NAGOYA – Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama rewrote his personal best score to top the men’s short program on Thursday at the figure skating Grand Prix Final as Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara also placed first in the pairs.
Beijing Olympics silver medalist Kagiyama delivered a flawless performance featuring two quadruple jumps at IG Arena in Nagoya, scoring 108.77 points to lead compatriot Shun Sato, who sat second after a strong outing with 98.06.
Two-time reigning champion Ilia Malinin had a forgettable night after the American landed both his quad jumps on the quarters for 94.05 heading into Saturday’s free skate.
“I’m genuinely happy. I was able to concentrate on myself and had real confidence (about the performance),” said Kagiyama, who is seeking his first win at the tournament featuring the top six skaters from the season’s six Grand Prix series events.
“It was a performance I can build on (for the Milan-Cortina Games). It’s a chance I’ve set myself up for, and I want to overcome myself at the free skate too.”
Miura and Kihara scored 77.32 to lead the pairs, with Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii close behind on 77.22 in a tight contest in which all six pairs exceeded 71 points.
Back in Nagoya, where the pair first met during a trial in 2019, Miura and Kihara under-rotated an early triple toe loop but were otherwise mistake-free in their short program, which was packed with difficult elements.
“There was a sense of nervousness, but we managed to go into it feeling relaxed. It was a good skate,” Miura said. “(But) we wanted to show we could do more. We’ll practice in earnest.”
