If the Russian Olympic Committee, which won the team event, is disqualified, the United States would get the gold medal, Japan the silver, and Canada the...
Strong performances by Kaori Sakamoto in the women’s free skate and Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara in the pairs free skate secured the historic medal.
Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi, Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno make preparations for Japan.
The men’s short program will kick off the team event Friday morning, followed by the rhythm dance and the pairs short program.
“The Olympics are not a recital,” Hanyu said. “It's a place you must win. For that reason, I'll be strongly determined.”
Sakamoto landed six clean triple jumps in her skate to “No More Fight Left in Me” and earned level fours on her spins and step sequence.
The 2018 Olympian skated to “Now We Are Free” and showed her veteran poise as she calmly and smoothly moved through her program.
The top-tier skaters are well known, but exciting quests are right behind as young athletes aim to earn their own spots on the national team.
Uno delivers a bold reminder that he remains one of the world’s premier skating stars.
Both champions won by wide margins over the second-place finishers.
American Vincent Zhou and Japanese teenager Mana Kawabe are both in second place heading into the free skate.
“Everything is improving now and technically spiritual,” Uno said. “The most important thing I have practiced is the quadruple salchow.”