12/05/25 04:27:00
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12/05 16:25 CST Chiba is surprise leader after figure skating favorites falter
at Grand Prix Final
Chiba is surprise leader after figure skating favorites falter at Grand Prix
Final
By JIM ARMSTRONG
Associated Press
NAGOYA, Japan (AP) --- Japan's Mone Chiba emerged as the surprise leader in the
women's short program at the figure skating Grand Prix Final after several
favorites stumbled on Friday.
Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto and defending Grand Prix Final
champion Amber Glenn made costly errors on their opening jumps and finished
fifth and sixth respectively.
Skating last and realizing she had a golden opportunity to take the lead, Chiba
appeared nervous at the start of her routine but settled down to land a triple
flip-triple toe loop combination, a double axel and a triple lutz for 77.27
points.
World champion Alysa Liu of the United States was second with 75.79 followed by
Ami Nakai of Japan on 73.91.
"I was very nervous at the start," Chiba said. "But I was able to land all
three jumps and do my spins and steps so I feel good about my skate."
Liu landed a triple flip, a double axel and a triple lutz-triple loop
combination and said she was pleased with her performance.
"I had a goal going into the short program," Liu said, "to do a better triple
loop than my other competitions and to breathe throughout."
Sakamoto could manage only a double lutz on her opening jump and finished in
fifth place with 69.40 points.
"More than feeling the pressure, I feel like I defeated myself," said an
emotional Sakamoto, who will retire after this season. "I will go into the free
program tomorrow with nothing to lose."
Defending champion Glenn had a single axel on her opening jump instead of a
triple and was sixth with 66.85 points. Glenn completed the triple cleanly in
practice but couldn't pull it off in competition.
Friday's result further underscored that there was no clear favorite heading
toward the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
Further complicating prospects was the International Skating Union allowing
Russian skaters to compete in Milan Cortina as neutrals but only in the men's
and women's competitions.
They include 18-year-old Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik.
Petrosian has won two straight national titles and is unbeaten over the past
two seasons, winning eight straight domestic events. Petrosian has been landing
triple axels and quads in competition while no other woman has done so
consistently this year.
In the pairs, world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan held on to
their slim lead from the short program to win the gold medal despite a couple
of errors in the free skate.
The hometown favorites finished second in the free skate but first overall with
225.21 points.
"We tried not to think too much about winning the title," Kihara said. "Our
coach told us just try to stay true to our program."
Italians Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii were second with 223.28 followed by
Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin on 221.25 points. They moved
to third from fifth place.
The competition ends with the free skate for men and women on Saturday.
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