Sixteen-year-old Miki Ando picked up her first title at the National Figure Skating Championships when she came from behind to beat overnight leader Shizuka Arakawa and two-time world bronze medalist Fumie Suguri in the women's free skate on Saturday.
Miki Ando upset 2003 Grand Prix Final medalists Fumie Suguri and Shizuka Arakawa on
Saturday at Big Hat in Nagano to win her first national figure skating title.
National junior champion Ando received five first-place scores from nine of the judges at Big Hat ice arena to win the top honors while Suguri, who was gunning for her fourth straight title, settled for second and Arakawa, who led after the short program, took third.
"I'm really happy and also very surprised. To win a spot in the next worlds is like a dream come true," said Ando, who landed a clean quad jump in the competition which used the 6.0 judging system.