2023 ISU Four Continents bronze medalist Mone Chiba of Japan came to the 2024 Championships in Shanghai (CHN) looking to aim higher this time around. And with confidence and ease, she leapt to the top spot of the podium with an elegant Free Skate.
Korea’s Chaeyeon Kim earned the silver - her first ISU Championship medal - while Japan’s Rinka Watanabe came from fourth after the Short Program to take the bronze, which is her first ISU Championship medal as well.
Overnight leader Chiba had drawn to skate last and produced the perfect ending to the Women’s event in Shanghai.
Skating to “The Legend of 1900”, the 18-year-old gave an elegant performance that included a triple flip-triple toe combination, five more triple jumps (only the second flip was slightly underrotated) as well as level-four spins and footwork.
When she landed the last jump, a triple Lutz, a big smile lit up her face, and the scores soon confirmed that she’d posted a personal best of 143.88 points and totaled 214.98 points to win her first ISU Championship title.
Mone Chiba (JPN) earned a personal best with an elegant and confident Free Skate to win her first ISU Four Continents gold. © ISU
“Yesterday in the Short Program I finished in first place and I skated last today. I was really nervous,” Chiba shared.
“I was talking to my coach and I said I’m going to show my best. And in the program, I took it one element at the time. Before the program I was anxious to make a mistake but there was no error and I got the gold medal.
“My way to get away from the pressure is to focus fully on the competition and this is what I did here in Shanghai.”
Skating to “Le Bal des Folles”, Kim produced a strong performance that included six triple jumps and difficult spins. However, she missed the last jump, a triple Salchow. Nevertheless, the Skate Canada silver medalist netted a season’s best with 134.91 points and accumulated 204.68 points overall to remain on the podium.
Chaeyeon Kim (KOR) retained her second place from the Short Program to take silver with a season's best in the Free Skate. © ISU
“In this season, I didn’t have such good results internationally and nationally,” Kim said.
“Before the competition I was worried that I don’t make it in the top three. Here, I made a mistake and I am still on the podium and this really boosts my confidence,” she added.
Watanabe opened her program to “Brotjor”, “Goliath” and “Meeting Laura” with a bang, nailing the triple Axel that had eluded her this season so far.
The Japanese Skater went on to complete three more clean triples, but she singled a Lutz and she underrotated a triple toe and a triple Lutz.
The 2023 Grand Prix Cup of China silver medalist scored 134.95 points for the Free Skating and ranked second in the segment. Overall, she pulled up to third place with 202.17 points.
Rinka Watanabe (JPN) nailed a triple Axel to come second in the Free Skate, lifting her from fourth into bronze medal position. © ISU
“I have some regrets today, but they will become future experiences, and I am still very happy to challenge myself,” Watanabe commented.
“I was a little scared before today's competition and I was also a little nervous because I was not in a good state during practice, but I still tried the triple Axel and landed it successfully. It's a pity that I failed my Lutz. In the off-season I want to challenge the quad loop or Lutz.”
Both Watanabe, left, and Kim, right, won their first ISU Championship medals. Chiba adds gold to last year's Four Continents bronze. © ISU
Ava Marie Ziegler (USA) turned in a strong performance as well that featured seven triples, but she slipped from third overnight to fourth at 201.19 points, and just missed out on a medal. Seoyeong Wi (KOR) finished fourth with a personal best score of 193.57 points. Madeline Schizas (CAN) moved up from ninth to sixth place on 185.69 points.
Two-time ISU Four Continents Champion Mai Mihara (JPN) finished seventh at 184.07 points and 2023 ISU Four Continents Champion Haein Lee (KOR) was 11th (169.38 points).
Schedule of the event
The schedule of the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is as follows:
Thursday, February 1: Women’s, Men’s & Pairs Short Programs
Friday, February 2: Rhythm Dance & Women’s Free Skating
Saturday, February 3: Pairs & Men’s Free Skating
Sunday, February 4: Free Dance & Exhibition Gala
For full entries and results, please see the ISU event page and the official website. Follow the discussion on social media using #4ContsFigure and #FigureSkating.
Where to watch the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2023:
The ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news here.
Subscribe to the Skating ISU YouTube Channel to receive alerts when the live streams start and when new videos are posted.
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