Top Stars All Primed to Perform at Japan Championships

Japan's top guns went through their paces in the official practice at Ractab Dome in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, on Thursday, December 19, the day before the Japan Championships is set to begin.

The action will get underway on Friday with the men's short program in the afternoon, followed by the women's short program in the evening.

Beijing Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama worked on his free skate (minus jumps) to "Ameska" and "Romanza," according to observers. After the music finished playing, he practiced assorted jumps.

"I had a feeling that I could move more than I thought from yesterday," Kagiyama was quoted as saying. "Want to go with a good feeling until tomorrow."

Kagiyama did fall on a quadruple flip, saying, "It didn't feel right at first, but after that I was able to jump at my own speed and timing."

Kagiyama is gunning for his first title at the Japan Championships.

"The desire for the gold medal is about to erupt," Kagiyama commented. "I think everyone has a strong feeling to win, and I can't lose myself."

Sato Aims for More Success After a Win in November

Shun Sato, who won the Cup of China in November, trained to his short program "Ladies In Lavender" and could not execute his quad lutz at the outset. But he landed both his combination and triple axel jumps.

"My condition is not bad," Sato declared. "I want to make good use of my confidence, [and] I want to do my best to make the most of what I have done so far."

Added Sato, "I want to finish in a better state than last year; I want everyone to make the Japan Championships more exciting than last year."

Sato finished fifth in December 2023.

Miura Expresses Positive Outlook Ahead of the Japan Championships

Kao Miura ran through his free skate to "Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and had no jump issues.

"I am finally ready to fight, or rather, my condition is very good," Miura stated. "Looking forward to it."

Miura missed out on the Grand Prix Final this season after finishing sixth at November's NHK Trophy, but said he used the time off wisely.

"I was frustrated that I couldn't go to the Final, but I was able to devote the period of the Final to adjustments like changing boots," Miura remarked. "Thanks to that, my jumps are in very good shape now."

Sakamoto Says She's in Good Condition After a Recent Illness

Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto, who will be going for her four consecutive victory in the event, practiced her short program to "Resurreccion del Angel" and "La Muerte del Angel" and had no issues.

"The feel of the ice was very good," Sakamoto noted. "I am really looking forward to the competition."

After finishing third at the GP Final earlier this month, Sakamoto said she came down with a case of gastroenteritis and "completely shut down."

"It was a restart from zero, but I was able to train and rebuild my body without fatigue," Sakamoto commented. "My condition now is better than before the Final."

Strong Workouts for Chiba, Shimada

Mone Chiba, the silver medalist at the GP Final, trained to her free skate of "Ariana Concerto No. 1" and skated smoothly, while mentioning that competing in four different events in the past few weeks was challenging.

"I thought it was pretty tough, the fatigue is accumulating," Chiba remarked. "But I think it's a good feeling because I am surprisingly rhythmic mentally."

Three-time world junior champion Mao Shimada ran through her short program to "Defying Gravity" and looked sharp. She cleanly landed the triple axel she is planning to use on Friday night.

The 16-year-old star will try to become the first junior to win the crown at the Japan Championships since Miki Ando in 2003.

"I think the championship is unreachable," Shimada commented. "Just want to enjoy skating, and I want to end it thinking that I was able to challenge myself to the fullest. I hope I can perform energetically like a junior without aiming for the ranking."

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Author: Jack Gallagher

The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.