Mone Chiba: “For a month after the disappointment of the Olympics, I kept believing in myself and working hard, and I’m glad I did. I was able to end the season with a smile.”
Mone Chiba set personal bests and finished second at Worlds, turning Olympic disappointment into motivation for a strong season finish.
original source: news.yahoo.co.jp dd. 28th March 2026 / Nikkansports dd. 288th March 2026 by Daisuke Fudjisuka
Mone Chiba turned her frustration into motivation, earning silver at the World Championships and setting her sights on future growth and the next Olympics. Here’s a translation.
Although she narrowly missed a medal on the Olympic stage, she said, “Now it’s a fresh start as I look toward the World Championships. I want to become even stronger by practicing carefully, step by step.”
At this competition, she had zero under-rotations on her jumps, which had been a challenge. She set new personal bests in the short program, free skate, and overall, shedding tears of joy as she said, “I was able to turn setbacks into strength and give it my all.”
“I was even more nervous than in the short program. For a month after the disappointment of the Olympics, I kept believing in myself and working hard, and I’m glad I did. I was able to end the season with a smile,” she said.
Although she started the season strong, she made mistakes at the Grand Prix Final last December, which was crucial for Olympic team selection. “The pressure of the selection criteria got to me, and I couldn’t win. That was honestly the most frustrating part of the season,” she reflected.
She regrouped at the Japanese Nationals at the end of the year, but at her dream Olympic stage, she finished fourth, missing the podium. “It was tough to recover from the Grand Prix Final to Nationals. Even after overcoming that, I experienced the setback of missing a medal, but I used that frustration as motivation and was finally able to give it my all. I experienced so much this season – it was a truly fruitful one,” she concluded.
Together with Sakamoto, this marked the first Japanese women’s one-two finish at Worlds since Ando and Asada in 2007, 19 years ago. On the podium, Chiba listened to the Japanese national anthem with a sense of fulfillment. When she glanced to the side, she saw Sakamoto in tears. Chiba has always respected her senior, who retired after this day, saying, “The way she polishes every element to the highest quality is what’s most amazing.” Chiba reflected on the special moment: “I was overwhelmed with mixed feelings of accomplishment and sadness, and I kept tearing up and holding it back.”
Next season, the landscape will change dramatically as undefeated junior Mao Shimada makes her senior debut. “Japan’s top ranks are very deep. There are many who can take over from Kao-chan (Sakamoto),” Chiba said, adding, “But I want to develop the skills to be worthy of being counted among them.”
Related topics: Mone Chiba, world championship
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