Grand Prix Final 2023: Nakata Rio hits 'a home run' to give Japan junior singles sweep
The 15-year-old held off Kim Hyungyeom to become fifth Japanese male to win Junior Grand Prix title, helping his country to both the junior men's and women's crowns in Beijing.
Figure Skating
Japan capped the male and female junior titles at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2023 as Nakata Rio topped the men’s event on Saturday (9 December).
The 15-year-old Nakata shot up from fourth place in the short program to the top of the podium with a free skate of 160.06 points for a 227.77 total, overtaking Kim Hyungyeom of the Republic of Korea (223.61) to become the first Japanese male to win the Junior Grand Prix Final since Sato Shun in 2019.
Slovakia’s Adam Hagara (213.26) took bronze.
“When I stepped on to the rink I wasn’t very confident but I realised I had no choice other than to just do it,” said Nakata, the fifth man from his country to win the Junior Grand Prix title. “So I did.”
Japan swept the junior singles crown for the first time in 14 years - not since Hanyu Yuzuru and Murakami Kanako accomplished the feat. Shimada Mao won for the junior women.
Nakata, who is half-Japanese, half-Welsh, is headed to the senior Japanese nationals in two weeks’ time when he hopes to improve on his 26th place from last season.
“My free skate has been pretty good all season and I was counting on it to get me through,” he said.
“I hit a home run today.”