The short program was skated by 35 participants, and only one of them took the risk and went to the ultra-c element: the more difficult axel jump of 3.5 laps. He tried to highlight Rinka Watanabe, who, badly or well, but stubbornly made the dribble throughout the season. Breakdowns happened frequently. So at the home World Cup there was a crash, and not just from this jump. So Watanabe scored only 60.90 points and only ranked 15th in the middle.
The top three were led by another Japanese woman, Kaori Sakamoto (79.24 points), a two-time 2022 Olympic Games bronze medalist in individual and team tournaments and also a current world champion. The second line belongs to Lee Ha In from South Korea (73.62), the third is another Japanese skater Mai Mihara (73.46).
Sakamoto calmly jumped a fairly standard, albeit solid set – a combination of double Axel, triple lutz and flip toe loop and was very pleased with the high bonuses up to “+5” for the quality of the jumping elements.
– When I started skating, I loved to jump. As an adult figure skater, I continued to think that my only strong point was jumping, so I always strove to achieve the best possible technique. And now, after six years in elite skating, I finally see such assessments, ”Sakamoto was quoted as saying by the International Skating Union (ISU) press service. – I am happy that my work on myself is estimated at high points. This gives me confidence in myself.
Sakamoto will try to defend the title. But Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have already received their gold. This is the first victory of the Japanese sports couples in the world championships. In two programs, Miura and Kihara scored 222.16 points, ahead of Americans Alexa Knierim and Brandon Fraser (217.48) and Italians Sarah Conti and Niccolò Maci (208.08).
