Lia Cho made an impressive mark at the 2026 Canadian figure skating championships, breaking her own Canadian junior women’s record. The 13-year-old prodigy from Calgary secured the gold with a remarkable score of 199.60 points, surpassing her previous record of 188.79 set in Laval, Que., last year.
Expressing her surprise at the high score, Cho mentioned how she couldn’t initially grasp its magnitude due to the language barrier but was thrilled when the score was translated into English. She landed seven triple jumps to outperform her competitors, with Victoria Barakhtina taking the silver with 171.93 points and Quinn Startek securing bronze with 157.93 points.
Skating under the guidance of coach Scott Davis at The Glencoe Club, Cho showcased her talent after working as an ice patcher at the 2024 nationals. She will be eligible to compete in the world junior championships in 2027.
In the junior men’s category, Parker Heiderich from Calgary claimed the gold medal with 188.16 points, leading ahead of William Chan and James Cha, who secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys clinched the gold in junior ice dance with a score of 170.33.
The event witnessed outstanding performances from young skaters, setting the stage for their future endeavors in the competitive figure skating realm.