Sato Shun holds off Mikhail Shaidorov to clinch first Grand Prix title at Cup of China 2024
The Japanese skater was second in the free skate but held on for overall victory after Mikhail Shaidorov's costly choreo sequence fall. Adam Siao Him Fa was third to join Sato in Grenoble.
Figure Skating
Sato Shun secured his first ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating triumph at the Cup of China 2024 in Chongqing on Saturday (23 November).
The Japanese was second in the free skate behind Mikhail Shaidorov, but had enough of a lead from the short program to take overall victory by more than two points. Adam Siao Him Fa was third with the double European champion joining Sato at next month's Grand Prix Final in Grenoble.
Having won his third consecutive Grand Prix de France three weeks ago, Siao Him Fa was one of several skaters to struggle with his jumping. After a pre-season interrupted by injuries, the 23-year-old could not repeat his heroics from Angers and looked exhausted at the end of his skate to the Dune soundtrack.
However, his total of 252.53 was enough to guarantee him a podium finish and a place in the Grenoble finale.
Shaidorov dazzled with a repeat of the historic triple Axel-quad toeloop combination he landed at the Grand Prix de France. With four elements remaining, his technical score was already the best in the field with just overnight leader Sato to skate.
Despite a slip during his choreo sequence, given as a fall, the Kazakhstani skater scored a big personal best free skate of 182.96 for a total of 276.16, an improvement of 12 points on his previous career-best tally.
That put the pressure on Sato who had an overnight advantage of some five and a half points. The 20-year-old doubled what should have been a quad flip early on, but managed to just about stay on track during his skate to 'Nostos' with his superior program component scores proving decisive.
Sato scored 179.73 for second on the day, but his total of 278.48 made his sixth trip to a Grand Prix podium a winning one. Shaidorov went one better than his third place from 12 months ago but might well have won, and qualified for the Grand Prix Final, but for that choreo sequence mishap.
Home favourite Jin Boyang received the biggest cheers of the day with the ice showered with soft toys after his free skate. The two-time world medallist was not at his best, however, and slipped from sixth overnight to eight place overall.
In the pairs competition, which brought proceedings to a close in Chongqing, Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii finished second in the free skate but had enough of an overnight lead to take the overall win ahead of Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin.
The German duo prevailed at the Grand Prix de France but had to settle for second behind their fellow Europeans this time despite winning the free skate by over two points. Both pairings have qualified for the Grand Prix Final.
On Edge
Follow the personal and emotional journeys of the world’s best ice dancing teams, both on ice and off ice, as they train for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China 2024 results
Men's final result
- Sato Shun (JPN) 278.48
- Mikhail Shaidorov (KAZ) 276.17
- Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA) 252.53
- Nika Egadze (GEO) 247.54
- Matteo Rizzo (ITA) 243.82
- Dai Daiwei (CHN) 237.35
- Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT) 234.67
- Jin Boyang (CHN) 231.89
- Kim Hyungyeom (KOR) 216.64
- Nikolaj Memola (ITA) 214.77
- Chen Yudong (CHN) 182.60
Wesley Chiu (CAN) WD
Pairs skating final result
- Sara Conti / Niccolò Macii (ITA) 211.05 (138.62)
- Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nikita Volodin (GER) 209.36 (140.92)
- Lia Pereira / Trennt Michaud (CAN) 188.74 (121.84)
- Ioulia Chtchetinina / Michal Wozniak (POL) 177.04 (115.93)
- Katie McBeath / Daniil Parkman (USA) 159.92 (117.25)
- Camille Kovalev / Pavel Kovalev (FRA) 157.11 (103.10)
- Isabella Gamez / Aleksandr Korovin (PHI) 151.26 (100.61)
- Wang Yuchen / Zhu Lei (CHN) 136.90 (81.76)