TOKYO: Reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu defended his NHK Trophy title on Saturday, moving into high gear as the Japanese figure skating star aims at a record fourth straight triumph in the Grand Prix Final.
Hanyu dominated both short and free skating programs with superb jumps and steps, grabbing a stunning 301.47 points, far ahead of his closest rival Nathan Chen of the United States finishing second with 268.91.
The Sochi gold medallist opened his free skating program with a quadruple loop in style followed by a clean quadruple Salchow at the Makomanai Ice Arena in the northern city of Sapporo.
Hanyu fell on the ice in a quadruple Salchow-triple toe loop combination but quickly recovered with dynamic triple axels and elegant steps, prompting frenzied fans to throw him stuffed animals and flowers at the end of his performance.
“As it took place in Japan, I was able to skate in a warm atmosphere,” Hanyu said, expressing his gratitude for local fans.
“In the short program, I was able to skate as if I were a rock star while in free skating, I felt the joy of skating,” he said.
With Saturday’s triumph, Hanyu easily qualified for the Grand Prix Final, an annual elite competition, which he has won the past three years.
But the defending NHK champion, who placed second in this year’s Skate Canada, said the results fell short of his ideal.
“I still have much work on jumps, while there are many things that I can do for steps and spins,” Hanyu said.
“I will tune up myself firmly, aiming at a good performance at the Grand Prix Final,” he said.
In the women’s competition, World bronze medallist Anna Pogorilaya of Russia won the trophy, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final.
The 18-year-old claimed 210.86 points in total, succeeding in all jumps in free skating, including her opening triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, with stable steps.
“I’m very, very happy,” said a delighted Pogorilaya, who won the Cup of Russia and claimed bronze in both the World and European Championships this year.
“I was encouraged by all the people here who cheered me up heartily,” the Russian said.
Defending NHK Trophy champion and home favorite Satoko Miyahara, who was settled for third in a short program, finished second with 198.00 points, also securing a ticket for the Grand Prix Final.
“I was nervous in the free skating after making mistakes in the short program, but I somehow managed to work hard,” Miyahara said. “There was room for improvement but I’m glad that I did not make major mistakes.”
In the pairs component, two-time and reigning world champions Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford of Canada triumphed with 204.56 points, easily beating Chinese pairs Cheng Peng/Yang Jin and Xuehan Wang/Lei Wang, who finished second and third respectively.
Hanyu dominated both short and free skating programs with superb jumps and steps, grabbing a stunning 301.47 points, far ahead of his closest rival Nathan Chen of the United States finishing second with 268.91.
The Sochi gold medallist opened his free skating program with a quadruple loop in style followed by a clean quadruple Salchow at the Makomanai Ice Arena in the northern city of Sapporo.
Hanyu fell on the ice in a quadruple Salchow-triple toe loop combination but quickly recovered with dynamic triple axels and elegant steps, prompting frenzied fans to throw him stuffed animals and flowers at the end of his performance.
“As it took place in Japan, I was able to skate in a warm atmosphere,” Hanyu said, expressing his gratitude for local fans.
“In the short program, I was able to skate as if I were a rock star while in free skating, I felt the joy of skating,” he said.
With Saturday’s triumph, Hanyu easily qualified for the Grand Prix Final, an annual elite competition, which he has won the past three years.
But the defending NHK champion, who placed second in this year’s Skate Canada, said the results fell short of his ideal.
“I still have much work on jumps, while there are many things that I can do for steps and spins,” Hanyu said.
“I will tune up myself firmly, aiming at a good performance at the Grand Prix Final,” he said.
In the women’s competition, World bronze medallist Anna Pogorilaya of Russia won the trophy, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final.
The 18-year-old claimed 210.86 points in total, succeeding in all jumps in free skating, including her opening triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, with stable steps.
“I’m very, very happy,” said a delighted Pogorilaya, who won the Cup of Russia and claimed bronze in both the World and European Championships this year.
“I was encouraged by all the people here who cheered me up heartily,” the Russian said.
Defending NHK Trophy champion and home favorite Satoko Miyahara, who was settled for third in a short program, finished second with 198.00 points, also securing a ticket for the Grand Prix Final.
“I was nervous in the free skating after making mistakes in the short program, but I somehow managed to work hard,” Miyahara said. “There was room for improvement but I’m glad that I did not make major mistakes.”
In the pairs component, two-time and reigning world champions Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford of Canada triumphed with 204.56 points, easily beating Chinese pairs Cheng Peng/Yang Jin and Xuehan Wang/Lei Wang, who finished second and third respectively.
