Japan Figure Skating Championships 2024: Kagiyama Yuma emerges into short-program lead
The Beijing 2022 Olympic silver medallist heads to the free skating in the driver's seat on 92.05 ahead of 16-year-old junior Nakata Rio and Tomono Kazuki as the Japanese nationals get under way in Osaka.
Figure Skating
Kagiyama Yuma put one hand on his first career Japan Figure Skating Championship after leading the short program with a 92.05 on Friday (20 December).
At Ractab Dome in Osaka, hot on Kagiyama’s tail was 16-year-old Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medallist Nakata Rio on 90.31. Tomono Kazuki was third with 89.72.
Thirty-seven-year-old Oda Nobunari, appearing at his first nationals in 11 years, pleasantly surprised to place fifth with a score of 84.53.
Kagiyama landed his opening quadruple Salchow followed by a quad toeloop-triple toeloop combo but fell on the triple Axel, causing his score to plummet. Still, the Beijing 2022 Olympic silver medallist did enough to sit in pole position going into Saturday’s free skate.
“Huge mistake on the Axel but the coaches told me they saw progress elsewhere so I want to build on that,” Kagiyama said. “I just have to be more aggressive in the performance tomorrow from start to finish.”
Nakata Rio was in hot pursuit of leader Kagiyama Yuma on Friday.
Junior star Nakata Rio shines
Kagiyama is on a mission here to finally top the podium after settling for a string of silver medals at the Grand Prix Final and ISU World Championships, and going further back to the last Olympic Winter Games, where he was runner-up in both the singles and team events.
The 21-year-old isn’t letting up just yet. His father Masakazu won three straight championships through 1993 and Yuma is planning to follow suit with his first title. Should he prevail, the Kagiyamas would only be the second-ever father and son to win the nationals.
“To me, the shorts are the shorts and the free is the free,” he said. “I have a lot of quads in the program tomorrow.
“I just have to fine-tune in the morning and leave everything out there on the ice so that when I look back on it, I’ll be content - 100 per cent.”
While unofficial, Nakata’s score was almost nine points better than his personal best. Should he stay the course, he could become the first junior to reach the podium since none other than Kagiyama in 2019.
“I was hoping for 85 but never did I think 90,” Nakata said. “I was solid on my steps, nailed all my quads.
“When I came here my foot hurt and I was thinking I will have done well if I could end up in the third group. But this performance has really boosted my confidence.”