⛸️ Mao Shimada Wins Grand Prix! Figure Skating News for the First Week of November 🏆 - 2026.11.03 | Figure Skating

Hello, fans! ❄️ Lots of figure skating news came in again this first weekend of November. From the Grand Prix Series 2nd event in Kelowna to the Beijing Olympic ranking adjustments, let's go through them one by one! 🎿

🏆 Mao Shimada Dominates Senior Grand Prix Debut!

The biggest news this week is 18-year-old Japanese skater Mao Shimada ^[1]. On the 2nd at Skate Canada, she won the women's singles with 82.11 in the short program and 153.33 in the free skate, for a total of 235.44 points. It is the highest score in women's singles this season, so impressive! 😍 ^[2] She has also won on the top step of the podium in both of her senior international appearances ^[1].

Her technical content was also eye-catching. She landed a triple Axel as the first element in both programs, earning a GOE bonus of over 2.50 points ^[1]. In the free skate, she attempted a quadruple toe loop, which was judged underrotated and lost 20% of its base value, but she showed she can do both 3 and a half and 4-revolution jumps ^[1]. Her spin and step sequence both earned Level 4, the highest difficulty, leaving no room for her rivals to catch up ✨

Her performance video also captured the audience giving her a standing ovation. SBS Sport even called it a 'golden routine' ^[8]. Japanese media said she is 'a strong candidate for the next Olympic gold medal,' and expectations are growing that she could shake up the picture at the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics ^[1]. By the way, her parents named her after Mao Asada, who competed alongside Kim Yuna ^[1]. We have at least four years of her journey to enjoy 🥰

🇰🇷 Jia Shin Finishes 6th at Grand Prix Event 2

Here is news about a Korean skater. Jia Shin came back with 3rd place in the free skate, but she could not fully recover from mistakes in the short program, finishing 6th out of 12 with a total of 204.52 points ^[3]. She opened with a triple Salchow and cleanly landed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination and a triple loop. Her spin and step sequence both earned Level 4 ^[3]. A quarter landing call on the first jump of the bonus segment was disappointing, but finishing her first senior Grand Prix of the season is meaningful 💪 You can also see Jia Shin's free skate in photos from the Skate Canada event ^[7]. Kim Yu-jae finished 7th with 181.63 points at the same competition ^[3].

📝 Beijing Olympic Rankings Adjusted: Yu Young 5th, Kim Yerim 8th

We also have late but welcome news. Due to the disqualification of Russia's Kamila Valieva for a doping violation, Yu Young moved up from 6th to 5th, and Kim Yerim moved up from 9th to 8th ^[4]. The IOC notified the Korean Olympic Committee of the final results change in an official letter on the 30th of last month, and Olympic diplomas have been redistributed accordingly ^[5]. Excluding Kim Yuna, Yu Young's result is now the best Olympic finish by a Korean women's singles skater ^[5]. This is also the first time Korean figure skaters have finished in the top 10 together at the Olympics . Yu Young is also the 'triple Axel No. 1' who became the first Korean women's singles skater to land a triple Axel, at the 2019 Grand Prix Canada event ^[5] 👏

💬 Cha Jun-hwan's Update: A New Step as an Actor

Cha Jun-hwan shared an update with photos from a Bulgari event ^[6]. The photos were taken at the preview of the 'LIGHT, FORM AND VISION' exhibition on the 28th of last month, where he wore a black suit with a Bulgari necklace and watch, drawing attention ^[6]. It has been three weeks since he announced he was stepping away from competition, so fans have been eager for this update. He is also set to appear in Tving's first original sitcom, 'Gungjeon Land,' in 2027, so he will be active as an actor ^[6]. The article does not mention his next move as a skater, so let's patiently wait for news 🙏

🎬 Video Highlights This Week

The ISU official channel released the women's free skate and ice dance free dance videos from the 2026 Kelowna Grand Prix ^[10] ^[9]. If you want to see the jumps and spins on the ice for yourself, be sure to check them out! 🎥

See you next week with more figure skating news. Thank you so much for your support, fans! 🫶