Lia Cho achieved an exceptional score that took a moment to sink in. The young figure skating talent from Calgary broke her own Canadian junior women’s record at the 2026 Canadian figure skating championships, securing the gold medal with a remarkable 199.60 points. This surpassed her previous record of 188.79 points set at the nationals in Laval, Quebec, last year.
Reflecting on her achievement, Cho expressed her surprise at the high score, noting that it was the highest she had ever received. She initially sought confirmation from her coach due to the language barrier but was thrilled when the score was translated into English, exclaiming, “that’s such a high score!”
In a stunning performance at Centre Slush Puppie, Cho executed seven triple jumps, outshining Victoria Barakhtina who earned the silver medal with 171.93 points, and Quinn Startek who claimed the bronze with 157.93 points. Skating under the guidance of coach Scott Davis at The Glencoe Club, Cho, who previously worked as an ice patcher at the 2024 nationals, is now poised to compete in the world junior championships in 2027.
In the junior men’s category, Parker Heiderich of Calgary clinched the gold medal with 188.16 points, surpassing William Chan and James Cha who secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Additionally, Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys secured the gold medal in junior ice dance, scoring 170.33 points.
