A gold medal should bring applause, not humiliation. Yet Japan’s Mone Chiba reportedly faced boos and insulting chants after winning the women’s title at the 2026 Cup of China. The reaction has since drawn criticism from fellow figure skaters, including American star Ilia Malinin, who believes the champion deserved far better.
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Chiba finished on top in Shenzhen on November 7 with 224.48 points, narrowly beating Alexandra Ignatova, formerly known as Alexandra Trusova, who scored 221.27. While the Japanese skater celebrated another major victory, sections of the home crowd reportedly made their displeasure clear during the medal ceremony. Videos circulating online showed the uncomfortable reaction, with derogatory chants directed at the newly crowned champion.
Malinin, who watched the incident unfold, did not hold back when asked about the treatment Chiba received. “That was not nice. Mone did not deserve that. I literally watched the whole thing; that’s very dumb of people. Like people should be happy for them no matter what,” the American figure skater said. His response echoed the frustration of fans who felt that Chiba’s achievement should have been celebrated, regardless of the result they wanted.
The reaction reportedly stemmed from the strong support Ignatova received in China. The Russian skater returned to the Grand Prix circuit after five years away, having last competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Now 22 and a mother to a one-year-old son, her comeback attracted considerable attention. Her Olympic silver medal had already earned her a loyal following, and her return gave those supporters another reason to cheer.
Ignatova also delivered a strong performance. She landed a quadruple Lutz in the free skate and scored 148.90 points, narrowly beating Chiba’s 148.40. However, the Japanese skater had built a crucial advantage in the short program. That early lead proved decisive, giving her the overall title despite Ignatova winning the free skate.
Some spectators reportedly struggled to accept that outcome. Chants heard during the medal ceremony included phrases that roughly translated as insults suggesting Chiba was undeserving and telling her to leave. Online claims have also attempted to connect the hostility to alleged earlier remarks by Chiba about avoiding meat in China because of possible doping contamination. However, there is no independently verified evidence that she made those remarks or that they prompted the crowd’s behavior.
Whatever the reason, a competitor’s popularity cannot justify directing abuse at another athlete. And Malinin was not the only skater who felt Chiba deserved support.
What did Amber Glenn say about the incident?
American figure skater Amber Glenn also came forward to defend the Japanese champion. Sharing her disappointment on social media, Glenn wrote, “This breaks my heart; Mone is such a sweet soul and doesn’t deserve hate over something she had no control over.”
She also reposted a video showing the reaction at the medal ceremony with a pointed caption: “This is how you treat your medalists.” Glenn’s message struck a chord with fans who believed the audience had crossed a line. Chiba had competed under the same rules as everyone else, earned her scores, and won the title. The fact that spectators preferred another result did not make her victory any less deserving.
The hostility reportedly did not end in Shenzhen. Chiba also faced negative comments online, with reports suggesting that she later restricted or disabled comments on her Instagram account. What should have been a moment of celebration was instead followed by an uncomfortable wave of attention.
That makes her achievement all the more worth remembering. Chiba returned to competition after an ankle injury and had not skated since the World Championships in March. She began her Cup of China campaign with a 76.08-point short program, performing to a James Bond-themed routine despite an error on her double Axel. That score put her ahead of Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova, who recorded a personal best of 75.05, while Ignatova sat third with 72.37.
Chiba then carried that advantage into the free skate, taking to the ice for Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.” Although Ignatova edged her in that segment, Chiba held on to the overall lead. After finishing her routine, the Japanese skater covered her face, visibly overwhelmed by the moment.
“I was very nervous, but I was just reminded of how much I love skating,” she said. “I believed in myself and managed to keep my focus. I was able to reproduce everything I’ve been working on in practice.”
The victory marked Chiba’s third career Grand Prix title and continued Japan’s impressive run, following wins by Nakai Ami and Shimada Mao at the first two events. Ignatova, meanwhile, also had reason to be proud of her return.
Reflecting on how motherhood had changed her outlook, she said, “In the past, finishing first was the most important thing for me. But now, what matters most is skating cleanly and consistently, and that’s what I did.”
Both athletes delivered performances worth celebrating. Chiba’s return from injury and hard-earned gold should have been the story of the night. Instead, the reaction from sections of the crowd threatened to overshadow it. As Malinin and Glenn made clear, supporting a favorite should never mean tearing another competitor down.