Gina Zehnder and Beda Leon Sieber

After two years of competing in both the junior and senior ranks, Swiss ice dancers Gina Zehnder and Beda Leon Sieber are officially making the full transition to the senior level for the 2025–26 season. Although they are excited about this new chapter, it comes with a touch of bittersweet emotion. Both skaters feel a bit “sad” as they made so many friends on the Junior Grand Prix (JGP) circuit.

“Most of them are staying in juniors because they moved up the age limit for the girls,” Zehnder noted. “But we’re also excited to focus on seniors because it was a bit stressful this season with switching from junior program to senior and then to junior again. So, it will be easier for us this season just to focus on the two senior programs. ”

Both ice dancers feel that their two world championships have really helped them to prepare.

“They have really given us a very good understanding of what it’s going to look like in the senior ranks,” said Sieber. “Not just the huge competitions, but also like the B-types or the challenger events. It’s really a different game out there.”

Looking back on their final junior season

Reflecting on their final junior season, there were mixed emotions, particularly regarding the two Junior Grand Prix events in Slovenia and Turkey.

“I think I can speak for the both of us that we were not quite satisfied with the results,” said Zehnder. “We were hoping to place better and also skate better. We did not have great free dances at both of the competitions. And also at Junior Worlds, we were hoping to make the top 10 to get a second spot for Switzerland. But we did not skate great, so we did not reach that goal. But I think we were still satisfied at the end of the season.”

Despite the ups and downs, their junior career was full of highlights they will always cherish.

“One of our biggest highlights was to win a medal at the Junior Grand Prix last year as the first ever Swiss Ice Dance couple,” said Sieber of the event where they took bronze. “That was a huge success and a surprise for us. And going back many years to the Youth Olympics 2020 that were held in Lausanne, Switzerland—I think that is still a highlight we like to look back on.”

Zehnder agreed. “I think the Istanbul Grand Prix was one of the nicest moments for me and most emotional, probably because we were not expecting to win a medal there. And then also, of course, the Youth Olympics were just like a once in a lifetime experience for us to skate at. Especially given they were held in our home country.”

When asked about their favorite programs from their junior years, both had clear favorites.

“I think for me, this past season’s free dance, the Edward Scissorhands free dance, was probably my favorite free dance ever,” said Sieber. “And the Rhythm Dance, I want to say last year’s Rhythm Dance, the race car program, that also kind of got a lot of attention from people.”

Zehnder agreed with Sieber on the rhythm dance, adding that she wasn’t sure which was her favorite free dance.

“I think this one was more special and really interesting with the whole concept—the hair, Beda’s eyebrows and everything,” she said. “But from the feeling when skating it, I think I prefer the one from the season before, the sign language one. Maybe it’s because we did it for two years and so in the end of the second year, it got easier to skate and it felt more flowy. But when watching, I think the Edward Scissorhands was really special.”

Forging ahead to 2025-26

Looking at their growth over the years, both ice dancers feel that their programs have matured significantly.

“I think taking this year’s free dance is quite a good example of the complexity and level of difficulty that we have improved on—the whole structure of the programs,” Sieber noted. “The elements were more difficult. The transitions were more difficult. I think that was a big point we improved on”

Zehnder agreed adding: “We’re also always trying to create new lifts, some special positions because we like to do lifts that are recognizable. And also, I feel like we kind of improved on the speed. Maybe it’s a funny thing to say, but I feel like we’ve been getting a bit faster, maybe because our coach always tells us to push more during the program, during all the exercises.”

Heading into the new season, their focus is crystal clear. They want to improve on their technical score.

“At all the big competitions, we didn’t get the levels we wanted to,” noted Zehnder. “So, I think that’s, especially during summer now, what we’re going to work on. To get better levels in the step sequences and the one-foot section.”

Sieber felt that was one area that they were disappointed in the most.

“After when we saw the results of the competitions, I think this was always kind of the thing that we looked at and we were not quite satisfied with,” he said. “So we will put a lot of energy in improving our technical abilities to also be satisfied with the outcome in the end.”

Experimentation will also be part of their off-season work.

“We will be changing some things,” Sieber revealed. “We changed the twizzles for next year. We’re also working on new lifts to find something as creative, or even more creative, and out of the box than last year.”

