Kaori Sakamoto's ascension no surprise to gifted choreographer Benoit Richaud
Kaori Sakamoto was impressive in victory at the Japan nationals on Sunday, rising to the occasion on the biggest domestic stage of the year. That the 18-year-old dethroned four-time defending champion Satoko Miyahara and beat Grand Prix Final winner Rika Kihira may have surprised some, ...
Kaori Sakamoto bests Rika Kihira and Satoko Miyahara to win national title
Kaori Sakamoto put on a stunning performance Sunday night, using an incredible combination of power and grace, to win the title at the Japan championships. The 18-year-old from Kobe was absolutely spectacular in her free skate to "The Piano" and overtook Grand Prix Final champion ...
Satoko Miyahara holds slim lead over Kaori Sakamoto after short program at nationals
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Four-time national champion Satoko Miyahara is in the lead after the short program at the Japan championships on Friday night. Miyahara, gunning for her fifth straight title, skated last and gave the fans an evening to ...
Rika Kihira now the favorite for world title
Rika Kihira's super season continued over the weekend with a decisive victory at the Grand Prix Final in Vancouver, British Columbia. The young star dethroned Olympic champion Alina Zagitova of Russia to take the crown. The 16-year-old Kihira has won all four of her events ...
Rika Kihira in lead at Grand Prix Final; Shoma Uno in second place
Sixteen-year-old starlet Rika Kihira blew away the competition with a stellar short program Thursday at the Grand Prix Final, posting the highest women's score in the world since the judging system was revised ahead of the season. Kihira continued her exceptional Grand Prix debut campaign ...
Moved by Hanyu: A fan's story of love for the skating legend
Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu's impact on the Japanese public during his career has been profound. This is irrefutable. One fact many Japanese skating fans may not realize, however, is just how much the magnitude of his greatness stretches beyond these shores. Ice Time recently came ...
Hanyu's health a paramount concern
When a country takes the gold and bronze medals in the same discipline at a Grand Prix it would usually be considered a successful weekend. The joy for Japan at the Cup of Russia, however, was tempered by the injury suffered by two-time Olympic champion ...
Kihira's star soaring after great debut
Rika Kihira made a great first impression on a great many people with her performance at the NHK Trophy last weekend. The 16-year-old was nothing short of spectacular in her senior Grand Prix debut, beating a veteran field that included teammates Satoko Miyahara and Mai ...
Shoma Uno, Rika Kihira earn NHK Trophy titles
Olympic and world silver medalist Shoma Uno won the NHK Trophy on Saturday night with a solid performance in the men's free skate. Uno secured a spot in next month's Grand Prix Final with the victory. The 20-year-old received a total score of 276.45 points ...
Shoma Uno, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva own slim leads after NHK Trophy short programs
Olympic and world silver medalist Shoma Uno holds a slim lead following the short program at the NHK Trophy on Friday night. The 20-year-old, who is looking to lock up a spot in the Grand Prix Final, posted a total score of 92.49 points. Russia's ...
Japanese skaters make final preparations for NHK Trophy
Japan's skaters all made it through practice unscathed on Thursday ahead of the start of the NHK Trophy on Friday. Unlike last year's near disaster, which saw Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu take a hard fall and sprain the lateral ligament in his right ankle on ...
Satoko Miyahara, Kaori Sakamoto off to great starts in GP series
Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto started the senior Grand Prix season off with a bang on Sunday, finishing 1-2 at Skate America in Everett, Washington. The two stars illustrated why they were the two women selected to represent Japan at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Miyahara took ...
