Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto showcased a stellar performance in the short program, positioning herself as a strong contender to defend her title at the NHK Trophy, which she has announced will mark her final appearance at the event. Skating to “Time to Say Goodbye,” Sakamoto executed a flawless routine, landing a triple lutz, a double axel, and a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, earning a season-best score of 77.05. Her impressive performance put her nearly 10 points ahead of Sofia Samodelkina of Kazakhstan, who secured the second spot with 67.75 points, while You Young from South Korea claimed the third position with 67.66 points.
Having clinched three consecutive world championships until 2024, Sakamoto settled for second place at this year’s worlds in Boston. The 25-year-old also secured the women’s singles bronze medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Following her second-place finish at the Grand Prix de France last month, Sakamoto aimed to reassert her dominance at her home Grand Prix.
Looking ahead to her retirement after the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics next year, Sakamoto expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating, “I was a little nervous since arriving here but was able to put that behind me and skate a solid program. I completed all my jumps successfully and will look to continue that in the free skate tomorrow.”
As Japan’s top hopeful for an Olympic medal, Sakamoto is set to face stiff competition from Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian in Italy. The 17-year-old Petrosian, a two-time national champion, has remained undefeated over the past two seasons, securing victory in eight consecutive domestic events and earning her Olympic qualification by winning the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating qualifier in Beijing in September.
Meanwhile, the 2024 European Champion Loena Hendrickx made a comeback to the Grand Prix series after sitting out the previous season due to injury. Despite landing her first two jumps successfully, Hendrickx stumbled on her third, a triple flip, finishing in fourth place with 62.45 points. She secured her Olympic qualification by finishing third at the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating qualifier.
In the men’s competition, local favorite Yuma Kagiyama emerged as the leader after the short program. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist delivered a strong performance, landing a quad lutz, a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination, and a triple axel, amassing 98.58 points. Reflecting on his performance, Kagiyama expressed satisfaction with his jumps but regretted errors in his spins and steps. Shun Sato of Japan secured the second spot with 96.67 points, followed by Cha Jun-hwan from South Korea with 91.60 points.
In ice dance, Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson topped the rhythm dance with a season-best score of 81.57 points, followed by Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy. The United States’ Alex and Maia Shibutani, making a comeback after a seven-year hiatus, placed sixth in the competition.
Among the pairs, 2022 Olympic champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China led after the short program, showcasing a strong performance to “Habanera.” Sui and Han set a new season’s best score of 74.63, featuring impressive elements like a triple toe, triple twist, and a big throw triple flip.
The ISU Grand Prix Series comprises six international events with cumulative point-scoring, and athletes can earn points in up to two events. The top six point-earners in each discipline will qualify for the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final scheduled for Dec. 4-7 in Nagoya, Japan.
