Skaters from the United States captured three medals in the ice dance and pairs events at NHK Trophy in Sapporo, Japan, the fifth stop in the six-event Grand Prix series this fall. Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates and the pair team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe qualified for spots in the prestigious Grand Prix Final in December, an event that only accepts the top six skaters or teams per discipline.
Chock and Bates captured their 16th medal on the Grand prix Series, a silver, to earn a spot in December's exclusive Grand Prix Final. Chock and Bates reimagined their free dance to "Fem III" and "Tectoniques" since winning gold at 2022 Skate America, and in Japan earned 124.13 points for a total score of 209.13 points. The three-time Worlds medalists were awarded Level 4s in their straight line and rotational lifts, plus the curved lift. The twizzle series earned a Level 3 for Chock after a small bobble and a Level 4 for Bates.
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons also landed on the podium with the bronze medals, the couple's first Grand Prix series medal together. Skating to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," Green and Parsons' free dance earned Level 4s on all three lifts and the team's twizzle series. The team earned 114.10 points in the free dance for an overall score of 191.10 points.
Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen finished in 10th place after their Florence + The Machine free dance, which earned 83.07 points for a total score of 148.01 points. The program opened with Level 2s awarded in the twizzle series, but the duo earned Levels 4 and 3 in the curved lift and stationary lift, respectively.
Canada's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen added to their slim lead after the rhythm dance to claim the ice dance title at NHK Trophy with 210.41 total points.
Chan and Howe added to their streak of silver medals this season, finishing on the pairs' podium with 187.49 total points. This result, combined with their silver medal from Skate Canada International, means they will also compete in the Grand Prix Final in December. Their "Unchained Melody" free skate was awarded 122.87 points and nine of their elements were awarded positive grades of execution, including their opening side-by-side double Salchow-double Axel-double Axel sequence, all three of the team's lifts and their death spiral.
Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the pairs' title with 216.16 points and Canada's Brooke McIntosh and Benjamin Mimar earned bronze medals with 175.65 points.
In the women's event,
Audrey Shin held on to her fourth-place spot after the short program to land just off the podium with 189.00 points. Shin's "Tosca" free skate earned 123.13 points and included an opening triple Lutz followed by a popped single flip, a triple Salchow and a double Axel. Shin included all of her jump combinations in the second half for a 10% scoring bonus: a triple Lutz-double toe-double loop, a triple toe-triple toe and a triple loop-double Axel sequence.
After earning a silver medal at Skate Canada International earlier this fall,
Starr Andrews finished the Sapporo event in ninth place. Her "Je Suis Malade" free skate opened with a triple flip-double Axel-double toe sequence, and was followed by a popped single flip, and a solo triple flip and triple toe. She also included a triple Salchow-double loop combination and a triple loop-double toe combination to round out the program, which earned 109.93 points. Her total score was 174.06 points.
Amber Glenn, the 2022 Skate America bronze medalist, opened with a triple Axel attempt in her free skate set to "Without You" by Ursine Vulpine & Annaca. She earned 117.32 points in the free skate which also included a triple flip-triple toe combination, solo triple Salchow, triple loop-double toe-double toe combination and solo triple Lutz, triple loop and double flip. Overall, Glenn earned 169.39 points to finish in 11th place.
South Korea's Yelim Kim won the women's title with 204.49 points. The host country of Japan had two skaters on the podium: Kaori Sakamoto with the silver medal (201.87 points) and Rion Sumiyoshi with the bronze medal (193.12 points).
Tomoki Hiwatashi finished 12th in the men's event as the lone U.S. skater in the field. His free skate included two quadruple jumps for a segment score of 127.87 points, totaling a final score of 185.05 points. The 2019 World Junior champion opened his program set to music from The Artist by Ludovic Bource with a solo quad Salchow followed by a quad toe-double toe combination.
Shoma Uno of Japan won the men's title with 279.76 total points, followed by countryman Sota Yamamoto with 257.85 total points. Junhwan Cha of South Korea earned bronze with a final score of 254.76 points.
Follow all the action from the Grand Prix series as Grand Prix Espoo continues next weekend from Finland on the
Competition Central page on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone website.