“Most of the time our lifts or positions that we end up doing happen by accident,” Zehnder elaborated. “When we try to do different positions, but then we kind of mess up and we were in a different position. We’re like, ‘oh, wait, this could be a cool position actually!’  It’s kind of what happened in the last few weeks of practice this season.”

“But that’s where the fun happens, right?” Sieber chimed in.

In preparation for the upcoming season, the team will go to Montreal later this summer to work on their technical abilities. However, first, they will work with Alisa Besseghier on the choreography for their new programs in Küsnacht.

“I think being in an environment with so many great amazing teams is something that we’re kind of lacking in where we train,” Sieber shared. “I think we’re going to really also improve with that and benefit from the environment.”

As for their new programs, the duo is keeping things under wraps—but they hinted that the free dance is something that hasn’t been done yet.

“We’re both playing characters again and there is a storyline,” Zehnder teased.

Inspiration and motivation

When it comes to inspiration, the legendary ice dance team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir remain high on their list.

“I think they’re just a very big inspiration for a lot of ice dancers with all they have achieved,” Sieber explained. “Also with the connection and chemistry they have on the ice. Also, a rather new team that inspires me, especially this season, are Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck. I think they have achieved something this year that I aspire to achieve—the reaction from people to their program.”

Zehnder agreed regarding the Spanish team.

“I thought their free dance was absolutely amazing!” she said. “The difference from seeing it on the live stream from the Grand Prix to seeing them at Europeans and Worlds was huge. It was just something even like crazier and just amazing to watch in life.”

She also draws motivation from the two brother-and-sister teams from the Czech Republic: Katerina Mrazkova/Daniel Mrazek and Natalie Taschlerova/Filip Taschler.

“They have so much speed,” Zehnder pointed out. “I think it’s crazy how they can hold their edges, also on the smaller ice rinks like Montreal and Boston and skate their program with that much speed on the ice. I think that’s just amazing!”

“Then I think of Madison Chock and Evan Bates, of course,” she added. “How everything is just so fluid, and you can’t even see when a new movement is starting. I also think Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen were just amazing to watch, their free dance was so entertaining. I kind of like to take inspiration for different things from different couples.”

Off-Ice fun and hobbies

Sieber likes fashion design and fashion history. He also enjoys sewing but hasn’t had much time for it lately.

“When I was little and people asked me what I want to become, I always told them I want to be a fashion designer,” he shared. “So that passion is still present to that day. I like to learn about different fashion houses and their history. I usually design our costumes together with our coach, Alisa. I take inspiration from a theme and then I draw something and send it to Alisa. Then she adds something that she would like to add, or she doesn’t like.”

Zehnder enjoys sports activities like skiing and swimming with her friends and family.

“In the summer, we always throw a huge pool party where we also do some swimming games,” she said. “And also at family gatherings, we always do this one game, which is called ‘Stafette.’ You put everyone into two groups, and you organize these races with swimming and running.”

“I have a big family with a lot of cousins, so we love to go to the mountains all together,” Zehnder added. “I love to spend time with my family and with my sisters. I have two sisters, an older sister and a younger sister who also used to skate. We love to spend time together and do activities together.”

She also has a three-year-old dog named “Gusti.’

“It’s an Australian Cobberdog dog,” said Zehnder. “A really fluffy, fluffy dog. He looks like a real-life teddy bear. It’s kind of a mix of different dogs like the Labradoodle.”

“I have a cat, an orange cat,” offered Sieber. “He’s the sweetest really. Usually, I hear that orange cats are very crazy, and they don’t like people and they’re very aggressive. But mine is just the absolute sweetest. And his name is ‘Aceto’—the Italian word for ‘vinegar.’”

Goals for 2025-26

Both skaters share the same goal for next season—to qualify for both Europeans and Worlds again. They also hope to win a medal at a B competition and participate at Challenger Series events.

“I would like to have level four in lifts,” added Zehnder. “That would be a goal of mine. Last season in the rhythm dance we often didn’t get a level four because either it was too short, or they didn’t count the exit. Lifts are my favorite element, and I love doing them.”

The team will be having a meeting with their coach and Federation soon to discuss the season and plan for competitions.

With a strong vision, fresh creativity, and the momentum of a successful junior career behind them, Zehnder and Sieber are ready to make their mark on the senior ice dance stage—with plenty of excitement, ambition, and heart.

Related Info:

• ISU Bio
• Instagram: Gina Zehnder and Beda Leon Sieber

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