Japan Figure Skating Championships 2024: Sakamoto Kaori romps to fourth straight title
The three-time world champion holds off 16-year-old Shimada Mao for her fifth career women's singles championship at the Japanese nationals in Osaka.
Figure Skating
Sakamoto Kaori won the Japan Figure Skating Championships for the fourth straight year over junior prodigy Shimada Mao on Sunday (22 December) in Osaka.
Sakamoto went from pole to finish in a highly competitive women’s singles field with a 228.68 following a free skate of 149.76. She became the ninth female to win four successive titles and the first since Miyahara Satoko, who accomplished the feat from 2014 to 2017.
Shimada, 16, took second with an unofficial season best free score of 143.42 for a 219.00 over the two programs.
Higuchi Wakaba reached the podium for the first time in three years after a 135.35 for a 206.40 total.
Shimada Mao, Sakamoto Kaori and Higuchi Wakaba made up the women's singles podium at the Japan nationals.
Sakamoto Kaori: 'I want to give myself a pat on the back'
Shimada cooked up the pressure by moving into the lead with Sakamoto left to go.
While she failed to connect on her triple lutz-triple toeloop combo, Sakamoto exuded the class as the reigning three-time world champion by otherwise putting together a skate good enough for her fifth career championship.
“It’s annoying I couldn’t land the triple-triple but I still found a way to win,” Sakamoto said. “I can exhale now. I’m not pumping my fist so to speak but I think it’s a good thing there’s still room to improve and make adjustments.
“I honestly didn’t know the score so I was a little concerned where I might end up. I really couldn’t let up until the very end.
“I was happy, frustrated and relieved all at once. There were a lot of emotions.”
Sakamoto managed to bounce back from a disappointing bronze at the Grand Prix Final two weeks ago. After returning home, she fell ill and has been only skating the last week.
But now, Sakamoto heads to Boston in March when she will attempt to become the first women’s singles skater to win four consecutive world championships in 65 years.
“Be it the free or the short, being aggressive brings out the best in me. That was the biggest lesson from the Grand Prix Final,” Sakamoto said.
“As I’ve been saying since the season began, I look at this season and the next as one long season. Until last season, winning a third straight world championships was the priority.
“But now, the ultimate goal is the Olympics and this time it’s only a stop on the road. So while there isn’t quite the emphasis as before, I still definitely want to win it.
“I got sick after the Grand Prix Final and lost a lot of strength. I had to build it back up from there so I want to give myself a pat on the back for that.”
Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi won their second national title, their first since 2019 on Sunday.
Miura/Kihara ease to second pairs title
Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi won the Japanese nationals for the first time since 2019 by more than 45 points over the pair of Nagaoka Yuna/Moriguchi Sumitada.
While not perfect, the world champions of two seasons ago rolled to a free skate of 138.17 for a 212.33 total. Nagaoka/Moriguchi finished, with a 176.68 while Shimizu Sae/Honda Lucas Tsuyoshi placed third (136.72).
Miura/Kihara captured their second championship in their first nationals appearance in five years, securing their spot on the team for the World Championships.
“We were happy to be here for the first time in five years, after all the periods of not being able to compete with injuries and what not,” Miura said.
Yoshida Utana and Morita Masaya won the ice dance title with a free dance of 104.37 for a final score of 176.21