Japanese skaters shined in the women’s short program at the 2023 ISU World Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday, with reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto taking a dominant lead and Mai Mihara ending the night in third among a crowded trailing pack.
Sakamoto cleanly executed all of her elements to a Janet Jackson medley, including a triple flip-triple toeloop combination that delighted the crowd at Saitama Super Arena.
“This season I’ve had apprehensions about my short program, but today I was able to enjoy it,” Sakamoto said. “Last year I scored over 80 points, and I’m glad I got close, but I felt like I could have gotten about more.
“That said, I think this was my best performance of the season.”
The 22-year-old, who took bronze at last year’s Beijing Winter Olympics in addition to golds at the world and national championships, came into this competition aiming to avenge her 2019 worlds debut at the same venue, when she was second in the short program but disappointingly missed the podium after ending the free skate in fifth.
“(In 2019) I was in second (after the short program), this time I’m in first, and I think that shows how much I’ve improved over the last four years,” she said. “I want to do my best to show that improvement at Friday’s free skate.”
Mihara earned 73.46 for her program to “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” which drew one of the evening’s most fervent standing ovations, ending the night just.16 points behind South Korea’s Lee Hae-in and.43 ahead of American Isabeau Levito.
“I was surprised at how nervous I was and worried about whether I would be able to skate, but with so many fans cheering me on, it really pushed me to enjoy myself and give back to them by skating well,” Mihara said.
“I still feel a little nervous and I want to rest up tomorrow (Thursday) so I can enjoy myself more in the free skate.”
Rinka Watanabe saw her hopes for medal contention take a severe blow early on in her performance to “Roxanne” when she fell on her triple axel and popped a planned triple lutz -triple toeloop, earning a score of 60.90 — well below her personal and season best of 72.58.
Earlier in the day, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara placed themselves within reach of a first-ever pairs gold for Japan at the world championships after ending the short program in first place.
Performing in the final group, the duo known to their fans as “Rikuryu” skated cleanly to “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” setting a new personal best of 80.72 and becoming just the fifth pair to cross the 80-point barrier in their short program.
“I didn’t think we’d crossed 78 points when we set our previous personal best (at November’s NHK Trophy), so while 80 was our goal I didn’t expect to reach it,” Miura said. “But I’m happy because ... our performance was reflected in our results.”
Added Kihara: “I’m glad we were able to accomplish our goal in the last meet of the season. The other pairs that have reached 80 points are at much higher levels than we are, so it feels like we’ve started to catch up, if only a little.”
Kihara said the pair had been boosted by Japan’s triumph against the United States in the final of the World Baseball Classic in Miami, which concluded shortly before noon in Japan.
“We wanted to watch the ninth inning but we had to prepare for the event, so we rushed out to grab lunch and by the time we got back it was over,” he said, noting the presence of fellow Chukyo High School graduate Hiroto Takahashi in the Samurai Japan squad. “I’ve been supporting them from my heart, and they gave us courage before we performed.”
Chasing Miura and Kihara heading into Thursday’s free skate are Americans Alexa Knierim and
Brandon Frazier, second on 74.64 points, and Italians Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, who reached the small podium with 73.24.
“I’m very proud of our attack and fight,” Frazier said, expressing regret over his fall during his and Knierim’s triple toe loop. “Obviously I’m disappointed at the jump, and the mistake. It’s been one of those errors that doesn’t happen often, but sometimes when it happens, it can be a little rattling.”
The four-day world championships, taking place for a third time at Saitama Super Arena and the eighth time overall in Japan, will continue on Thursday with the pair free skate as well as the men’s short program.