Figure Skating Mar 21, 2019
Photo gallery: 2019 ISU World Championships — Women’s Short Program
The 2019 ISU World Championships opened at Saitama Super Arena on Wednesday. Here's a selection of photos from the women's short program.
Figure Skating Mar 20, 2019
Alina Zagitova takes big lead over Kaori Sakamoto at world championships
by Jack Gallagher
Olympic champion Alina Zagitova took a commanding lead after the short program at the world championships on Wednesday night. The 16-year-old Russian earned a total score of 82.08 points and holds a lead of more than five points over Japan champion Kaori Sakamoto, who is ...
Images / Sports Mar 20, 2019
Japan's skaters trained on Tuesday at Saitama Super Arena ahead of the ISU World Championships. Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno, and Keiji Tanaka will represent the host in the men's singles division, while Rika Kihira, Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto will carry the flag in ...
Figure Skating | ICE TIME Feb 19, 2019
Ayaka Hosoda content with triple axel achievement, but hopes to skate on
by Jack Gallagher
Fame has come late for Ayaka Hosoda, but she acknowledges that is better than it never having come at all. The Kansai University student grabbed the headlines at the Japan Championships in December by landing three triple axels at the age of 23 while competing ...
Figure Skating Feb 15, 2019
Rika Kihira sets sights on world title during practice session with Satoko Miyahara
Rika Kihira said Friday she aims to cap her remarkable senior debut season with a world championship. The 16-year-old, who won the women's individual titles at this season's ISU Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships, held an open practice with Pyeongchang Olympian Satoko Miyahara ...
Figure Skating | ICE TIME Feb 12, 2019
Rika Kihira, Shoma Uno lead gold haul for Japan
by Jack Gallagher
It was a banner weekend for Japan on the ice, with Rika Kihira and Shoma Uno taking the gold medals at the Four Continents Championships and Satoko Miyahara and Koshiro Shimada doing the same at the Bavarian Open. Kihira bounced back from her second-place finish ...
Figure Skating Feb 7, 2019
Ayaka Hosoda very likely to continue competitive career next season
by Jack Gallagher
Veteran skater Ayaka Hosoda, who stole the show with her triple axels at the Japan Championships in December, is very likely to continue her skating career, The Japan Times has learned. In an exclusive interview with Hosoda on Tuesday, the jumping sensation said, "I'm willing ...
Figure Skating | ICE TIME Dec 28, 2018
Kaori Sakamoto's ascension no surprise to gifted choreographer Benoit Richaud
by Jack Gallagher
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, ...
Figure Skating Dec 23, 2018
Kaori Sakamoto bests Rika Kihira and Satoko Miyahara to win national title
by Jack Gallagher
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 ...
Figure Skating Dec 21, 2018
Satoko Miyahara holds slim lead over Kaori Sakamoto after short program at nationals
by Jack Gallagher
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 ...
Figure Skating | ICE TIME Dec 11, 2018
Rika Kihira now the favorite for world title
by Jack Gallagher
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 ...
Figure Skating Dec 7, 2018
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 ...