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Figure skating: Miyahara back on top with Skate America victory
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 [November 27, 2017]
(Reuters) - Olympic hopeful
Satoko Miyahara clinched an emphatic victory in the ladies'
competition at Skate America on Sunday ahead of Japanese compatriot
Kaori Sakamoto.
Miyahara, who missed part of last season due to a hip injury, built
on her lead from Saturday's short program with a near flawless
performance in the free skate in Lake Placid, New York.
She secured a season-best 143.31 points to finish with 214.03, ahead
of Sakamoto on 210.59. American Bradie Tennell was third on 204.10
in her senior Grand Prix debut.
Miyahara's victory, however, was not enough to clinch a place in the
Grand Prix final in her home country in two weeks' time. She will be
first substitute for the Nagoya competition.
"I am very happy and satisfied with today’s performance and to get
my best scores," said the 19-year-old, who completed seven clean
triples skating to 'Madame Butterfly'.
The 2015 world silver medalist missed the world championships
earlier this year due to a stress fracture in her left hip.
"After the injury, this is the first big step. The most important
event, the Japanese nationals, are coming next month," said
Miyahara, who faces a big challenge to make the Japanese team for
February's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Sakamoto was also satisfied with her personal best in the free skate
but said she can get even better.
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Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) and Satoko Miyahara (JPN) and Bradie Tennell
(USA) respectively show off their silver and the gold and the bronze
medal in the ladies free skating program during the 2017 Skate
America figure skating competition at Olympic Center. Mandatory
Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
"In the short program I did a mistake on the spin and I have so much
room to improve my performance -- the jumps, the spins and the grade
of execution," she said.
In the ice dancing competition, American siblings Maia and Alex
Shibutani took the title after accruing 194.25 points.
"This was the competition we wanted to have before the Grand Prix
Final," Maia said.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Tokyo; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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