Sawt Falasteen - Defending champion Sakamoto leads women at skating worlds

NYSE - LSE

RYCEF	2.23%	17.9	$
RBGPF	0%	75.17	$
RELX	-0.41%	39.855	$
BTI	1.12%	60.77	$
GSK	-0.41%	51.33	$
NGG	-0.89%	83.52	$
AZN	-1.55%	186.495	$
BP	-0.01%	44.585	$
RIO	-2.18%	84.545	$
CMSC	-2.04%	20.05	$
JRI	-0.89%	11.825	$
VOD	-1.26%	15.495	$
BCC	-2.72%	70.65	$
BCE	0.76%	21.655	$
CMSD	-2.56%	19.969	$

Defending champion Sakamoto leads women at skating worlds / Photo: Kazuhiro NOGI - AFP

Defending champion Sakamoto leads women at skating worlds

SPORTS 22.03.2023

Japan's defending women's champion Kaori Sakamoto took the lead after the short programme at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday.

Text size:

Performing in front of her home crowd in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Sakamoto skated a solid routine to claim a score of 79.24, ahead of second-place Lee Hae-in of South Korea on 73.62.

Japan's Mai Mihara was third with 73.46, while US champion Isabeau Levito, who turned 16 this month, finished fourth in her first world championships on 73.03.

Belgium's Loena Hendrickx, last year's runner-up at the world championships, ran into trouble with her routine and finished fifth on 71.94.

Russian skaters have again been banned from entering the competition because of the war in Ukraine.

The women's free skate will be held on Friday.

The men's competition, with Japan's defending champion Shoma Uno an injury doubt after hurting his ankle in practice on Wednesday, gets underway on Thursday.

A.AlHaj--SF-PST

Sawt Falasteen - Defending champion Sakamoto leads women at skating worlds

Defending champion Sakamoto leads women at skating worlds

Featured

Elijah Moore Scores Career-High 29 as McNeese Sets School Records in 135-87 Win

Panthers expected to begin 2027 NRL season away from new stadium

Virginia overwhelms Arkansas 91-72 behind balanced scoring

Tayyab Arif hits 57 on Pakistan Test debut against Sri Lanka