Defending champion Kaori Sakamoto dazzled on the ice to win the women's short program at Japan's national figure skating championships on Thursday.
Sakamoto, a Beijing Olympic bronze medalist who followed that by winning her first world title this year, brought the crowd to its feet at Osaka Prefecture's Towa Pharmaceutical RACTAB Dome with a powerful, energetic performance.
The 22-year-old scored 77.79 points to take a 3.09 lead over short program runner-up Mai Mihara going into Saturday's free skate. Mihara is coming off her victory in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final two weeks earlier.
Both skaters opened with double axels, with a triple jump and a triple-triple combination, with neither making any major missteps.
"It's been a while since I've skated a good program. I was able to go the whole way without any lapses in concentration, said Sakamoto, who was a disappointing fifth at the Grand Prix Final.
"I'll be happy if I can give my best effort in the free skate, too."
Mihara, who was fourth at last year's nationals, said she wanted to turn her intensity level up a notch on Saturday.
"I'd like to be more powerful in the free skate and skate as a stronger woman than I did today," she said.
Mone Chiba, a 17-year-old high school student, was 3.64 back of Mihara in third, while Mao Shimada, the 14-year-old Junior Grand Prix champion, was fourth.
In ice dancing, Kana Muramoto and her partner, 2010 men's Olympic bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi, won the rhythm dance with 77.70 points, 7.74 ahead of four-time defending champions Misato and Takeru Komatsubara.
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