AP Photo/Francisco Seco
Kaori Sakamoto was crowned the winner of the World Figure Skating Championships on Friday in Montpellier, France, after earning top scores in both the women’s short program and women’s free skate.
Sakamoto had career-best performances in both the short program and free skate. She scored an 80.32 in the short program and a 155.77 in the free skate for a combined score of 236.09.
NBC Olympics @NBCOlympics
The Olympic bronze medalist Kaori Sakamoto scores a 80.32 to take the lead in the women’s short program and she can’t believe it! <br><br>????: <a href=”https://twitter.com/USA_Network?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@USA_Network</a> <br>????: <a href=”https://t.co/TnlIWYD9qy”>https://t.co/TnlIWYD9qy</a><a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldFigure?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WorldFigure</a> <a href=”https://t.co/YnACKfWUTg”>pic.twitter.com/YnACKfWUTg</a>
ISU Figure Skating @ISU_Figure
???? Kaori Sakamoto came in with a bang and claimed the gold small medal in the Women‘s Short Program at <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldFigure?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WorldFigure</a> in Montpellier, ???????? <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/FigureSkating?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#FigureSkating</a> <a href=”https://t.co/LmPoq2lzEZ”>pic.twitter.com/LmPoq2lzEZ</a>
ISU Figure Skating @ISU_Figure
???? What a showdown in the Women‘s Free Skating! ???? Kaori Sakamoto shines bright as she claims the ???? medal and is crowned World Champion 2022! <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/FigureSkating?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#FigureSkating</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldFigure?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WorldFigure</a> <a href=”https://t.co/BCVZmsvXlM”>pic.twitter.com/BCVZmsvXlM</a>
“It was all very difficult, but it was worth it,” Sakamoto said to audience in the arena. “I want to thank all my coaches because without them it wouldn’t be possible. I like to think I managed to pay them back with this.”
She added: “Four years ago, I didn’t compete at the worlds because I felt burned out. It wasn’t easy to get ready for this just a month after the Games, but I’m glad I did.”
The 21-year-old is the first Japanese woman in eight years and the sixth woman from Japan overall to win the event. Asada Mao was the last Japanese woman to win when she did so in 2014. Ando Miki, Arakawa Shizuka, Sato Yuka, and Ito Midori are the other Japanese women to have captured gold.
Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx won silver on Friday, while Alysa Liu of the United States finished with bronze.
Sakamoto entered the World Figure Skating Championships having won bronze at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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