Lia Cho achieved a remarkable score that initially took everyone by surprise. The young figure skater from Calgary broke her own Canadian junior women’s record at the 2026 Canadian figure skating championships, securing the gold medal in the competition. Cho, aged 13, impressively earned 199.60 points, surpassing her previous record of 188.79 established during the national championships in Laval last year.
Expressing her astonishment, Cho remarked, “I was just so surprised; that was such a high score, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s the highest score I’ve ever received.'” She further shared her confusion due to the French announcements but was relieved when the score was translated into English, realizing the significance of her achievement.
During the event held at Centre Slush Puppie, Cho flawlessly executed seven triple jumps, outperforming her closest competitor, Victoria Barakhtina, who secured the silver medal with 171.93 points. Quinn Startek clinched the bronze medal with a score of 157.93.
Trained by coach Scott Davis at The Glencoe Club, Cho’s success follows her role as an ice patcher at the 2024 nationals. She is now eligible to compete in the world junior championships starting in 2027.
In the junior men’s category, Parker Heiderich from Calgary emerged victorious, scoring 188.16 points to claim the gold medal, leaving William Chan and James Cha with the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Additionally, Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys triumphed in the junior ice dance category, earning a high score of 170.33.