Malinin, Sakamoto headline pre-Winter Olympics figure skating season
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Japan's Kaori Sakamoto will later take centre stage at Skate Canada where Malinin will also compete
PARIS (AFP) – US figure skating star Ilia Malinin swings into action as the pre-Winter Olympic season kicks off on Friday with the first of the six-leg ISU Grand Prix series at Skate America in Texas.
Japan's three-time women's world champion Kaori Sakamoto takes centre stage the following week at Skate Canada in Halifax, where Malinin will also compete.
Malinin soared to his first world title last season with a gravity-defying quadruple-jumping free skate in Montreal putting him over 20 points ahead of his rivals.
And the 19-year-old – nicknamed as the "Quad God" – is the pre-Olympic favourite after the retirement of two-time world champion and three-time Olympic medallist Uno Shoma of Japan.
"I always have that mindset where I want to try to get better and better," warned Malinin, the first skater to land a quadruple axel in competition, ahead of his bid for a third straight Skate America gold.
Malinin limbered up at the Lombardia Trophy last month in Italy, again winning gold by a margin of over 20 points on Japan's Yuma Kagiyama.
"The gap between Ilia was something I was constantly made aware of last season," said three-time world silver medallist Kagiyama.
"This season I want to be able to gain on him, even pass him," added the double Olympic silver medallist.
Both Sakamoto and Kagiyama will compete in the NHK Trophy at home in Tokyo from November 8-10. Kagiyama will also line out in the Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki from November 15-17.
Reigning world figure skating champion Ilia Malinin of the United States
This weekend in Texas, Kevin Aymoz looks to better his silver medal last season. But fellow French skater Adam Siao Him Fa, the world bronze medallist who took gold ahead of Malinin in the Grand Prix event in France last year, begins his campaign in the third leg at home in Angers in November.
China's two-time world bronze medallist Jin Boyang will bid to seal his spot for the Grand Prix final along with Siao Him Fa at the last leg Cup of China in Chongqing.
'Confidence building'
Sakamoto, 24, had a shaky start to the campaign at the Lombardia Trophy finishing third, but insisted: "If I keep putting in the work the confidence will come."
US ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates have won the last two editions of Skate America
Sakamoto and Kagiyama's Olympic ambitions were fired after finally receiving their silver medals from the Beijing 2022 team event during a ceremony at the Paris 2024 Games.
Skaters from the United States and Japan were given their medals after Russia were dropped from gold to bronze following Kamila Valieva's four-year ban for doping.
"The moment I received the medal after a wait of two-and-a-half years made me want to win another in Milano even more," said Sakamoto, who also took women's bronze behind closed doors in the Covid-affected Beijing Games.
American Isabeau Levito won silver behind Sakamoto at worlds last year. She is looking to better her runners-up spots at Skate America the last two seasons with Japan's Rinka Watanabe also hoping to medal.
In the pairs competition, Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the 2023 world champions, begin their campaign at Skate America.
Reigning world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps start their season in Skate Canada.
World pairs champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps start their season at home in Skate Canada
Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the two-time reigning world champions, make their season debut at Skate America.
Skate America kicks off Friday with the pairs and women's short programmes. The rhythm dance starts Saturday, followed by the pairs free skate, the men's short programme and women's free skate.
The competition finishes on Sunday with the men's free skate and free dance final.
Competitors take part in two of the six events with the top six in each category qualifying for the Grand Prix Final in Grenoble, France from December 5-8.
This world championships in Boston from March 25-30 will also decide Olympic quota spots for the Milan-Cortina Games.
