SEOUL, South Korea — At the Four Continents figure skating competition on Friday, Japanese pair skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara reclaimed their title, which they first won two years ago.
The world champions from 2023 led the competition after the short program and delivered an impressive free skate, achieving a season-high score of 142.59. Their total score reached 217.32 points, ensuring their top podium finish.
Canadian skaters Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who are the reigning world champions, found themselves in fourth position following the short program. However, they made a notable comeback in the free skate, scoring a personal best of 141.26 points to secure second place overall with a total of 210.92 points.
Canadian duo Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud also celebrated a milestone, finishing in third place and earning their inaugural ISU championship medal as a team with a total score of 198.40, which included personal best performances.
The free skate routine of Miura and Kihara showcased a level three triple twist lift, a throw triple loop, and cleanly executed triple salchows, demonstrating their exceptional technical skills. This event marked their fifth appearance at the Four Continents, where they had previously placed eighth.
“We faced numerous challenges throughout this journey,” Kihara reflected. “To stand here today with a gold medal is an incredible achievement for us. This medal signifies our growth over the past five years.”
The pair had also triumphed at the Four Continents competition in 2023, which took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Meanwhile, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps performed their “Ocean” program, which included a triple toe-single, axel-double axel sequence, triple salchow, and triple throws. They are utilizing this competition as essential preparation to defend their title at the upcoming world championships scheduled from March 25-30 in Boston.
“We felt we needed a breakthrough, and I believe we achieved it here,” Stellato-Dudek stated. “This experience gives us confidence as we head to Boston.”
In the men’s events, the American pair of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea began the short program in second place but fell to fourth due to a few missteps.
Local favorite Kim Chae-yeon led in the women’s short program, impressing the audience with a double axel, a combination of triple lutz-triple toeloop, and a triple flip, earning her a score of 74.02 points. She outperformed defending champion Mone Chiba of Japan, who took second place with 71.20 points.
U.S. skater Sarah Everhardt finished third with 67.36 points, narrowly beating Alysa Liu, who was fourth with 67.09 points, completing a competitive field in the women’s category.
