Lia Cho
 Lia Cho after winning the 2023 Skate AB/NT/NU Sectional Championship | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | 지우 |
| Born | August 21, 2012 Red Deer, Alberta, Canada |
| Home town | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Height | 1.38 m (4 ft 6+1⁄2 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Discipline | Women's singles |
| Coach | Scott Davis |
| Skating club | The Glencoe Club |
| Began skating | 2015 |
Lia Cho is a Canadian junior figure skater. She is a two-time Canadian junior national champion (2025, 2026) and the 2026 JGP Thailand bronze medalist.
Personal life
[edit]Lia Cho was born on August 21, 2012 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada to parents, Ara and Brian Cho. She also has a brother, Lucas, who is two years younger than her. The family moved to Calgary in 2021 due to Cho's father's work.[1][2]
Cho is currently a student at Mount Royal School. In addition, she is fluent in both English and Korean.[1]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Cho began skating at age three at the Red Deer Skating Club in Red Deer, Alberta and was coached by Patti Somer.[3][2] In 2021, after moving to Calgary with her family, Cho began training at The Glencoe Club under coach Scott Davis.[1]
2023–24 season
[edit]Cho began her season by making her novice debut in February at the 2023 Skate Canada Challenge, where she won the gold medal.[4] Two weeks later, she competed at the 2024 Canadian Novice Championships, winning the gold medal by almost thirty-three points and setting a new Canadian novice women's record with a total score of 166.56 points.[5]
In April, Cho finished her season by winning the 2024 Triglav Trophy on the novice level.[4]
2024–25 season
[edit]Cho started her season in August, winning gold on the novice level at the 2024 Cranberry Cup. She followed this up by making her junior debut at the 2024 Skate Canada Challenge, winning the gold medal.[4][6]
In January, Cho won the 2025 Canadian Junior Championships, setting a Canadian junior women's record in all competition segments with a score of 64.19 in the short program, 124.60 in the free skate, and 188.79 for a combined total score.[7][8] Two months later, she concluded her season with a gold medal win on the novice level at the 2025 Maria Olszewska Memorial.[4]
2025–26 season
[edit]Beginning her season in August at the 2025 Cranberry Cup, Cho won the gold medal on the novice level. Three months later, she won another gold medal at the 2025 Skate Canada Challenge on the junior level.[4]
In January, Cho won her second consecutive national title at the 2026 Canadian Junior Championships, breaking her previous Canadian junior women's records with a score of 66.77 in the short program, 132.83 in the free skate, and 199.60 for a combined total score.[9] The following month, she finished her season by winning gold at the 2026 Maria Olszewska Memorial on the novice level.[4]
2026–27 season
[edit]For the 2026–27 season, Cho became eligible to compete on the junior level internationally and the senior level domestically, welcoming the latter as an opportunity "to compete against everyone who's really good in Canada."[10] She made her junior international debut at the 2026 Cranberry Cup, where she won gold.[11]
Cho was assigned to make her Junior Grand Prix debut at the 2026 JGP Thailand in Bangkok. She placed third in both the short program and the free skate, winning the bronze medal. Speaking afterward, she stated that she "wasn't really expecting to get a medal; my goal was to get top 5. I'm so happy and excited that I podiumed."[12]
Programs
[edit]| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–2027 [13] |
|
|
|
| 2025–2026 [1] |
|
||
| 2024–2025 [2] |
|
|
|
| 2023–2024 [14][15] |
|
|
|
| 2022–2023 [16][17] |
|
|
Competitive highlights
[edit]- JGP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series
- TBD – Assigned
| Season | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Championships | 1st | 1st | |
| JGP Poland | TBD | ||
| JGP Thailand | 3rd | ||
| Cranberry Cup | 1st | ||
| Skate Canada Challenge | 1st | 1st |
| Season | 2023–24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Championships | 1st | ||
| Cranberry Cup | 1st | 1st | |
| Olszewska Memorial | 1st | 1st | |
| Skate Canada Challenge | 1st | ||
| Triglav Trophy | 1st |
Detailed results
[edit]| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 192.75 | 2026 JGP Thailand |
| Short program | TSS | 66.72 | 2026 JGP Thailand |
| TES | 37.88 | 2026 JGP Thailand | |
| PCS | 28.84 | 2026 JGP Thailand | |
| Free skating | TSS | 126.03 | 2026 JGP Thailand |
| TES | 68.25 | 2026 JGP Thailand | |
| PCS | 57.78 | 2026 JGP Thailand |
Junior level
[edit]| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 28 – Dec 1, 2024 | 2024 Skate Canada Challenge |
1 | 63.35 | 1 | 123.15 | 1 | 186.50 |
| Jan 14–19, 2025 | 2025 Canadian Junior Championships |
1 | 64.19 | 1 | 124.60 | 1 | 188.79 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 27–29, 2025 | 2025 Skate Canada Challenge |
1 | 64.97 | 1 | 122.69 | 1 | 187.66 |
| Jan 6–11, 2026 | 2026 Canadian Junior Championships |
1 | 66.77 | 1 | 132.83 | 1 | 199.60 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 3–5, 2026 |  2026 JGP Thailand |
3 | 66.72 | 3 | 126.03 | 3 | 192.75 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Slater, Paula (August 31, 2025). "Canada's Lia Cho lays foundation for success". Golden Skate.
- 1 2 3 "Lia CHO: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024.
- ↑ Rainbird, Daniel (January 17, 2025). "12-year-old skater Lia Cho breaks own Canadian junior women's record at nationals". The Toronto Star. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "CAN–Lia Cho". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "Calgary figure skater Lia Cho soars to record-setting victory at Novice Canadian Championships". Calgary Herald. Calgary Herald. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "Lia Cho Sets New Junior Women's Canadian Record at Skate Canada Challenge". Skate Canada. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "12-year-old Lia Cho destroys competition to win junior women's national title". CBC News. CBC News. 17 January 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "Calgary's Lia Cho, 12, breaks records to win Canadian junior figure skating title". Global News. Global News. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "Calgary's Lia Cho, 13, breaks own Canadian junior women's record at figure skating nationals". CBC News. CBC News. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ Brodie, Robert (August 1, 2026). "Canada's rising star ready to shine even brighter". R.W. Brodie Writes. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 CRNCUP Jr Womens Final Results". Skating Scores.
- ↑ "Lia Cho Wins Bronze at Junior Grand Prix in Bangkok". Skate Canada. September 5, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
- ↑ Slater, Paula. "NextGen champion Lia Cho ready for junior international debut". Golden Skate. Golden Skate. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- ↑ "NOVICE WOMEN SHORT - 2024 NOVICE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS / 2024 SKATE CANADA CUP (3)". Dailymotion. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ "Lia Cho - 2024 Novice Canadian Championships". YouTube. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pre Novice Women Short - Regina Motor Products Arena - 2023 Skate Canada Challenge / Défi Patinage Canada 2023". Dailymotion. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pre Novice Women Free - Regina Motor Products Arena - 2023 Skate Canada Challenge / Défi Patinage Canada 2023". Dailymotion. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Lia CHO: Competition Results". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- Rainbird, Daniel (17 January 2025). "12-year-old skater Lia Cho breaks own Canadian junior women's record at nationals". The Canadian Press. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
External links
[edit]- Lia Cho at the International Skating Union
- Lia Cho at Skating Scores
- Lia Cho on Instagram