, with coaches Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev since the age of five (although he came to Cranberry by himself this year). In addition to training, Gorodnitsky is also coaching and finishing up university, with an expected degree in kinesiology. 

Gorodnitsky, 25, earned a total score of 203.31 at Cranberry Cup (122.32 in the free skate). His free program scoring actually sparked a discussion in the figure skating community, due to the invalidation of several elements following new ISU rules changes: He lost base value in his second jump combo and earned zero points for his final spin. Gorodnitsky shared his thoughts on the invalid element problems and other topics in this short interview, which has been translated from the original Russian. 

– Losing points in the free skate –  

I lost up to 20 points due to the jumping combo downgrade as a repeat and a spin invalidation. We read the rules, and I made the jump mistake out of habit, based on old regulations. The new spin rule was one we knew about, but it didn’t register in my head that I removed my fly spin instead of the fly combo [spin], leaving me with two combination spins. Two mistakes were made, simply out of old habits. Very silly on my part, but that’s why I started my season early. It was confusing, but now we know and will make the changes. The errors are already fixed.

– Meeting his overall performance goals – 

The goal here was to skate both programs cleanly, and I accomplished it in the short [program]. In the free–well, almost. I had two mistakes. But in general, after a whole year of not skating, I think it’s not bad. I fell in the free skate because of the nerves. I really wanted to skate cleanly, and maybe I tried too hard–this being the first competition of the season, after a year’s break. Also, there was a small technical issue, which is rare for me. I don’t remember the last time I fell during a flip jump. So although the downgraded scoring might be upsetting, it’s my fault. And for the first event coming back, the skating was good.

– Missing a season – 

I left due to a leg injury and some big emotions because of the Olympics. We were really close, but in the end, we did not get a spot. I was ready, but I didn’t even have a chance. During this year [off], I tried to heal the leg, but I didn’t really train regularly.  

– Coming back –

 I felt that I still had the potential to accomplish things for myself, and I will strive for them. I will continue to get stronger and improve. In the short program, I clearly see the work ahead. I received 80.99 here–that, with level 3s in spins and steps. There’s an easy five points to gain there in levels and the GOE as well. 

– Programs for this season –

Andrei Berezintsev, my coach, and I worked together on the programs: The Spanish matador-styled short program and the Gladiator-themed free skate.  

– Doing a cartwheel in the free skate – 

I just wanted to do it in the middle of the program, in the middle of the rink. [Big smile.] There is a moment when the beat drops down and then goes back up—I really wanted to do something catchy there.

– Quad jumps –

I have not been training my quad recently. I will see about that this year.

– Next competition – 

The Challenger Series Kinoshita Cup in Japan. I need to perform in front of the audience. Japan will be an amazing experience, even though it is going to be a very strong field there. But I need it, to get ready for bigger competitions. 

Israel has qualified two men’s spots for the 2026 European Championships this season, so Gorodnitsky will surely aim for one of those berths. And who knows–perhaps the World Championships too, if all goes well!