Mao Shimada: “Thinking, ‘I want everything to be perfect at every competition,’ is fine in theory, but when you make one mistake, it can overwhelm you emotionally.”
Mao Shimada wins at Tokyo Summer Competition
original source: Tokyo Sports, August 25th 2025
On August 24, at the Tokyo Summer Competition, Mao Shimada (16) secured first place in the Junior Women’s category with a free skate score of 145.15 points and a total score of 215.59 points. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Tokyo Sports.
Although she struggled slightly with the landing on her opening quad toe loop, Shimada bounced back to cleanly land a triple axel and successfully executed the rest of her jumps. Reflecting on her performance, she said: “I’m relieved that I was able to limit my mistakes to just the quad. Overall, it’s good progress.”
Shimada displayed maturity in her ability to refocus following early mistakes. “Thinking, ‘I want everything to be perfect at every competition,’ is fine in theory, but when you make one mistake, it can overwhelm you emotionally. I’ve learned that staying calm and doing things ‘as usual’ helps me manage better and minimize errors.”
Regarding her quad toe loop, Shimada noted areas for improvement: “There were parts where I definitely could have handled it better. While my success rate for the quad is improving compared to last year, it still depends on being in optimal condition. I want to reach the point where I can land it consistently, even when things aren’t ideal.”
About a month and a half ago, Shimada sustained an injury to the underside of her right foot, but she showed signs of recovery during the event. She was given the green light by her doctor to compete and opted to participate, particularly given the significance of the rink in Tokyo, which holds nostalgic value for her.
The venue was where Shimada competed before moving to Kinoshita Academy, with her last appearance here being at the 2019 All-Japan Novice Championships in Group B. “The moment I arrived here, I felt, ‘I’ve competed here so many times,’” Shimada remarked sentimentally after the short program on August 23.
Shimada now looks ahead to her next competition, the Junior Grand Prix Series 4th event in Thailand (September 9–13), which marks her international debut this season. Despite considering a break to recover from her injury, her determination to participate prevailed.
As Shimada sets her sights on reaching the Junior Grand Prix Final in December, her focus remains on refining key elements: “I want to improve the consistency of my short program, as well as the precision of my quad and triple axel. I want to deliver an even better performance in Thailand,” she added confidently.
Related topics: Mao Shimada
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