Japan's Kaori Sakamoto tops women's short program at World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier

Updated 23/03/2022 at 18:25 GMT

Japan's Kaori Sakamoto topped the women's short program at the World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier on Wednesday. Behind Sakamoto in the standings were Belgian Leona Hendrickx and Mariah Bell of the USA. Great Britain's Natasha McKay took the 24th and final qualifying spot. The women's free skating event takes place on Friday.

World Championships : Sakamoto short program

Japan's Kaori Sakamoto delivered a stunning performance to top the women's short program standings at the World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier.

33 skaters took to the ice on Wednesday at the Sud de France Arena, but it was the 21-year-old from Kobe who wowed the audience - and the judges - the most.

Skating to 'Now we are free' from the Gladiator soundtrack, Sakamoto was inventive and stylish as she put down a marker for the competition, which she will hope translates into a better overall finish than her best of fifth in 2019.

Figure Skating

Sakamoto achieves historic 'three-peat' at World Figure Skating Championships

23/03/2024 at 13:43

Sakamoto - who took home a bronze medal from the Beijing Olympics in the women's singles - recorded a score of 80.32, some distance clear of second-placed Leona Hendrickx of Belgium who, as the last skater to go, was given a score of 75.00.

Mariah Bell of the USA finished third, while Great Britain's Natasha McKay took the final qualifying spot by finishing 24th.

Friday sees the culmination of the women's singles with the free skate event, while the men's short program due to be held on Thursday.

Concurrently to the Worlds, the Channel One Cup is taking place in Russia, an event only open to Russian athletes and which is expected to see Kamila Valieva feature.