Photo/Illutration Kaori Sakamoto of Japan performs during the women’s short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22. (AP Photo)

SAITAMA--Defending champion Kaori Sakamoto took the lead after the women’s short program at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday.

Aiming to become the first Japanese skater to win back-to-back world titles, Sakamoto received 79.24 points at Saitama Super Arena for a routine that featured a double axel, a triple lutz and a triple flip, triple toeloop combination.

Russia’s typically dominant skating team has been excluded from the world championships for the second straight year because of the invasion of Ukraine. That ruled out Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova and teammates Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva from the women’s event.

Sakamoto is 5.62 points ahead of Lee Hae-in of South Korea going to Friday’s free skate. Mai Mihara of Japan was third with 73.46 points.

“Hearing the crowd cheering reminded me of the last time the worlds were held here four years ago,” Sakamoto said. “I was pleased with today’s short program and will just try to stay focused for the rest of the competition.”

American teenager Isabeau Levito was fourth. The 16-year-old Levito, last year’s world junior champion, received 73.03 points for a strong routine that featured a triple flip, a double axel and a triple lutz, triple toeloop combination.

Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, the reigning world silver medalist, cleanly landed her first two jumps--a triple flip and a double axel--but fell at the end of her combination jump to finish fifth with 71.94 points.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan skated to the lead in the pairs short program. The world silver medalists received 80.72 points, a new personal best, to finish comfortably ahead of defending world champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the United States.

Knierim and Frazier produced a triple twist, throw triple flip and three level-four elements on their way to receiving 74.64 points.

“Today I thought we did a really great job of performing the program from beginning to end, skating strong, and bringing the characters to life,” Knierim said. “I’m really proud of us. I think we’ve endured a lot recently and we put out the best today.”

European champions Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii of Italy were third with 73.24 points.

The men’s short program is on Thursday. Shoma Uno of Japan will be looking to defend the title but will be challenged by Grand Prix Final runner-up Sota Yamamoto and 18-year-old American Ilia Malinin, who made history this season by successfully performing the first quad axel in competition.

Related News