Osaka – Three-time world figure skating champion Kaori Sakamoto delivered a masterclass to win women’s singles gold at the NHK Trophy on Saturday with the world’s best score this season.
Sakamoto, who said in June that she would retire after the Milano-Cortina Olympics, landed seven triple jumps to score 150.13 points for her emotional free program to music by Edith Piaf to send the home crowd into raptures.
The 25-year-old’s 227.18 point total firmly established her as a top contender for the Olympics.
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