Las Vegas – Riku Miura and her companion Ryuichi Kihara grew to become Japan’s first pairs skaters to succeed in a determine skating Grand Prix podium by taking silver at Skate America on Saturday, with compatriot Shoma Uno additionally taking silver within the males’s competitors.
Miura and Kihara have been third after Friday’s brief program at Orleans Area, and third of their free skate. Russians Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov gained each to complete with 222.50 factors.
Miura and Kihara totaled 208.20 to overhaul Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii within the free skate. The Russian world bronze medalists have been second within the brief program however fell to fourth within the free skate.
“It was fairly robust, however I’m glad we by no means gave up,” Kihara mentioned after competing within the Grand Prix circuit’s first medal occasion. “We nonetheless have a lot to work on, however I wish to do my finest as we work towards our subsequent occasion.”
Miura mentioned they gave it their all.
“Even factoring in our errors, I feel we did in addition to we might,” she mentioned. “One of the best factor was my skill to place two jumps collectively. Our skating has been bettering by leaps and bounds.”
Later within the day, Uno, a four-time Grand Prix Last medalist, was second within the brief program and third within the free skate, however edged out three-time defending world champion Nathan Chen of america for second place.
American Vincent Zhou led each packages to complete first with 295.56, with Uno totaling 270.68 and Chen 269.37.
Alexandra Trusova of Russia scored 77.69 to win the ladies’s brief program, whereas Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto was fourth. Two different Russians making their senior Grand Prix debut, Daria Usacheva and Kseniia Sinitsyna, joined Trusova forward of Sakamoto.
Sakamoto under-rotated on her triple flip-triple toeloop mixture however saved herself in rivalry with 71.16 factors.
“That (triple) flip turning right into a double was a expensive mistake. I used to be ready for a rating underneath 70, so 71 offers me hope. I’ll keep optimistic and do my finest,” mentioned Sakamoto as she appeared forward to Sunday’s free skate.
Skate America is the primary of six occasions within the ISU Grand Prix of Determine Skating Collection. Skaters earn factors all through the sequence to qualify for the Grand Prix Last to be held in Osaka in December.
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