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Post by Admin on Dec 20, 2019 7:10:06 GMT
Japan Figure Skating Championships 2019–20: Men's Short Program
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Post by Admin on Dec 20, 2019 22:37:41 GMT
Yuzuru Hanyu is poised for a triumphant return to the national figure skating championships after finishing first in the men's short program on Friday.
The double Olympic gold medalist, who is making his first appearance at the Japanese nationals since 2015, scored a personal-best 110.72 for the opening segment and will start the free skate with a 5.01-point lead over three-time defending champion Shoma Uno.
Fifteen-year-old Shun Sato, the Grand Prix Final junior champion, scored 82.68 to finish third in the short program.
Hanyu landed a quadruple salchow, quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination and triple axel on his way to a standing ovation at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
Though not officially a world record, he broke the international benchmark of 110.53 he set for the short program at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup.
The 25-year-old, who finished second to Nathan Chen at this year's world championships and Grand Prix Final, has adapted his routine in a bid to regain the upper hand against his American rival.
"It may have been a step forward. I was able to improve the axel. The reason I changed my composition is so I have the opportunity to earn more points," said Hanyu, who won four straight national titles between 2012 and 2015.
"I'll make sure to get good rest tomorrow and come out ready for the free (on Sunday)."
Uno, the Pyeongchang Games silver medalist, had moved to the front of the field after scoring 105.71 for a mistake-free routine that included a quadruple flip and quadruple toe loop-double toe loop combination.
"It was a satisfactory performance and I think I can be happy about it. I'm in my best condition of the season," Uno, 22, said.
Five-time champion Daisuke Takahashi, contesting his final nationals before making the switch to ice dance, sits in 13th place on 65.95 points.
In the women's competition, Rika Kihira is in first place going into Saturday's free skate, with a 3.87-point lead over four-time winner Satoko Miyahara.
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2019 19:23:50 GMT
Rika Kihira emerged victorious at the 2019 All Japan Figure Skating Championships at Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo to book her spot at the World Championships. The 17-year-old produced a dominant display to win with an overall score of 229.20 points. With just three places available for Japanese females at the figure skating Worlds in March, the competition had an extra edge, and there were plenty of surprises as Wakaba Higuchi and another 17-year-old - Tomoe Kawabata - joined Kihira on the podium. Kihira, who came second behind Kaori Sakamoto at last year's nationals, went one better this year. She landed seven triple-rotation jumps, including a triple Axel-triple toe combination that sent gasps of admiration through the crowd. A near flawless free skate electrified the stadium and they were on their feet at the finish, awarding Kihira a standing ovation to go with her maiden national title. A score of 155.20 in the free skate, added to her leading 73.98 points from Thursday night's short program, meant her final score was superior to second placed Higuchi's mark by over 20 points. Four-time national champion Satoko Miyahara misses out on a Montreal Worlds spot, as does Kaori Sakamoto who finished 6th overall, despite placing third in the short program.
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Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2019 5:14:21 GMT
Higuchi comeback Wakaba Higuchi set the tone in the final group, delighting the crowd with a scintillating free skate to slide into the lead on 206.61 points with just four skaters remaining. It was a score that would earn her a silver medal and a place on the World champs team. The 18-year-old took silver at the 2018 Worlds but hadn't stood on a nationals podium in three years, she looked back to her best in Tokyo drawing an enormous reaction from the crowd on finishing her free skate. We didn't see the triple Axel that Higuchi practiced in the warm-up, but she did land two fine combinations including a triple Lutz-triple toe and six triple jumps in total. With another tilt at a World champs medal, can Higuchi raise her game once more and make another Worlds podium in Montreal next March?
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Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2019 22:21:18 GMT
Shoma Uno is Japan national champion for a fourth time after his best performance of the 2019/20 season to beat Yuzuru Hanyu. Double Olympic champion Hanyu was favourite to take the men's title setting a national record and claiming victory in the short programme on Friday, but a tired performance in the free skate left the double Olympic champion in second with a total of 282.77 points. PyeongChang 2018 silver medallist Uno, whose form has been reignited since formally announcing Stephane Lambiel as his coach, scored 290.57 points to take victory. 16-year-old Yuma Kagiyama claimed third on 257.99 points, Japan's junior champion making the podium in only his second senior nationals. The podium also confirmed winners of the three places available for the Japanese men's team at the 2020 figure skating Worlds in Montreal next March
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