Japan’s rising figure skating star Mone Chiba has secured the women’s title at the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Cup of China, delivering a strong overall performance to finish ahead of Alexandra Ignatova and South Korea’s Lee Hae-in.

Chiba accumulated 224.48 points across the short programme and free skate, finishing 3.21 points ahead of Ignatova, who claimed second place with 221.27 points.

The competition in Shenzhen brought together leading international figure skaters for an exciting display of technical ability, athletic performance and artistic expression.

Chiba Builds Her Victory Through a Strong Short Programme

The 21-year-old Japanese skater entered Saturday’s free skate with an important advantage after earning 76.08 points in the short programme.

She subsequently collected 148.40 points in the free skate, finishing second in that segment but maintaining the highest combined score to secure the championship.

Despite winning the overall competition, Chiba admitted that she experienced considerable nervousness during her performance.

She explained that there were moments when she struggled to remember parts of her planned routine, acknowledging that she would need to review the experience and improve ahead of her next competition.

The 2026 world silver medallist nevertheless demonstrated the consistency needed to secure another major international achievement.

Ignatova Makes an Impressive Return to Competition

Alexandra Ignatova produced one of the competition’s most notable performances, finishing first in the free skate with 148.90 points.

Her overall score of 221.27 earned her the silver medal, just behind Chiba.

Ignatova’s appearance was particularly significant because she returned to the Grand Prix circuit after a five-year absence.

Competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete following the birth of her child, she expressed satisfaction with her performance.

She explained that her priorities had changed over the years, with clean execution and consistency becoming more important to her than simply finishing first.

Her return provided an important personal milestone and demonstrated her continued commitment to competitive figure skating.

South Korea’s Lee Hae-in Secures Bronze

South Korean skater Lee Hae-in completed the women’s podium, earning the bronze medal with 210.79 points.

She recorded 143.30 points in the free skate, maintaining a competitive performance against the leading Japanese and neutral competitors.

Meanwhile, China’s Zhu Yi finished eighth with a personal-best overall score of 180.47 points.

Her compatriot Zhang Ruiyang placed ninth in the women’s competition.

Individual Neutral Athletes Win Pairs Competition

The pairs event also produced an important result, with Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov taking the championship.

Competing as Individual Neutral Athletes, the duo scored 135.15 points in the free skate and achieved a combined total of 209.84 points.

Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava secured second place with 198.27 points.

Japan’s Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi finished third.

China’s Zhang Jiaxuan and Huang Yihang placed seventh in the pairs competition.

Britain Wins Ice Dance Title

Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson captured the ice dance championship following a consistent performance.

The British duo earned 114.93 points in the free dance, bringing their overall total to 194.93 points.

Georgia’s Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin finished second with 193.54 points, narrowly missing the top position.

Spain’s Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck secured the bronze medal with 178.30 points.

Chinese teams also competed in the ice dance event. Xiao Zixi and He Linghao finished eighth, while Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing placed ninth. Lin Yufei and Gao Zijian completed the competition in tenth position.

Men’s Competition Set for Final Day

While the women’s, pairs and ice dance titles have been decided, the men’s championship remains outstanding.

The men’s event is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, the final day of the three-day competition in Shenzhen.

The remaining performances will complete the Cup of China programme and determine the final men’s medal positions.

Conclusion

Mone Chiba’s victory highlights Japan’s continued strength in international women’s figure skating.

Her combined score of 224.48 points secured the championship, while Alexandra Ignatova’s successful return and Lee Hae-in’s bronze-medal performance added further interest to the competition.

The Cup of China also delivered memorable results in pairs and ice dance, with athletes from several countries reaching the podium.

As the men’s competition approaches its conclusion, the Shenzhen event continues to showcase the international depth and competitive appeal of figure skating.