Mao Shimada Wins First Senior Grand Prix Title in Canada

Shimada leads from the short program

Shimada opened with a triple Axel in her short program to “Between Two Worlds.” She also landed a triple Lutz-triple toe combination; a slight under-rotation on her triple flip was the main error in a skate that earned level four for all three spins and the step sequence. Her 82.11 points set a personal best and put her in first place.

She said she was surprised by the score, given the under-rotation, and saw room to improve. Shimada had felt unwell that morning, but chose to rely on the form she had found in training. The senior event’s large venue and crowd felt different from junior competitions, and she described feeling more nervous once it was time to perform.

In the free skate to “Waloyo Yamoni,” Shimada scored 153.33 points, the highest mark in the segment. Her routine included a clean triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe, while her quad toe was under-rotated. A triple flip in a jump sequence received an edge call; her spins and footwork earned level four.

Petrokina climbs to silver

Petrokina moved up from third after the short program to take silver with 221.07 points. The Estonian earned 77.24 in the short, a personal best, after landing a double Axel, triple Lutz-triple toe and triple flip. Her spins and step sequence all received level four.

She scored 143.83 in the free skate, finishing second in that segment as well. Petrokina had considered including a more difficult element but chose a triple Salchow instead of the planned quad. She landed four other clean triple jumps, including a triple Lutz-triple toe; two triple flips received edge calls. Her spins and footwork again earned level four.

Petrokina said she became increasingly nervous while waiting to skate, despite feeling confident in the warm-up. Once the music began, she focused on completing each movement and connecting with it. She has been working on consistent turns in spins and the step sequence, and identified the triple Axel and quad Salchow as possible future additions, depending on her progress in practice.

Levito takes bronze

Isabeau Levito of the United States finished third for bronze. She stood second after the short program with 78.50 points, between Shimada’s 82.11 and Petrokina’s 77.24. Petrokina’s free-skate score lifted her past Levito in the final standings.

The Canadian event’s podium therefore brought together Shimada, making her first senior Grand Prix appearance, Petrokina, the reigning European champion, and Levito. Shimada’s two segment wins secured the title; Petrokina’s move from third to second made the final result a substantial climb rather than a continuation of the short-program order.

Next stop: Finlandia Trophy

Shimada identified the under-rotation on her quad toe as a point to address before Finlandia Trophy. She also wants to develop her speed and expression as she adapts to senior-level competition. After four years of junior competition, she said she treats each event as a separate challenge rather than letting her junior winning streak dictate her approach.

For Petrokina, the next technical choices remain conditional: she has been focusing on stabilising the Salchow, while a triple Axel and quad Salchow depend on how practice develops. She said she wants to concentrate on her performance rather than the pressure around her results.

Sources

• sports.yahoo.com — “Mao Shimada wins Skate Canada in highly anticipated Grand Prix debut – Yahoo Sports”
• france24.com — “France's Aymoz wins Skate Canada men's crown”
• skatecanada.ca — “Pereira and Michaud Strike Gold at Skate Canada International – Skate Canada”
• CBC Sports — “Canada's Lia Pereira, Trennt Michaud win pairs gold at Skate Canada International”