Japan Figure Skating Championships 2024: Top Winners Ft. Sakamoto Kaori, Kagiyama Yuma

Sakamoto Kaori clinched the Japan Figure Skating Championships crown for the fourth straight year on Sunday (22 December) in Osaka. She became the ninth female to win four successive titles and the first since Miyahara Satoko, who accomplished the feat from 2014 to 2017.

Sakamoto went from pole to finish in a highly competitive women’s singles field with a 228.68 following a free skate of 149.76. She 

Junior Shimada Mao, 16, took second with an unofficial season best free score of 143.42 for a 219.00 over the two programs. Higuchi Wakaba reached the podium for the first time in three years after a 135.35 for a 206.40 total to take the third spot.

In the men’s field, Kagiyama Yuma won his maiden national title with a season best free-skate score of 205.68 for a 297.73 total at the Japan Figure Skating Championships on Saturday (21 December). The Beijing 2022 Olympic silver medallist achieved the feat on his ninth attempt. 

Kagiyama and his father Masakazu – who won three straight championships from 1991 – became only the second father and son to win the Japanese nationals.

Sixteen-year-old Nakata Rio came took the second place (263.99) to become the first junior skater to reach the men’s singles podium of the senior nationals since Kagiyama, who achieved the feat in 2019.

Tsuboi Tatsuya (247.31) leapfrogged 11 places from the short program to take bronze.

Thirty-seven-year-old and 2008 champion Oda Nobunari bid farewell to his career for the second and final time by finishing a respectable fourth (234.68).

Japan Figure Skating Championships 2024: Results

Sunday, 22 December

Women’s free skating

1. Sakamoto Kaori- 228.68 (149.76)
2. Shimada Mao- 219.00 (143.42)
3. Higuchi Wakaba- 206.40 (135.35)
4. Chiba Mone- 205.69 (130.97)
5. Matsuike Rino- 204.00 (133.21)
6. Yamashita Mako- 200.25 (135.12)

Pairs free skating

1. Miura Riku/Kihara Ryuichi- 212.33 (138.17)
2. Nagaoka Yuna/Moriguchi Sumitada- 176.68 (114.86)
3. Shimizu Sae/Honda Lucas Tsuyoshi- 136.72 (82.50)
4. Yunoki Miyu/Tristan Taylor- 126.81 (80.06)

Ice dance free dance

1. Yoshida Utana/Morita Masaya- 176.21 (104.37)
2. Tanaka Azusa/Nishiyama Shingo- 168.92 (102.89)
3. Sasaki Ayano/Ikeda Yoshimitsu- 141.09 (85.56)
4. Kuneshita Mia/Roueche Seiya Alec- 100.19 (63.57)

Saturday, 21 December

Men’s free skating

1. Kagiyama Yuma- 297.73 (205.68)
2. Nakata Rio- 263.99 (173.68)
3. Tsuboi Tatsuya- 247.31 (173.37)
4. Oda Nobunari- 234.68 (150.15)
5. Tomono Kazuki- 233.95 (144.23)
6. Miyake Sena- 233.49 (158.33)

Pairs short program

1. Miura Riku/Kihara Ryuichi- 74.16
2. Nagaoka Yuna/Moriguchi Sumitada- 61.82
3. Shimizu Sae/Honda Lucas Tsuyoshi- 54.22
4. Yunoki Miyu/Tristan Taylor- 46.75

Ice dance rhythm dance

1. Yoshida Utana/Morita Masaya- 71.84
2. Tanaka Azusa/Nishiyama Shingo- 66.03
3. Sasaki Ayano/Ikeda Yoshimitsu- 55.53
4. Kuneshita Mia/Roueche Seiya Alec- 36.62

Friday, 20 December

Women’s short program

1. Sakamoto Kaori- 78.92
2. Shimada Mao- 75.58
3. Chiba Mone- 74.72
4. Higuchi Wakaba- 71.05
5. Matsuike Rino- 70.79
6. Aoki Yuna- 70.07

Men’s short program

1. Kagiyama Yuma- 92.05
2. Nakata Rio- 90.31
3. Tomono Kazuki- 89.72
4. Miura Kao- 88.87
5. Oda Nobunari- 84.53
6. Sato Shun- 81.90

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