This article first appeared on SportsLook, JAPAN Forward's dedicated sports website.
Mao Shimada came through with a clutch performance under pressure to win the Junior Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy, on Friday night, December 9. The 14-year-old skated last and needed a big score in her free skate to claim the women's title and delivered with an ambitious program.
Shimada triumphed with a total score of 205.54 points for her second major victory in the past three weeks. The Tokyo native won her second straight Japan junior crown in November in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture. She will attempt to add the title at the Japan Championships later this month in Osaka.
South Korea’s Jia Shin finished second with 200.32, with her compatriot Chaeyeon Kim taking third place on 190.36.
Ami Nakai (189.23) just missed out on a medal in fourth place. South Korea’s Minsol Kwon (175.43) came in fifth, with Hana Yoshida (158.30) placing sixth.
Shin skated immediately before Shimada and tallied 131.21 with a fine free skate, meaning Shimada needed 130.67 to prevail. She notched 135.88 to win.
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Author: Jack Gallagher
The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, here, and find him on Twitter @sportsjapan.
