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Rio Nakata's Woeful Short Program Ends Japan's Shot at 3rd Straight Men's Gold at Winter Youth Olympics

The Junior Grand Prix Final champion, who entered the Winter Youth Olympics as the favorite, made a number of mistakes in his skate to "God Particle."

Published

9 months ago

January 27, 2024

Jack Gallagher

Rio Nakata in a December 2023 file photo. (ⒸSANKEI)

Read the full story on SportsLook - Rio Nakata's Woeful Short Program Ends Japan's Shot at 3rd Straight Men's Gold at Winter Youth Olympics

Rio Nakata's hopes of glory at the Winter Youth Olympics in South Korea ended in tears at Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday, January 27 with a shocking result in the men's short program that saw him finish in 13th place.

The Junior Grand Prix Final champion over-rotated his opening triple axel in his skate to "God Particle," then singled a triple lutz, before falling as he entered a spin. Nakata's series of mistakes cost him dearly as he tallied just 55.59 points, more than 20 behind leader Jacob Sanchez of the United States who scored 76.38.

The 15-year-old Nakata entered the competition as the favorite following his strong GP season, but just wasn't up to it on this day. He burst into tears after leaving the ice and receiving a hug from his father and coach Makoto, then wept again in the Kiss and Cry as he waited for his scores.

Nakata Reacts to His Performance

"I tried to focus on what I had to do but I’m not sure what happened out there," Nakata was quoted as saying by Olympics.com. "It’s just really frustrating. The axel felt really good in warmups but I couldn’t find it in competition."

He then said, "The triple combo went well but I rushed into the lutz and messed up. I have nothing to lose now so I’m going to swing for the fences."

Nakata continued: "I felt great before the competition but something happened and I can’t make it out. I was confident but it didn’t work out. All I can do is regroup now."

Japan is the two-time defending champion in the men's event with victories by Yuma Kagiyama (2020) and Sota Yamamoto (2016).

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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 articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.