Trio of Japanese men sweep Worlds short program: Uno, Kagiyama, Tomono lead

The Team Japan had a sublime showing on Thursday (24 March) in the men's event at the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships.

Olympic and world medallists Uno Shoma and Kagiyama Yuma were the top two finishers, joined by teammate Tomono Kazuki in a sweep of the men's singles top three in Montpellier, France.

Uno, a two-time silver medallist at worlds (2017, 2018), scored a career-best 109.63 to lead Kagiyama by four points, the 18-year-old registering a 105.69. Tomono also had a best-ever short program, breaking the triple-digit mark for the first time with a 101.16.

"I wasn’t expecting a lot from myself today but I’m very happy with how the performance turned out," Uno told media including Olympics.com after his skate.

"My mindset has completely changed in the last three years. Three years ago, I felt like I was skating towards the end of my career. Now I’m skating towards the future, believing that I can get better."

American teenager Ilia Malinin sits fourth in his Worlds debut, scoring a 100.16. Ten skaters in total broke the 90-point mark in a day marked by strong skating in the men's singles event.

The winner here will be a maiden world champ - aptly fitting for the start of a new Olympic quad. Uno won bronze at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, while Kagiyama was the silver medallist in singles.

Kagiyama, who also won gold at the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020, won silver on debut last year at Worlds.

Olympic champions Nathan Chen (2022) and Hanyu Yuzuru (2014, 2018) opted out of Worlds due to respective injuries.

MORE: Follow all the action from Montpellier - Check out our live blog

Hanyu is Japan's most recent world champ in men's singles, capturing the crown in 2017. Chen won three straight from 2018 to 2021.

Uno joins teammate Sakamoto Kaori as the short program leader in 2022. Sakamoto topped the women's field on Wednesday by breaking the 80-point mark in the short program for a first time in her career.

Uno, Kagiyama, Tomono and Grassl will be joined in the final group of the free skate by Italy's Daniel Grassl (97.62) and Vincent Zhou of the U.S. (95.84).

The top ten was rounded out by: Georgia's Morisi Kvitelashvili (92.61), Matteo Rizzo of Italy (91.67), Keegan Messing of Canada (91.18) and home hope Adam Siao Him Fa of France (90.97).

Last month, the International Skating Union announced that "no skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia and Belarus shall be invited or allowed to participate in international ice skating competitions," including the world championships.

Earlier in the day, fan favourite Donovan Carrillo of Mexico was forced to withdraw from the event due to an equipment issue: His skates were lost en-route to Montpellier, and a replacement pair did not suffice.

Later on Thursday (24 March), the pairs competition will reach its crescendo with the free skate at 17:16 local. Two U.S. teams lead after the short program, with Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier in first place. The men's free skate is set for Saturday, starting at 10:55. Follow all the action in our live blog.

Women's short: Sakamoto soars | Pairs: USA goes 1-2

More to come.

Strong skating showcased in men's short program

Uno was as close to perfect as possible in his "Oboe Concerto" short program, hitting a massive quadruple flip to open the routine, then a quad toe-triple toe-loop combination and triple Axel. All of his jumping passes received +3 GOEs or higher (Grades of Execution).

He would win the day on program components (artistry), as well, scoring a 47.27 to Kagiyama's 47.07.

Kagiyama was equally as impressive in his quad Salchow and quad toe-triple toe combination "When You're Smiling" short, but he bobbled on the landing of his triple Axel, turning to save it and losing some four points on the jump.

"I didn’t go all out on the triple Axel as I should have which led to it being marked down," Kagiyama reflected. "But the two quad jumps, they’re the best I’ve ever landed so I’m really happy about that."

He added: "This competition isn’t about results or medals for me. It’s the final event of the season and I don’t want any regrets. I’m going to include the (quad) loop in the free and I will leave everything out there."

Tomono was a last-minute call up to replace an injured Hanyu, and competed just in the last week at the Coupe du Printemps, a small-level international event. The 23-year-old placed fifth at Worlds in 2018.

"Honestly, I’m surprised to be here but as soon as I was called up I switched on and locked in for this," he said. "I made every day I had count, and I think that’s what led to today’s performance. The technique I’ve been honing all season so for me, it was the mental adjustment I had to make. ... 101 - not 100 - was the bar I set for myself after the Rostelecom Cup and I got it done."

Malinin: 'It was definitely satisfying'

Malinin, just 17 and a surprise silver medallist at the U.S. nationals in January, staked his claim on the world stage having not been picked for the American Olympic team. He hit a quad Lutz to start, then a quad toe-triple toe and triple Axel, the stellar skating similar to what he had produced in Nashville.

His 100-point short was some 19 points above a personal best.

"It was definitely satisfying because Worlds is a really big deal, and especially since it's my first, it's a little bit more pressure than like usual," Malinin said after. "But I was able to get over the fear and just focus on my skate."

Grassl and Zhou will round out the final free skate group, Zhou reveling his strong skate having missed the individual event at the Olympics due to a positive Covid test.

"I'm taking it one step at a time," he said. "Everyone is using the word 'redemption,' but I haven't allowed myself to think like that because that gives me unnecessary pressure. It's not a good mindset to think about the end, the end result... when I'm not there yet."