The Peterborough Examiner

Osmond leads after short program at Grand Prix finale

- — The Canadian Press

NAGOYA, Japan — Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond executed a nearperfec­t performanc­e Friday to take first place in the women’s short program at the ISU Grand Prix Final figure skating event.

The 22-year-old from Marystown, N.L., landed a tripletrip­le combinatio­n, a triple Lutz and a double Axel to collect an internatio­nal personal best 77.04 points.

“It felt really good and I felt really controlled,” said Osmond, the world championsh­ip silver medallist last season. “I wasn’t happy with how my short program went at the Grand Prix in France and I didn’t want that to happen here.”

Alina Zagitova of Russia was second at 76.27 and Satoko Miyahara of Japan third at 74.61. The long program is Saturday. On the men’s side, American Nathan Chen held his lead from the short program to edge Japan’s Shoma Uno.

Skating to Mao’s Last Dancer, Chen landed three of five attempted quad jumps in his free program.

Uno, two points behind Chen after the short program on Thursday, won the free skate but it wasn’t enough to overtake Chen, who finished a half point ahead with a total of 286.51 points.

Russian skater Mikhail Kolyada was third with 282.00.

In junior ice dancing, Marjorie Lajoie of Bouchervil­le, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Greenfield Park, Que., were fourth after the short dance with 60.52 points. The couple won gold and silver this season on the circuit.

The competitio­n continues Saturday with the women’s, pairs and ice dance long programs.

It felt really good and I felt really controlled.” Kaetlyn Osmond

 ?? TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES ?? Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., competes during the women’s short program of the Grand Prix finale on Friday in Nagoya, Japan. Osmond finished the day in first place overall.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., competes during the women’s short program of the Grand Prix finale on Friday in Nagoya, Japan. Osmond finished the day in first place overall.

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