Mako Yamashita won the Chubu Region Championship on Sunday in Nagoya at the opening domestic competition of the season. Yamashita retained her lead after the short program despite a shaky free skate to claim the crown.
Yamashita, the 2018 world junior bronze medalist, triumphed with a score of 178.23 points. Rika Hongo, returning to competition after a one-year break, put on a respectable showing to finish second with 176.07, while Rin Nittaya took third on 166.80.
Almost all of the skaters showed some rust that was a byproduct of several weeks off during the COVID-19 crisis that closed rinks throughout Japan. The joy at being back on the ice, however, was evident on the face of the competitors at Howa Sports Land.
The 17-year-old Yamashita two-footed the landing of her opening quadruple salchow in her free skate, then fell on the back end of a triple lutz/triple toe loop combination and a triple salchow, but hung on to take the title.
Hongo, now 24, has trained in Vancouver, British Columbia, the past few years, but returned to Japan last fall after deciding to take a break. She won the free skate with five triples and level fours on all of her spins to “Ghost in the Shell.”
The 23-year-old Nittaya, who was expected to retire after last season, made the podium despite falling on her final jump (a triple toe loop) and finishing sixth in the free skate to “Black Swan.” Nittaya, who was second in the short program, earned level fours for all of her spins in her free skate.
Yuhana Yokoi (163.70) came in fourth, while Yura Matsuda (162.20) took fifth.
“Both my short program and free skate performances were unfortunate, but I think this is my current ability,” Yokoi wrote on Twitter. “I will do my best to practice again for the next competition.”
Sota Yamamoto easily won the men’s event with a tally of 220.12, with Ryuju Hino second on 184.23.
Rino Matsuike (183.31) claimed the junior women’s crown by a decisive margin over Chisato Uramatsu (142.50). Kinayu Yokoi, Yuhana’s younger sister, was third at 139.11.
Tatsuya Tsuboi, the 2018 Japan junior champion, won the junior men’s division with 199.25.
