The reigning Georgian champions lead the pairs’ event after the short program, while Lily Wilberforce and Mózes József Berei finished in 20th place at the Junior World Championships in Debrecen.
Stepping onto the ice first is never easy—especially in front of a home crowd, and even more so when it’s only your second competition together as a pair. Yet, despite all this, Mózes József Berei and Lily Wilberforce took the ice with smiles on Friday afternoon at the Főnix Arena on the third day of the Junior Figure Skating and Ice Dance World Championships.
There was no visible sign of nerves, and the audience welcomed the young duo—who have only been skating together for a few months—with warmth and enthusiasm. Though their short program had some mistakes, and they fell short of the score they achieved at their first competition, they remained smiling and ultimately satisfied with their performance.
And rightfully so—both athletes know that with continued hard work, they can achieve even greater results.
“It was an incredible feeling to be out there on the ice,” said Mózes József Berei. “This was my first time skating at such a major competition in front of a home crowd, and I am deeply grateful. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we are thankful to our coaching team, our families, and everyone who has supported us, including the Hungarian federation.”
Lily Wilberforce reflected on what it was like to skate first at the Főnix Arena:
“I can’t quite say whether I felt more nervous or excited, but it was definitely a feeling I had never experienced before in a competition. My main focus was on managing those emotions. In the end, I actually liked being the first to skate.”
The pair felt the support of the audience and were truly grateful for it. Since it was their first major competition together, they were filled with more joy than disappointment, even despite the minor mistakes.
“I think we handled the situation well and gave our best performance on the ice,” said Lily Wilberforce. “The crowd’s support was absolutely incredible—I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”
Mózes József Berei nodded in agreement: “I can only repeat what Lily said—it was truly amazing. Thank you!”
Finishing in 20th place, the Hungarian duo did not qualify for Saturday’s free skate. However, in collaboration with the event organizers, they found a way to still share their program with the Főnix Arena crowd: before the evening’s events, they performed their free skate set to the music of Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt (“Spring Wind Brings Water”).
“As expected, our short program score wasn’t enough to make the final, but this is as far as we could get in just three months,” said Mózes József Berei after their free skate. “What made up for it, though, was the love from the Hungarian audience and the chance to perform our program. Thank you for the support, the messages, and the countless hugs we received at the Főnix Arena. Being here at the World Championships has been an incredible gift for us.”
“I will always be grateful to Hungary for welcoming and accepting me,” added Lily Wilberforce. “Hearing the crowd cheer for us at this championship is an experience I will cherish forever.”
Leading the pairs’ event after the short program is the reigning champion duo from Georgia, Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava.
The Junior World Championships can be followed on the event’s social media pages (WHJCH Instagram, WHJCH Facebook event) and the official competition website: https://hunskate.hu/wjch2025/.
