Angela Shao carries confidence into new season

Angela Shao enters the new season with greater confidence and ambitious goals after winning the 2026 U.S. Junior title and finishing ninth at the 2026 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

The 15-year-old is preparing for another busy campaign, hoping to earn ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments while also competing domestically as a senior. Along the way, she is focused on refining her skating skills, improving her speed and consistency, and continuing to mature as a performer.

A season to remember

Looking back on last season, Shao immediately points to her most memorable moment—claiming the 2026 U.S. Junior title.

“Two years ago, I was just happy I was able to place seventh,” Shao said of 2024 U.S. Nationals. “So at that moment, I felt proud of how much I’ve improved. One of the memories that stand out from that day was being with my friends after the competition; it was also a really good show of sportsmanship. After the ceremony, we took podium photos and then did the viral ‘Lush Life’ dance to an audio for Instagram!”

While a podium finish at nationals was her goal, Shao wasn’t expecting to win.

“I didn’t expect it, but I really wanted it,” she said.

The title marked a significant improvement after placing sixth at the previous U.S. Championships.

Shao credits much of that progress to the work she and her coaches put in every day.

“I had a coach that was really pushing me to be the best that I could be, and we were running programs every day. I think the hard work in general and the improvement that came with it really played a big part.”

The U.S. junior title came nearly two years after Shao relocated from Michigan to Colorado Springs to continue her development under coach Tammy Gambill.

“This move helped me grow as a skater and as a person because I had to push myself harder and also balance school life,” said Shao. “The hardest part was getting used to a busier schedule where I would even spend most of my Sundays doing schoolwork.”

“The altitude is higher here, so that helps train for stamina,” she added. “And the coaches are amazing here!”

Although she still misses her friends and former coaches in Michigan, she enjoys reconnecting with them at competitions and staying in touch throughout the season.

Building belief

The 2025-26 season also taught Shao an important lesson about herself.

“I learned that I was pretty resilient,” she said. “I don’t want to underestimate myself like before.”

That lesson became especially clear at Nationals, where Shao had planned to perform a triple flip-triple toe combination in her short program. When the jump gave her trouble during the warmup, she quickly adjusted her plan.

“But the jump was having issues in the warmup, so I warmed up my triple toe-triple toe during the review time and still performed a triple toe-triple toe in the competition,” she explained. “I was proud of myself for adapting quickly that day.”

Shao also realized that having low expectations of herself could make it easier to avoid pressure. Last season, she said, she had “little expectations” for herself. This year, however, she wants to approach competition with a stronger belief in herself and “raise my expectations” so she can continue to improve.

Learning on the international stage

Internationally, Shao made the most of her opportunities, competing in her first ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Riga, Latvia, and later representing Team USA at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

“It was really fun,” she said of her Junior Grand Prix event. “There wasn’t that much pressure, and I really skated like I had nothing to lose. I got to experience other cultures while competing, travel, and see skaters from other countries. I just got to see the world.”

Making her World Junior debut was another milestone in her career.

“I was really proud of that,” Shao recalled, “because it’s a really proud moment to be out there representing your country because you work so hard and you have a passion for this.”

It was during the draw that Shao fully appreciated what it meant to represent Team USA.

“It meant a lot; there were so many countries being represented at Junior Worlds and it felt great to know that I was representing the USA,” she said. “During the draw, I was looking around the room and all the different people and different national team jackets made me realize this.”

She was also pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere at the event.

“I was pretty nervous because these were the top skaters in the world,” she said. “But everyone was calm and collected, and they were super kind. It just felt really nice.”

Beyond the competition itself, Shao found inspiration in watching the world’s top junior skaters.

“I also learned just how much work they put into this,” she said. “They were amazing! I watched them afterwards, clapping with the audience. It inspires me to work harder for this upcoming season.”

Australia’s Hana Bath also caught Shao’s attention at Junior Worlds.

“She was strong, confident, and focused the entire time,” Shao observed. “She attacked her performance and didn’t seem to have any doubts, which was something I wanted to learn from her.”

“Her jumps were fantastic,” Shao added. “They were so high and had so much distance!”

Growing stronger

Not every competition last season went according to plan. Shao recalled struggling with her triple Lutz-triple toe combination in the free skate at JGP Riga, but the setback motivated her to work even harder.

“I’m glad it gave me more resilience. I worked harder for it, and then at Junior Worlds I finally did it.”

As expectations grew throughout the season, new challenges followed.

“It was kind of challenging to keep getting better throughout the season because every time I felt like there was a little bit more pressure added,” Shao reflected. “But I’m glad I pushed that out of the way.”

Adjusting to change

This summer has brought another challenge—a growth spurt.

