Takahashi wins Nationals and books Olympic spot
Former Four Continents champion Daisuke Takahashi booked a ticket to
his second Olympics as he won the men's title at the Japanese national
figure skating championships Saturday.
With a 12.31-point lead from the short programme, the 23-year-old
Takahashi also topped the free-skating segment with 168.28 points for a
total of 261.13 points to win his fourth national title in five years.
Defending champion Nobunari Oda, who had already booked another of
three Olympic berths allotted to Japanese men by finishing second at the
Grand Prix Final earlier this month, came in second with 244.30 points.
Takahiko Kozuka, the 2006 world junior champion, finished third with
236.13 and was expected to win the Japan Skating Federation's remaining
ticket to February's Vancouver Winter Olympics on Sunday.
"It was a disappointing free programme," said Takahashi, who has come
back after missing the entire 2008-2009 season for an injury to his
right knee.
The 2008 Four Continents champion, who finished eighth at the 2006
Turin Olympics, braved a difficult quadruple toeloop in his opening
element. But he two-footed and touched the ice on landing with the jump
being downgraded to a triple.
"But I didn't just go on to finish. I could control myself well," he
said after skating to Nino Rota's soundtrack music for "La Strada."
In the women's short programme, former world champion Mao Asada took
the lead, showing her comeback to form in her quest for Olympic glory.
Asada, who has struggled from the start of this season with her
trademark triple axel, under-rotated her attempt at the demanding
3.5-revolution jump in a combination with a double toeloop in her
opening element.
But the 19-year-old skated steadily to Aram Khatchaturian's "Waltz
Masquerade" and collected 69.12 points, ahead of Yukari Nakano at 68.90
and 2007 world champion Miki Ando at 68.68.
By virtue of her second-place finish at the elite final in Tokyo,
Ando has already booked one of three Olympic berths allotted to Japanese
women.
Asada, the only woman who regularly attempts the triple axel in
international competitions, and others were vying for the remaining two
berths.
AFP |
