After struggling through a difficult season in 2019-20, Kaori Sakamoto started her new campaign on a high note with a decisive victory at the Kinki Championship in Osaka on Sunday afternoon.
The 2018 Japan champion took a lead of more than 14 points into the free skate and more than doubled the advantage to win by nearly 30 points over Mana Kawabe in second place. Sakamoto’s winning total was 218.35 points, while Kawabe, last season’s Japan junior champion, tallied 188.48.
Mai Mihara, who did not compete in 2019-20, finished third at 173.38.
Sakamoto, skating to her new short program “Bach a la jazz” from Benoit Richaud on Saturday, displayed nice line and edge to score 74.88. She landed all of her jumps smoothly and earned level fours on two of her three spins and her step sequence.
Sunday it was more of the same, as the 20-year-old was again solid to her free skate of “The Matrix.” The Kobe native landed five clean triples and prevailed by the big score despite receiving level threes on two of her spins and step sequence.
Kawabe, a 15-year-old from Nagoya, moved up from fourth place after the short program to make the podium. She under-rotated her opening triple axel in her free skate to “Miracle,” but went on to land seven triples and notch level fours on two of her spins.
Mihara retained third place after the short program in her free skate to “Fairy of the Forest” by Lori Nichol. Mihara under-rotated a triple flip and doubled her planned triple lutz, but recorded level fours on two of her spins in an encouraging performance.
Ayumi Kagotani (165.71) was fourth, while Riko Takino (165.36) took fifth.
Elsewhere, 2020 Four Continents bronze medalist Yuma Kagiyama won the senior men’s Kanto Championship in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, over rival Shun Sato by a massive margin on Sunday. Kagiyama’s winning score was 287.21, while Sato, last season’s Junior Grand Prix Final titlist, managed just 198.42.
