The United States captured its fifth World Team Trophy title with a resounding finish on Saturday, maintaining the lead it had created over the first two days of competition to finish above debutant South Korea and host Japan on the podium.
Sweeps of the pairs and ice dance competitions — as well as strong performances in the men’s singles — allowed Team USA to leave Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium with 120 out of a possible 140 points, reclaiming the crown it last won in 2019 in Fukuoka.
“It’s been so fun to talk on behalf of my team the last two days, but I’ll let the skating speak for itself,” said U.S. captain Jason Brown, who will bring home a second World Team Trophy gold from his fourth appearance at the event. “I’m proud of what (my teammates) did and they left it all on the ice.”
The men’s free skate was won by South Korea captain Cha Jun-hwan, who scored 187.82 to cement his team’s runner-up finish in its World Team Trophy debut — a historic result for the event’s first new participant since 2012.
“I’m so proud of my Team Korea, because the last few days they showed their spirit and their passion,” said the 21-year-old, whose standout season included silver at the world championships and a pair of Grand Prix bronzes. “It could be stressful (at times), and I felt a little bit of pressure (as captain), but yesterday and today I was cheering for my teammates and all my friends. It was such a great experience for me.”
Italian fan-favorite Matteo Rizzo finished second in the men’s free with 187.35, while Brown (183.43) took third.
Skating last after winning the men’s short program, American Ilia “QuadGod” Malinin fell on two jumps — including his program-opening quad axel that no other skater has yet landed in competition — to finish fifth with 173.64.
Japan’s men both finished in the lower half of the standings. Shun Sato, who only this week was announced as a replacement for men’s world champion Shoma Uno, landed his quad toeloop-triple toeloop combo, stepped out of a quad lutz and quartered a quad toeloop to score 164.86.
“Sato was the last team member announced, and I’m really impressed with how adjusted his condition to be ready for this event after he had started to relax after the world championships,” Japan captain Kaori Sakamoto said. “I’m so grateful that he made it through this competition.”
Sato finished .31 points above compatriot Kazuki Tomono, who started off strong but struggled in the second half of his free skate to “Die Fledermaus Overture.”
Though France entered the men’s free skate potentially able to pip Japan for third place, those hopes faded after a performance to forget for reigning European champion Adam Siao Him Fa, who stepped out of all three of his quads and never seemed to find his rhythm. Kevin Aymoz scored 178.85 to finish fourth, with Team France (80 points) ending the week in fifth behind Italy (83) and ahead of Canada (68).
The longest standing ovation of the evening was reserved for Canada’s Keegan Messing, who scored 172.99 in his final competitive appearance.
Team USA all but put a lock on the gold medal earlier Saturday, when former world champions Alexa Kneirim and Brandon Frazier took first in the pairs free skate, scoring 147.87 to finish above Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara.
Saturday’s performance capped off an emotional season finale for the Americans, who competed in Tokyo and at last month’s world championships in Saitama without coach Todd Sand after the former skater suffered a heart attack at the world junior championships in Calgary.
“RikuRyu” scored 143.69 to end their season on a high note, delivering a mostly clean program to “Atlas: Two/Shared Tenderness,” with their largest point reduction coming when Miura under-rotated and stepped out of the triple toeloop that opened their jump combination.