Shoma Uno said Monday before taking off for the Four Continents championships in South Korea that he is planning on opening his free program with a quadruple loop.
At Chubu airport in Nagoya, the 19-year-old Uno revealed that his free program at the Feb. 14-19 competition in Gangneung will feature three types of quad jumps — a quad toe loop, a quad flip and a quad loop, which he has never landed cleanly in competition.
"I'm planning on jumping (a quad loop) early in my free program," said Uno, who touched down with his hand in his quad loop attempt during an exhibition program in December after winning his first national crown.
When asked how he feels about competing against Yuzuru Hanyu, the first skater to perform a clean quad loop in an ISU competition, Uno said, "I'm really looking forward to it. I hope to put out everything I have."
Olympic champion and two-time Four Continents silver medalist Hanyu withdrew from the national championships in December due to the flu.
Rika Hongo was named a last-minute replacement for Satoko Miyahara after the reigning women's Four Continents champion announced last week she suffered a stress fracture in her left hip that will take four weeks to heal.
