“If I’m going to say, ‘I’m aiming for the Olympics,’ then I need to back it up with the appropriate level of training and thought.” Mone Chiba reflects on her start of the season
Mone Chiba finishes second at Summer Cup, reflecting on improvements ahead of the Olympic Season
original source: Hochi News, August 11th, 2025 / Hochi News, August 12th, 2025
World Championship bronze medalist Mone Chiba reflects on a challenging start to her season. In the women’s short program, Chiba scored 60.60 points and placed sixth in her first competition of the season. She successfully landed her opening triple flip–triple toe loop combination but fell on both her double axel and triple lutz.
Reflecting on her disappointing performance, Chiba said, “I wasn’t feeling off, which makes this result all the more frustrating.”
Wearing a costume inspired by cherry blossoms in full bloom and illuminated at night, Chiba skated to Sakura Sakura. She explained that the program explores the contrast between calmness and motion, with the focus on expressing “calm.”
“One of the highlights is embodying the ‘calm’ aspect of the theme throughout the performance. I want to maintain the grandeur of the program, even in tense moments. My goal is to skate with the same large scale in both practice and competition,” she shared.
The 2023–24 season is a crucial year for Chiba, as she sets her sights on the Milan Winter Olympics in February. “I aim to deliver more consistent performances compared to last year. I feel so frustrated with myself after this short program,” Chiba said.
In a free skate, Mone Chiba scored 131.84 points in the free skate, bringing her total to 192.44 points and securing second place at her first competition of the season. She narrowly missed the top spot by just 0.40 points to winner Ami Nakai. Reflecting on her performance, Chiba said, “I was able to push aside my frustrations from the short program and tackle the free skate head-on.”
Performing to Romeo and Juliet, Chiba began with a clean triple flip–triple toe loop combination and completed her routine with no major mistakes, earning the highest free skate score of the event. However, she expressed dissatisfaction with her overall performance: “The short program is crucial, so I’m not satisfied with this result at all.”
This season carries significant weight for Chiba, who has her sights set on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Despite finishing on the podium, she remains critical of her progress:
“With how I performed at this competition, I don’t think I have the ability to qualify for the Olympics yet. It’s crucial to approach training with the right mindset and refine both my techniques and perspective. If I’m going to say, ‘I’m aiming for the Olympics,’ then I need to back it up with the appropriate level of training and thought,” she said.
Chiba aims to build on her performance in her next event, the Kinoshita Group Cup, scheduled for September 5–7 in Osaka. She expressed determination to continue improving: “I’ll do everything I can until I can confidently say I’m ready. I want to prepare to the point where I can approach the competition with the best kind of nerves,” she said firmly.
Related topics: Mone Chiba
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