Japanese teenager Mone Chiba won the women's gold medal Friday at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, with compatriot Rinka Watanabe earning the bronze.
The 18-year-old Chiba, who qualified for March's world championships and was runner-up at Japan's nationals in December, won with a career-high 214.98-point total at Shanghai's SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center.
"I'm filled with gratitude that I could come to Shanghai and compete in the Four Continents Championship. I'm extremely happy that I was able to put on the best performance I'm capable of now," Chiba said.
Last year's bronze medalist, Chiba, led wire to wire, winning Thursday's short program and Friday's free skate, both with career-high scores.
Watanabe, who was fourth in the short program, was runner-up in the free skate to finish 2.51 back of silver medalist Kim Chae Yeon of South Korea, who was third in the free skate.
The men's free skate is set for Saturday, with three Japanese among the top four skaters from the short program. Yuma Kagiyama leads 106.82-99.20 over compatriot Shun Sato, with South Korea's Cha Jun Hwan third and Japan's Sota Yamamoto fourth.
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