Kagiyama and Sakamoto lead Japanese sweep of men’s and women’s short programs at NHK Trophy

By The Associated Press

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan competes in the men's short program at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series competition in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Hiro Komae]

TOKYO (AP) — Defending champion Yuma Kagiyama performs a near-flawless routine to lead a Japanese sweep of the men’s figure skating short program at the NHK Trophy. Skating to “The Sound of Silence,” Kagiyama nailed an effortless quadruple salchow on his opening jump and followed with a quad toeloop-triple toeloop combination. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist added a triple axel to finish with a season-best 105.70 points. In the women’s short program, three-time and reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan finished first with a season-best 78.93 points. Two-time world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States were first after the ice dance short program. The NHK Trophy is the fourth event in the ISU’s Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.