Kaori Sakamoto takes women’s lead, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps win pairs short at Skate Canada

By The Associated Press

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan competes in the women's short program at the Skate Canada International figure skating competition in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Darren Calabrese]

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto took the lead after she won the women’s short program at Skate Canada International with a 74.97-point performance. Sakamoto, who’s Skate Canada’s defending champion, finished ahead of American Alysa Liu (67.68) and Switzerland’s Kimmy Repond (66.94). Her performance puts her in the lead and in a position to repeat. Reigning pairs world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps placed first in the pairs short program. Germany’s Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel finished second with an 64.82, just above Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore’s 64.81 for Australia.