“Skaters clinch the championship title in a fierce battle of competition”
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara from Japan emerged victorious in the pairs event at the Four Continents figure skating competition on Friday, reclaiming the title they had previously captured two years ago. The reigning 2023 world champions took the lead after the short program and delivered an outstanding season-best performance, earning 142.59 points in the free skate to secure first place with a total of 217.32 points.
Despite starting in fourth place after the short program, the defending world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada made a remarkable comeback, achieving a season-best score of 141.26 points in the free skate to clinch the second spot with a total score of 210.92. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, also representing Canada, claimed the third position with a personal-best score of 198.40 points, securing their first ISU championship medal as a team.
The mesmerizing free skate performance by Miura and Kihara featured a level three triple twist lift, a throw triple loop, and flawlessly executed triple salchows. Reflecting on their journey, Kihara expressed, “We had to overcome many challenges. So to be here today and win the gold medal, we are elated that we were able to accomplish this. This medal represents how far we’ve come in the past five years.” The Japanese duo had previously triumphed at the Four Continents in 2023, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps showcased their captivating “Ocean” program, which included a triple toe-single, axel-double axel sequence, triple salchow, and triple throws. Utilizing the Four Continents as preparation for defending their title at the upcoming world championships in Boston from March 25-30, Stellato-Dudek commented, “We needed some kind of a breakthrough and we feel like we got it here. At least, we know that it’s possible and we can take that with us to Boston.”
Despite initially securing the second spot after the short program, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea from the United States faced setbacks and landed in fourth place due to several errors. Local favorite Kim Chae-yeon claimed the top position after the women’s short program, impressively executing a double axel, a triple lutz-triple toeloop combination, and a triple flip to score 74.02 points, leading ahead of defending champion Mone Chiba of Japan, who secured the second spot with 71.20 points. Sarah Everhardt of the U.S. claimed the third position with 67.36 points, narrowly surpassing compatriot Alysa Liu, who finished fourth with 67.09 points.
___AP Sports: https://ap
