THE JAPAN NEWS


 

VANCOUVER (AP) — Teenage Japanese star Rika Kihira won the Grand Prix Final women’s title Saturday.

The 16-year-old had a combined score of 233.12, despite stumbling on a jump in her free skate. The score topped her career best of 224.31 set last month in Japan in her NHK Trophy victory.

“My failures from the past seasons really motivated me to do well,” Kihira said through a translator. “I promised myself that I would remember them and never repeat those mistakes again.”

Olympic champion Alina Zagitova of Russia, also 16, was second at 226.53 points.

“The first senior season is easier than the second one,” Zagitova said through a translator. “Because when you go out the first time, there are no expectations, no one expects anything and you can just got and skate.”
Fellow Russian Elizaveta Tuktamysheva was third at 215.32.

The women’s competition was made up entirely of skaters from Japan and Russia.

On Friday night, American Nathan Chen won the men’s event.