Shimada Mao rose to the occasion to win her first senior international title in a personal best of 231.32 at the Kinoshita Group Cup in Tokyo on Sunday (6 September), beating a pair of Olympic medallists in the process.
The 17-year-old, who was unbeaten in figure skating‘s junior ranks in all 39 events she entered, launched her senior debut campaign in style by finishing 10 points above Beijing 2022 silver medallist Alexandra Ignatova (221.06), and overtaking Milano Cortina 2026 bronze medallist Nakai Ami (207.72), who fell from first to fourth after the free skate. Anna Frolova won bronze with a score of 207.86.
Shimada became the first Japanese senior woman to land both a triple Axel and a quadruple toeloop in the same program, as the crowd at Tatsumi Ice Arena rose to its feet after witnessing one of the most remarkable debuts in recent years.
“I’m so happy,” Shimada said. “It’s a title against a field including (AIN) skaters and I thought I skated really well today, which makes this championship all the better.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d do this well but I’m happy with the way things turned out. This season, my focus is more on how I perform rather than the score. I just want to make it a season of fun.”
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/isu-challenger-series-kinoshita-group-cup-2026-women-free
