Mone Chiba: “The nerves this year are different because it’s my first Olympic season. It’s impossible to be 100% calm. Even so, I want to keep my heart steady.”
Mone Chiba delivered a personal best to take the lead in the women’s short program at the Grand Prix Final.
original source: Nikkansports 5th. December 2025 by Katsube Kota
Aiming for her first Olympic appearance at the Milano-Cortina Games next February, Mone Chiba (20) made an excellent start toward national team selection. Chiba is the only woman to have won two Grand Prix events this season, earning her spot in the Final. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
“I was really nervous, but I felt deep down that this was the time to give it my all,” she said.
Last season, Chiba made her Final debut and soared to a silver medal, but she says, “The nerves this year are different because it’s my first Olympic season. Everything is a new experience, so I’m sharpening my senses,” she said. “I’ve truly learned to trust my own feet,” she added, with no hesitation.
Chiba herself was the most surprised by her performance. In this high-stakes event for the three Olympic spots, she posted the world’s second-highest personal best of the season. Even with a score higher than at this year’s World Championships, where she won bronze, she said, “I’ve felt like I was floating the whole time…” The only emotion that lingered after her performance was, “The cheers were just incredible.” Looking at her score and herself objectively, she smiled gently, saying, “My feelings don’t quite match up with the numbers.”
Despite the pressure of skating last, she never lost sight of her own skating. “I felt deep down that this was the time to hold on. Even though I felt like I was floating, I was able to stay aware of what I’d focused on in practice.”
“The Final is the competition where I have to give it my all.” Last season, she won silver at her first Final. Still, this is her first Olympic year as a candidate, and everything feels fresh. “It’s impossible to be 100% calm. Even so, I want to keep my heart steady, without a single ripple.”
Related topics: grand prix final, Mone Chiba
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