Four Continents: World medallists Miura/Kihara, Chock/Bates lead in pairs, ice dance respectively
Both duos held off stiff challenges on Friday night (10 February), even as their chief rivals were missing at the final major event ahead of Worlds next month.
Figure Skating
Less than two months after travel delays forced them to miss their national championships in Japan, Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi were back to their worldclass ways on the ice.
The reigning world silver medallists skated into the lead in the pairs short program on Friday (10 February) night at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, scoring a 71.19.
Miura fell on their side-by-side triple toe-loops, but the pair was otherwise shining. The duo, based in Canada, faced a nightmare travel scenario in December, with extended delays eventually causing them to miss the Japanese championships.
They lead Canadians Deanna Stellato-Duek and Maxime Deschamps, who sit second with a 68.39.
"It was really unfortunate that we weren't able to compete at nationals especially because it was three years since we last competed there," Miura said via an interpreter. "[But] every single competition is the same for us: We bring the same passion [here], approach it the same way. That doesn't change for us at all."
Later Friday afternoon, home hopes Madison Chock and Evan Bates held off Montreal-based training mates Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen, 87.67 to 86.28.
Americans Chock/Bates, who won bronze at Worlds last year, are looking for their third win at Four Continents having captured gold in 2019 and 2020.
Four Continents: Gilles/Poirier, Knierim/ Frazier absent
The U.S. duo has been open about their want for a world title. Their chief competition for that gold - Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier - are still out of competition after Gilles suffered an appendectomy in the last few weeks.
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, the reiging world champs in pairs, opted out of Four Continents to perform at Art on Ice, an exhibition show in Switzerland.
Four Continents marks the final major event ahead of next month's World Championships, set to be held in Saitama, Japan. Two weeks ago, Europe crowned its champions in Espoo, Finland.
On Thursday night (9 February), Kim Yelim and Miura Kao skated into the lead in the women's and men's singles event, respectively, both skaters the reigning bronze medallists here - and looking for the biggest title of their careers.
The women's free skate is set for Friday night, while the men skate again on Saturday (11 February).
ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2023: Full schedule
See the full schedule for the skating in Colorado Springs, with all times listed local (Mountain Time).
Friday, 10 February
18:00-21:50 - Women's free skate
Saturday, 11 February
14:50-16:55 - Pairs free skate
18:15-21:55 - Men's free skate
Sunday, 12 February
13:15-15:50 - Ice dance free dance
18:30-21:00 - Exhibition gala