Sakamoto Kaori leads after Skate Canada short program, while resurgent Alysa Liu sits second
The three-time and reigning world champion from Japan is eyeing a second straight title at this event. Fellow world champs Dudek-Stellato/ Deschamps are first after the pairs short.
Figure Skating
Sakamoto Kaori's quest for a fourth consecutive world title began in full on Friday (25 October) night.
The three-time and reigning world champion from Japan was steady in her first Grand Prix of the 2024-25 figure skating season, scoring a 74.97 in the women's short program at Skate Canada International in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The 24-year-old is the reigning champion at this event, and seeks a seventh Grand Prix gold medal in her career. She was third in her first event of the season, claiming bronze at Lombardia Trophy last month.
American Alysa Liu, skating in her first Grand Prix since 2021, was strong as the very first skater of the night (a feared position), scoring a 67.68 to lead until Sakamoto - who skated last.
Liu retired after winning bronze at Worlds in 2022 at age 16, announcing her intention to return to the sport earlier this year after some two years away.
Kimmy Repond of Switzerland rounded out the top three with a 66.94, while Sakamoto's Japanese teammate, Yoshida Hana, is fourth (65.32) and Canada's Madeline Schizas is fifth (65.28).
In pairs, reigning world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada lead after the short with a 73.23. Germany's Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel sit second (64.82).
Sakamoto Kaori: "I don't want to just rely on doing what's comfortable"
Sakamoto has been open about this season being a "bridging" one for her as she aims for a fourth world title in a row, not done in women's figure skating since 1960.
But that bridge leads towards Milano Cortina 2026, where she'll aim to be the first Japanese woman to win gold since Arakawa Shizuka in 2006.
"I don't want to just rely on doing what's comfortable for me," she said after her Ástor Piazzolla medley, a piece that requires her to skate to tango music for the first time in her career.
"I want to change myself internally and I want to produce changes that are visible to people" too, she added. "I have changed the composition of my free skate in terms of the elements - and the choice of music in my short. I really have the Olympics in the back of my mind; I'm hoping this season will lead to the Olympics in some way."
She added: "I am trying to create some variation in my repertoire and not relying on what I've been doing [in the past] and what has been consistent for me. I want to bring on more broadness to my repertoire."
For the American Liu, she said she was "really shocked" to be among the top three skaters heading into the free skate.
"I had no idea [what to expect]; I had nothing to go off of," the 19-year-old said. "I wasn't too focused on placement [tonight]; I'm not going to be focused on placement for the rest of the season. [But] it's crazy that I'm in second."
Repond, 18, said she continues to battle through a back injury of five years, while also facing hip issues recently. She let out a massive celebration at the completion of her program, and is on the cusp of a first-ever Grand Prix podium.
Pairs: Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps earn comfortable lead
Competing in Canada for the first time since their thrilling world title earlier this year in Montreal, Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps looked strong in their Beyonce "Crazy in Love" short.
"It was fun going out there, being in front of our home crowd for the first time since Worlds," Deschamps said. "There's a lot of stuff that we improved since the last competition and we're happy with that."
They were stronged on their triple twist to open the program, but were marked down on their throw triple loop, in which Stellato-Dudek put a second foot down to save her landing.
While Deanna said they could feel the roar of the crowd as their names were announed, Deschamps said they have left being world champions in the past: "This year it's a new season; we're looking forward," he explained.
"We're going to attack a new season and [are] setting goals for each competition."
Hocke/Kunkel are in second by a sliver, leading Australia's Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore by just 0.01 points (64.81).