CHONGQING, China — In a closely contested short program at the Cup of China on Friday, American figure skater Amber Glenn secured second place, finishing just behind Japan’s Mone Chiba.
Glenn, performing to “This Time” by Janet Jackson, began her routine with a triple axel that was slightly under-rotated and stumbled on the landing of her triple flip-triple toeloop combination. However, she quickly composed herself and executed a clean triple loop, earning a total of 70.84 points, which put her only 0.02 points behind Chiba.
“I’m pleased that I was able to bounce back after making a mistake, and that signifies significant progress for me,” Glenn expressed. “I haven’t performed my best since arriving here, so I’ve concentrated on my mental approach and staying resilient.”
This month, Glenn achieved her first Grand Prix title in France and is now focused on securing a slot for the Grand Prix Final, taking place next month in Grenoble, France.
“The dynamics here differ from France, where I had a substantial lead heading into the free program,” she shared. “However, I believe this situation is beneficial for me mentally, as it reminds me that I need to battle for every single point rather than playing it safe like I did before.”
Mone Chiba skated to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” and faced a deduction for an unclear edge on her opening triple lutz. Nonetheless, she recovered well with a solid double axel and a triple flip, finishing with 70.86 points.
“I feel like I performed well today and truly enjoyed my routine,” Chiba said. “I managed to keep a smile on my face for the duration of my performance.”
Chiba’s fellow countrywoman Rion Sumiyoshi took third place with 70.48 points after executing a double axel, a triple lutz-triple toeloop combination, and a triple flip.
South Korea’s Kim Chae-yeon came in fourth, while Japan’s Rinka Watanabe rounded out the top five.
The standings could see a shift following the free skating, with the top five competitors separated by just over one and a half points.
The Cup of China marks the sixth and final event in the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series, representing the last opportunity for skaters to secure qualifications for the Grand Prix Final scheduled for December 5-8.
In the men’s short program, Japan’s Shun Sato, the Skate Canada silver medalist, impressed the audience with a quad lutz and a quad toe loop-triple toeloop combination, finishing first with 98.75 points.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov secured second place with a score of 93.21 points.
France’s Adam Siao Him Fa, who had triumphed at the Grand Prix of France, started his performance with a quad lutz-triple toeloop but fell on the quad toeloop. He managed to pull off a clean triple axel, clocking in at 91.22 points for third place.
In ice dance, the rhythm dance saw two-time European champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri take the lead with 84.84 points.
Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha from Canada followed in second with 81.53 points, while Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko of the U.S. settled for third with 79.22 points.