“I’ve grown a bit since Junior Worlds,” Shao admitted, “so it’s kind of hard to keep the consistency.”

The growth spurt has required some technical adjustments, but Shao also sees an opportunity to develop her skating in new ways.

“I noticed that I need to jump higher to get better quality jumps compared to before,” she explained. “But I’ve also noticed I have the potential to be smoother and more elegant with my skating by elongating my lines.”

Asked what she has emphasized in training this summer, Shao doesn’t hesitate: “I need to skate faster and really push into my jumps,” she said.

The skater is also working toward adding a triple Axel.

“I’m in the process of it,” she said, adding that she uses a jump harness. “It’s getting better. I’m still working on it.”

The physical changes aren’t the only adjustments Shao is making this season. Changes to the ISU’s jump rules will also give her something new to navigate.

“I think the new rule changes can make skating interesting,” she said. “It’s nice to have something new to work towards this year. It’s also going to make the freeskate I kept from last year a bit different, so I’m not just repeating the same exact program this year.”

New music, familiar emotions

For the upcoming season, Shao will debut a new short program to music from The White Crow while keeping last season’s free skate to “Ave Maria.”

The short program wasn’t an immediate favorite.

“At the beginning, I didn’t like it that much,” she admitted.

But after the program was choreographed and she began training it, her perspective changed.

“After training it, I began to feel the music more and understand why it was a good choice for me,” Shao explained.

Now, Shao hopes to bring something elegant and distinctive to the ice.

“I want to portray something elegant and special,” she said.

One of her favorite moments comes just before her second jumping pass.

“There’s this counter before my second jump,” she pointed out. “It’s really long and pretty, and I want to keep making it long and pretty.”

The program’s jump layout is still evolving, and Shao expects it could change as the season progresses. For now, she plans a double Axel, triple Lutz and triple toe-triple toe combination.

Her free skate to “Ave Maria,” meanwhile, remains deeply personal.

“I’ve always felt like I’m praying to God in this program. It’s like a conversation with God.”

The program begins with a quiet, spiritual quality before gradually building in intensity.

“At the beginning, it is elegant and spirit-like, more like a quiet spiritual connection, but later, it starts to build and release emotions.”

Ultimately, Shao wants the program to convey a feeling of freedom and happiness.

“I want to convey a special light and free emotion, like joy.”

For now, the free skate’s planned jump layout consists of a triple loop, triple Lutz, triple flip, triple toe-triple toe, triple flip-double Axel-double Axel, and triple Salchow.

Inspired by those around her

Training alongside reigning U.S. champion Amber Glenn has provided Shao with an important source of inspiration.

“She skates at my rink, and I really look up to her. She’s like a big sister to me.”

Shao admires Glenn not only for her skating, but also for her work ethic and the way she supports those around her.

“Recently, some advice that she told me that stuck with me was to not hyperfixate on one element during practice if it wasn’t working. Instead, she advised me to come back to it later if it wasn’t working.”

It’s a lesson that has encouraged Shao to keep perspective when something isn’t going according to plan, rather than allowing one difficult element to affect the rest of her training.

Shao also continues to admire Olympic champion Nathan Chen.

“He just seemed so strong and powerful. He had all the quads, and he was still good at school. He’s a really nice person. I looked up to him as a person as well.”

What she hopes to bring into her own skating is Chen’s consistency and ability to perform under pressure.

“His consistency and ability to handle pressure really impressed me,” said Shao. “Going into his second Olympics and overcoming the pressure to take home the gold was really amazing. I hope that I can imitate him in that way.”

Looking ahead

Shao hopes to qualify and compete as a senior at the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but she isn’t setting specific score goals just yet.

“I’m waiting to see how it plays out a little bit more because I’m getting back into it,” she said. “I needed to get my consistency back up. A season is a whole process. It’s not just one competition that makes up a season.”

Still, she knows what would leave her smiling next spring.

“Maybe if I make Nationals and do really well there,” she noted.

Her season began earlier this month at the 2026 Asian Open Trophy, where she placed second. Shao also plans to compete in NQS events in both Utah and Colorado later this fall.

Beyond the results, Shao has a clear idea of what she hopes her skating communicates to an audience.

“I want them to feel enjoyment,” she expressed. “I want them to understand how I feel about skating—just the feeling of the wind blowing on your face when you’re skating on the ice.”

Asked what she hopes audiences remember most about her skating, Shao emphasized her artistic focus: “I hope that they remember the fluidity and elegance of my movements. It’s something that I’ve been working on.”

For Shao, the coming season is about pushing herself further, adapting to change and finding greater consistency while developing the qualities that make her skating her own.