Lia Cho

Lia Cho
Lia Cho after winning the 2023 Skate AB/NT/NU Sectional Championship
Personal information
Other names지우
Born (2012-08-21) August 21, 2012 (age 14)
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Home townCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Height1.38 m (4 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Canada
DisciplineWomen's singles
CoachScott Davis
Skating clubThe Glencoe Club
Began skating2015

Lia Cho is a Canadian junior figure skater. She is a two-time Canadian junior national champion (2025, 2026) and a two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix medalist.

Personal life

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.

Cho is currently a student at Mount Royal School. In addition, she is fluent in both English and Korean.

Career

Early career

Cho began skating at age three at the Red Deer Skating Club in Red Deer, Alberta and was coached by Patti Somer. In 2021, after moving to Calgary with her family, Cho began training at The Glencoe Club under coach Scott Davis.

2023–24 season

Cho began her season by making her novice debut in February at the 2023 Skate Canada Challenge, where she won the gold medal. 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.

In April, Cho finished her season by winning the 2024 Triglav Trophy on the novice level.

2024–25 season

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.

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. Two months later, she concluded her season with a gold medal win on the novice level at the 2025 Maria Olszewska Memorial.

2025–26 season

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.

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. The following month, she finished her season by winning gold at the 2026 Maria Olszewska Memorial on the novice level.

2026–27 season

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." She made her junior international debut at the 2026 Cranberry Cup, where she won gold.

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." At her second assignment, the 2026 JPG Poland in Gdańsk, Cho narrowly won the short program. Second in the free skate, she finished second overall, 0.61 points behind Japan's Sumika Kanazawa. Ranking seventh in the women's standings on the Junior Grand Prix, she was named the first alternate for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2026–2027
2025–2026
2024–2025
2023–2024
2022–2023

Competitive highlights

Competition placements at junior level 
Season 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Canadian Championships 1st 1st
JGP Poland 2nd
JGP Thailand 3rd
Cranberry Cup 1st
Skate Canada Challenge 1st 1st


Competition placements at advanced novice level 
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

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System 
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS192.752026 JGP Thailand
Short program TSS69.422026 JGP Poland
TES40.912026 JGP Poland
PCS28.842026 JGP Thailand
Free skating TSS126.032026 JGP Thailand
TES68.252026 JGP Thailand
PCS57.782026 JGP Thailand

Junior level

Results in the 2024–25 season 
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Nov 28 – Dec 1, 2024 Canada 2024 Skate Canada Challenge 1 63.35 1 123.15 1 186.50
Jan 14–19, 2025 Canada 2025 Canadian Junior Championships 1 64.19 1 124.60 1 188.79
Results in the 2025–26 season 
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Nov 27–29, 2025 Canada 2025 Skate Canada Challenge 1 64.97 1 122.69 1 187.66
Jan 6–11, 2026 Canada 2026 Canadian Junior Championships 1 66.77 1 132.83 1 199.60
Results in the 2026–27 season 
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Aug 5–9, 2026 United States 2026 Cranberry Cup International 1 64.78 1 116.07 1 180.85
Sep 3–5, 2026 Thailand 2026 JGP Thailand 3 66.72 3 126.03 3 192.75
Oct 8–10 2026 Poland 2026 JGP Poland 1 69.42 2 126.34 2 195.76

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Slater, Paula (August 31, 2025). "Canada's Lia Cho lays foundation for success". Golden Skate.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lia CHO: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "CAN–Lia Cho". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "Lia Cho Sets New Junior Women's Canadian Record at Skate Canada Challenge". Skate Canada. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. ↑ "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.
  10. ↑ Brodie, Robert (August 1, 2026). "Canada's rising star ready to shine even brighter". R.W. Brodie Writes. Archived from the original on September 6, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
  11. ↑ "2026 CRNCUP Jr Womens Final Results". Skating Scores.
  12. ↑ "Lia Cho Wins Bronze at Junior Grand Prix in Bangkok". Skate Canada. September 5, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Lia Cho Wins Silver as Canadians Wrap Up ISU Junior Grand Prix Series". Skate Canada. October 10, 2026. Retrieved October 10, 2026.
  14. ↑ Brodie, Robert (October 10, 2026). "'Be willing to take some risks'". R.W. Brodie Writes. Archived from the original on October 10, 2026. Retrieved October 14, 2026.
  15. ↑ Slater, Paula. "NextGen champion Lia Cho ready for junior international debut". Golden Skate. Golden Skate. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "NOVICE WOMEN SHORT - 2024 NOVICE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS / 2024 SKATE CANADA CUP (3)". Dailymotion. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Lia Cho - 2024 Novice Canadian Championships". YouTube. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Pre Novice Women Short - Regina Motor Products Arena - 2023 Skate Canada Challenge / Défi Patinage Canada 2023". Dailymotion. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Pre Novice Women Free - Regina Motor Products Arena - 2023 Skate Canada Challenge / Défi Patinage Canada 2023". Dailymotion. Skate Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Lia CHO: Competition Results". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  21. 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.