Uno wins Skate Canada men's crown

Japanese reigning world champion beats compatriot Miura by 7.86 points to claim gold medal

ONTARIO:

Japan's reigning world champion Shoma Uno rallied in the free skate to snatch the Skate Canada men's crown from compatriot Kao Miura by 7.86 points on Saturday.

Uno, the 24-year-old Japanese star who owns three Olympic medals, had five quadruple jumps, albeit not all of pristine quality, on the way to a total of 273.15 points.

That was enough for gold in the second stop of the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix, where Japanese skaters also topped the podium in the women's and pairs events.

Miura, the 17-year-old Japanese national junior champion, was second in the free skate to finish runner-up, just as he did at Skate America last week when 17-year-old American Ilia Malinin overtook him in the free skate.

Miura took silver with 265.29 points with Italy's Matteo Rizzo third.

Japan's Rinka Watanabe, sixth after the short programme, won the free skate to capture the women's title after the three top finishers in the short programme struggled.

Watanabe, a 20-year-old making her Grand Prix debut, landed a triple axel and won with 197.59 points overall to 191.26 for runner-up Starr Andrews of the United States and 190.15 for South Korean Young You, who was fourth in both routines.

Watanabe was entered due to a right shin stress fracture that forced Olympian Wakaba Higuchi to withdraw from the Grand Prix campaign.

Canada's Madeline Schizas and Gabrielle Daleman, who were first and second in the short programme, both fell to tumble in the final order. Schizas was seventh overall and Daleman 10th.

World pairs silver medallists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara cruised to a 25.54 point victory over Americans Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.

They led after the short programme and won the free skate to build a total score of 212.02 – best in the world this season.

Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirer won their third consecutive Skate Canada ice dance title with 215.70 points after capturing both the free dance and rhythm dance. Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson were second in both routines and overall.