“After the short program, I became unwell and was in tears at the thought that I might have to return home without skating the free program.” Mao Shimada on her performance at Junior Worlds
Mao Shimada, who made history with her fourth consecutive World Junior title, overcame illness during the competition and is now recovering well, expressing gratitude for the support and looking ahead to her senior debut and future Olympic goals.
original source: news.yahoo.co.jp dd. 10th March 2026
Mao Shimada’s management reported on her condition after returning to Japan, following her unprecedented fourth consecutive victory at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The 17-year-old had revealed she became ill after the women’s short program, but her team has now provided an update. Here’s a translation.
Shimada, who has already returned to Japan, wrote on Instagram on the March 9th, “After the short program, I became unwell and was in tears at the thought that I might have to return home without skating the free program. After spending a day in bed, my fever went down on the day of the free skate. Even though my strength hadn’t fully returned, I did everything I could to prepare and was able to compete.” Despite being in an extreme condition, she achieved an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.
On the March 10th, her management company KSM updated their official X (formerly Twitter), stating, “She has returned home safely.” They added, “To everyone who was concerned, Shimada was smiling upon her return, and her appetite has come back. It seems her health is no longer an issue.” They also congratulated both Shimada on her fourth gold medal and Mayuko Oka on her bronze in her debut, celebrating the double podium finish.
In her Instagram post, Shimada wrote, “I was able to achieve four consecutive titles thanks to all the support I received, so I’ll keep working hard to give back even a little. My four years of junior experience are a treasure.” Next season, she will move up to the senior level. She narrowly missed qualifying for the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February due to age restrictions, but will use her junior experience as a springboard toward the next Olympics in the French Alps in 2030.
Related topics: Mao Shimada, World Junior Championships
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