“The cycle of intense training and recovery hasn’t been going very smoothly.” Mone Chiba on third-place finish in the SP at Four Continents Championships
Mone Chiba who will compete at the Milan-Cortina Olympics starting February 6, finished third in the woman’s short program at the Four Continents Championships with a score of 68.07 points.
original source: Nikkansports 22d January 2026
Mone Chiba (20) placed third in the women’s short program at the Four Continents Championships in Beijing, analyzing her performance and expressing determination to improve for the free skate ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Here’s a translation of her comments.
Chiba, aiming for her first championship win in two events, calmly analyzed her own condition. A fall on her triple lutz in the second half of her program resulted in a third-place start with 68.07 points. She also fell twice during the six-minute warm-up just before her performance, reflecting, “I didn’t have a solid sense that I was consistently practicing all three jumps. I was lacking in preparation.”
She earned her first Olympic spot at the Japanese Nationals in December 2025. Looking back on the start of the new year, she said, “The cycle of intense training and recovery hasn’t been going very smoothly.” She felt instability in how her weight was distributed on her skate blades. Last season, she won a bronze medal at the World Championships. Drawing on her international experience, she successfully landed a triple flip–triple toe loop combination at the start of her program and achieved level 4 for all three spins and her step sequence.
For the free skate on the 23rd, Chiba hopes to deliver a performance that will build momentum for the Olympics. “I’ll focus my mind during practice and do my best to enjoy skating in the free program as well,” she pledged brightly, as if encouraging herself.
Related topics: Four Continents Championships, Mone Chiba
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