A spectacular Mao Shimada of Japan took the first step towards a record fourth consecutive title at the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships 2026 by winning the Short Program on Thursday in Tallinn (EST). 

It was an interesting competition with many beautiful performances - the competition is not over yet, and a lot can still happen in the Free Skating on Saturday. 

Mao Shimada (JPN) poised for record fourth title

Junior queen Mao Shimada of Japan is on the golden track again, taking the lead ahead of teammate Mayuko Oka in the Women’s Short Program. Australia’s Hana Bath came third.

Shimada delivered an upbeat performance to “Get Happy” and “Sing Sing Sing”, completing a double Axel, triple loop, triple Lutz-triple toe combination. The three-time ISU Junior World Champion also impressed with her exquisite spins and footwork to score 71.90 points.

Shimada was delighted, saying: “I think this was the best performance so far this season, even though I was under a lot of pressure and I was very nervous. I was able to jump the way that I practiced and then I was able to keep putting a smile on my face and perform."

"The score did not show what I was expecting," she added. “When I checked the protocol, I saw that the step sequence was only level 3. Maybe that was the reason.”

Shimada approaches the Free Skating with a fresh mindset. “I am not really putting myself under pressure for winning a fourth time. It is more that I want to perform well,“ she said. “I want to show my uniqueness and the fact that I have been challenging and pushing myself.” 

Oka’s fun routine to “Moment Magico” turned out to be a magic moment for her indeed. The 16-year-old was awarded with a personal best of 69.77 points for her clean performance in her debut at the ISU Junior World Championships. 

Mayuko Oka (JPN) is in second place after Thursday's performance © ISU

“I didn't expect to be in second place, so I'm very surprised right at this moment,” Oka noted. “I want to keep focusing on the free program, and I want to do everything I can right now and perform that in the free”, she added, and shared the story of her program: “It starts kind of interestingly and then I hatch from an egg to be a bird and I start flying.”

Bath’s program to “Survivor” was highlighted by a triple Lutz-triple toe combination and triple loop. The Australian Champion set a personal best of 66.95 and surprised herself by placing third. She was so surprised that she missed the small medal ceremony at the ice rink. 

"I am surprised that I came third. I wasn’t expecting it,” Bath commented. “I’m really happy I could enjoy the skate and do a clean program. I am motivated and want to skate clean in the free program.

“It [the Short Program] is a pretty strong type of music and, how the music says, it’s about surviving, so I try to keep a strong skate throughout the whole performance."

Hana Bath (AUS) admits she is 'surprised' to be in third place © ISU

Sofia Shirfin (ISR) placed fourth with a personal best performance to “Big Spender” on 65.38 points. Inga Gurgenidze (GEO) remains close to the podium in fifth place (64.28 points) followed by Yihan Wang (CHN) on 63.44 points. Sophie Joline von Felten (USA) was the only Woman to perform a triple Axel in the Short Program (in the combination) and finished eighth (62.62 points). 

A total of 50 Junior Women from 41 countries competed in the Short Program and the top 24 advanced to the Free Skating on Saturday. 

Where to Watch

All the events are live-streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube channel.

What and when 

The schedule of the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships 2026 is as follows:

Wednesday, March 4: Junior Pairs & Junior Men’s Short Programs
Thursday, March 5: Junior Women’s Short Program & Junior Pairs Free Skating
Friday, March 6: Junior Rhythm Dance, Junior Men’s Free Skating
Saturday, March 7: Junior Free Dance, Junior Women’s Free Skating,

Full entry lists, results and further information are available on the ISU Figure Skating Junior World Championships event page and the official event website. Follow the discussion on social media using #WorldJuniorFigure and #FigureSkating. 

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