Figure skating: Chiba wins Cup of China to extend Japan women's GP streak
SHENZHEN, China (Kyodo) -- Japan's Mone Chiba won the Cup of China on Saturday to extend Japanese women's winning streak to three events at the start
Shenzen, China (Kyodo) - Japan's Mone Chiba claimed the Cup of China on Saturday, extending Japan's winning streak to three events at the beginning of the Grand Prix Series season. The 21-year-old, who was last season's world championships runner-up, scored 148.40 points in the free skate, resulting in a total of 224.48. This victory marked Chiba's third Grand Prix win.
Chiba expressed her nervousness before the event but credited her love for figure skating for helping her stay focused during her flawless performance, aside from landing her triple Lutz a quarter rotation short. She emphasized her trust in her abilities and her dedication to the sport.
Individual Neutral Athlete Alexandra Ignatova of Russia topped the free skate with 148.90 after landing her opening quadruple Lutz. She secured the second place overall with a total of 221.27, while South Korea's Lee Hae In came in third with 210.79. Chiba, who finished fourth at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, had been sidelined for about a month due to a sprained right ankle.
Japan's Mako Yamashita and Rinka Watanabe also performed well, with Yamashita finishing sixth and Watanabe 11th in the field of 12 skaters. In pairs, Japan's Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi secured a bronze medal for their first podium finish in the Grand Prix Series, following their fourth place finish in the short program and third place in the free skate.
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