COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (News Wires) — It was a memorable day for Japan at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara became the first pairs skaters from their nation to win the prestigious event among non-European countries. Then, hours later, Kao Miura followed them to the ice and made it confidently through his free skate in the thin air of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to win the men’s event.
“It was really tough skating at this altitude,” Kihara admitted, “but the cheers of the audience kept our legs moving.”
The 17-year-old Kao Miura, who led the men’s short programme, held off a challenge from Canada’s 31-year-old Keegan Messing in the free skate for the biggest victory of his career.
Performing in the free skate, Kao Miura collected 189.63 points, taking his total to 281.53, which were his best-ever marks.
The side-by-side jumps were shaky and both the triple Salchow and the triple toe were slightly under-rotated, but they still went on to win by seven points on 208.24.
“Three years ago when we were at Four Continents for the first time we were saying one day we would like to sit here in the centre and three years later we are here,” Riku Miura said according to AP.
The American pairing of Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, who were last year’s runners-up, took silver again while Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps earned bronze.
Indeed, many skaters struggled to get through their long programmes.
Jin Boyang appeared to be so light-headed after his free skate that he collapsed face-first to the ice. Even after taking time to catch his breath, the veteran Chinese skater still appeared unsteady as he headed to the center of the ice for bows.
Chan and Howe, who were second to world champs Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier at the recent U.S. nationals, were third after their short program. But they put together a strong free skate – they were a little out of sync on their triple toe loops and shaky on the throws late in the program – to vault to the silver medal with 201.11 points.
Canadian champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps struggled to a third-place finish with 193.84 points.
“It was an amazing performance and it definitely felt like one of the best we have had this season,” said Howe, who along with Chan finished second in both of their Grand Prix assignments at the NHK Trophy and Skate Canada.
“It’s amazing to come to Colorado Springs,” Howe said. “A lot of the talk was about the altitude, so to come here and give this performance – our season best – was amazing. It feels amazing.”
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