[ICE TIME] Yuma Kagiyama, Mone Chiba to lead Japan at the Winter World University Games
Jack Gallagher 
Yuma Kagiyama performs his free skate routine at the Grand Prix Final on December 7, 2024, in Grenoble, France. (©KYODO)
After a short break for the New Year's holidays, Japan's top skaters return to international competition at the FISU Winter World University Games in Turin, Italy on Thursday through Saturday, January 16-18. Beijing Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama will lead the men's team that includes Shun Sato and Sota Yamamoto for the competition featuring university students.
The 20-year-old Sato, who attends Meiji University, got his New Year skating off to an early start when he won the Japan Intercollegiate Championship on January 7 in Yamanashi Prefecture with a total score of 243.64 points.
Kao Miura was originally slated to compete in Turin but withdrew due to a thigh injury and was replaced by Yamamoto. The 19-year-old Miura has had a tough go of it this season with injuries and there is some question if he will compete again this campaign.
After finishing a disappointing eighth at the 2024 Japan Championships in December, Miura pulled out of the annual Nagoya Skating Festival on January 4, before dropping out of the Winter World University Games. Next up on the schedule for him is supposed to be the Four Continents Championships in Seoul (February 18-23).
Ice Time reached out to Miura recently to ask him if he was going to be able to compete in South Korea. In an email reply the young star wrote, "It's not decided yet, but I am currently working hard toward the Four Continents!"
In addition to Sato, the 21-year-old Kagiyama will face competition in Italy from South Korea's Jun Hwan Cha, Italy's Daniel Grassl and Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov.
Japan Women's Lineup for the Winter World University Games
The Hinomaru women's contingent in Turin will feature Mone Chiba, Rion Sumiyoshi and Hana Yoshida. Sumiyoshi, who attends Meiji University, took the women's crown at the Intercollegiate Championship on January 7 with a tally of 192.29.
Notable entrants in the women's competition in Italy will include South Korea's Dabin Choi and Kazakhstan's Sofia Samodelkina.
A Look Ahead to Other Skating Events
The next significant event for Japanese skaters after the Winter World University Games will be the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China (February 7-14). Kagiyama will again lead the way for the men with Sato also slated to take part.
Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto will be the top women's skater and will be joined by Yoshida, while pairs Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi along with Sae Shimizu and Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda will also compete.
Elsewhere, the US Championships are set for Wichita, Kansas (January 20-26). World champion Ilia Malinin will be a heavy favorite as he seeks his third straight senior title. Grand Prix Final champion Amber Glenn will try to claim her second straight national crown in Wichita.
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Author: Jack Gallagher
The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find Jack's articles and podcasts on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.
