Mariia Seniuk

Mariia Seniuk (, ; born 7 May 2005) is a Russian-Israeli figure skater. She is a three-time Challenger Series medalist, including gold at the 2023 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge, and a four-time Israeli national champion (2023-2026).

She represented Israel at the 2026 Winter Olympics, making her the first woman to represent Israel in women's singles at the Olympics.

Personal life Seniuk was born on 7 May 2005 in Moscow, Russia to Jewish parents. Seniuk competed for Russia on the advanced novice level until 2017. She made her junior debut for Israel in 2019.

2021–22 season: Junior Grand Prix debut Mariia debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Austria, Linz. She placed 12th with a total score of 136.27. In 2021, she won her first Israeli national title as a junior. Subsequently, she made her Junior World Championship debut at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Tallinn. She finished 19th overall. left 2022–23 season: International senior debut Seniuks' first senior international competition was the 47th Volvo Open Cup in Latvia in 2022. She placed 7th overall. 2023–24 season: European and World Championships debut Seniuk made her first appearance at the ISU European Championships in 2024. She placed 18th in both the short and free program segments, ultimately finishing in 19th place overall. thumb At the 2024 World Championships, Seniuk placed 32nd in the short program, failing to advance to the free skate. A few weeks later, Mariia won her second national title. 2024–25 season: Earning an Olympic quota for Israel In December 2024, Seniuk defended her national title. At the 2025 European Championships, she placed 13th overall. At the 2025 World Championships in Boston, Seniuk placed 19th in the short program and 16th in the free program, placing 16th overall and securing an Olympic quota for Israel for Milano Cortina, 2026.

2025–26 season: Milano Cortina Olympics, fourth national title, passport issues Seniuk opened the season at the 2025 Trialeti Trophy in Georgia. She won the silver medal behind Anastasiia Gubanova. She achieved a new personal best in both program segments. left Seniuk performing at the 2026 Winter OlympicsSeniuk was assigned to Skate Canada 2025 after Nina Pinzarrones' withdrawal. She finished in 8th overall. Seniuk defended her national title in December 2025, making this her 4th national title for Israel. In January 2026, she competed at the 2026 European Championships in Sheffield, England. Finishing both segments in 20th place, she finished the event in 21st overall. Just days prior of the Olympic entry deadline, Seniuk and two other athletes were faced with passport issues. This occurred since Seniuk was not a permanent resident in Israel, preventing the Israeli Olympic Committee from naming her to the team. "The Times of Israel" shared that "after a regulation passed in 2023 mandated that immigrants can receive a full passport only after a year of residency during which they prove that the centre of their life is in Israel." Only the interior minister has the overall authority to grant passports for those who do not meet the qualifications of this law. However, there had been no interior minister since October 2025 after Yariv Levins' temporary post had concluded. One day before the Olympic entries deadline, on the 25th of January 2026, Seniuk was officially named to the Olympic team. Additionally, she was named the flag bearer for Israel for the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Seniuk made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. She placed 22nd in the short program. In the free skate, she struggled on multiple jumping passes; she finished 24th overall.

On the 18th of March 2026, one week before the competition, Mariia withdrew from the 2026 World Championships.

Programs Season Short program Free skating 2025–2026 Run Opening Theme 2024–2025