The Women’s event in Boston was a thrilling event, which saw memorable skates and high emotions. Alysa Liu of the USA won the gold medal in front of the enthused home crowd, and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto delivered a powerful comeback skate. Read on for a better look at what happened!
Results
🥇 Alysa Liu (USA)
🥈 Kaori Sakamoto (Japan)
🥉 Mone Chiba (Japan)
First in both the short and free programs to win the gold medal was Alysa Liu of the USA with 222.97 points. Her short program to Laufey’s music saw her nail the triple flip-triple toeloop combination to resounding cheers from the crowd, followed up by a quality double axel and triple lutz. Her expressive step sequence was given 3s and 4s from the judges in GOE, and demonstrated a flowing grace which matches the music’s atmosphere. Her free skate to Donna Summer’s ‘MacArthur Park Suite’ was clean, opening with a quality triple flip and maintaining this level throughout the program. She skated with charisma and confidence, and was secure on all her jumping passes. The crowd’s deafening cheers as she neared the end of the skate all but drowned out the music, and they were on their feet before she had even finished her performance; it was a truly special moment.
Winning the silver medal was Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, with 217.98 points. Although she was fifth after the short program, she put out a phenomenal free skate. She came into the competition with the pressure of becoming a four-time world champion. In her short program, she popped her flip into a double, but amazingly added a triple toeloop onto the jump. Her ‘Chicago’ free skate has grown and developed over the season, and lets her foreground the unparalleled dynamism of her skating. She opened with her trademark double axel. Two of her jumping passes were marked for rotation. There were nice details of choreography in the ‘All That Jazz’ section, highlighting accents of the music. Sakamoto received a standing ovation from the audience.
In third place was compatriot Mone Chiba, with 215.24 points. She was second after the short program. She has had a very strong season, coming second at the Grand Prix Final, and put out an incredible short program. Although the triple toeloop in her jump combination was marked on the quarter, she was very strong elsewhere, and received high GOEs for her elements. Chiba has beautiful lines, and holds her positions and extensions. Her free skate to ‘Ariana Concerto’ had two jumping passes marked for rotation. The step sequence in her Donna Summer program got the crowd in Boston going. Chiba used the step sequence effectively to convey the sequence of piano notes, building up to the climax of the music with skill.
Isabeau Levito of the USA was third after the short program, but fourth overall. Her short program to ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is memorable, and works well to highlight the balletic allegiance of her skating. She had a clean program apart from an edge call on her lutz, and was rewarded strongly in PCS, where she received 34.06 points. Her step sequence was fun and jazzy, and her trademark spins were all level four quality. She displayed great transitions between and through elements as always in her ‘Liebestraum’ free skate. She fell from the opening triple flip-triple toe combination, but recovered for the following jumping passes and landed the remaining jumps. Her intricate, flowing step sequence was a highlight.
A favourite for the world title, Amber Glenn of the USA finished in fifth place. She was ninth after the short program, where she fell on the opening triple axel, which was also deemed as landed on the quarter. She retained focus, however, and nailed the following two jumping passes. She landed the triple axel in the free skate fully rotated, but popped the flip and axel in the second half of her program. Her step sequence and choreo sequence were emotive, and emphasised her musicality and performance skills.
Japan’s Wakaba Higuchi was sixth, just over a point behind Glenn. Her Dune short program is a memorable one this year. She opened with a double axel, and put out a quality triple lutz-triple toeloop combination to follow which received +1.43 GOE. She secured level fours in all spins and the step sequence, and skated with emphatic power, building up the dynamism over the course of the StSq. Her free program is to ‘Nature Boy’ and ‘Running Up That Hill’, and she demonstrated amazing musicality in the choreo sequence which she used to transition between the two pieces of music. She had a step out form the triple loop which was furthermore downgraded and a repeated jump, and she instead added the combination onto her following and final jumping pass, the triple flip. Her step sequence was outstanding, earning 4s and 5s from the judges, and is a moment where she really shines as a skater.
Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium was seventh in Boston. Her triple toeloop in her opening combination in the short program was marked as on the quarter, but she was solid everywhere else, and secured level fours in all the spins and step sequence: the details of choreography in her arms in the flying camel spin was notable. She delivered the ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Nocturne in D-Flat Major’ free skate with commitment and power. Three of her jumping passes were marked for rotation. Her choreo sequence and spin with which she finished the skate were standout.
Other notable skates included that from Estonia’s Niina Petrokina, who finished in eighth place. Her ‘Dune’ free skate highlights the power of her skating, and she delivers it convincingly. Haein Lee, of the Republic of Korea, was seventh after the short program but ninth overall. She had an edge call on the triple flip in her ‘Ave Maria’ short program, but was clean otherwise, showcasing her trademark big, expressive skating. Compatriot Chaeyeon Kim finished behind Lee. A podium favourite for many, Kim fell on the triple toe-loop in combination in the short program, and underrotated the element. She struggled with her second triple lutz in the free skate, which was judged as downgraded; she showcased a lovely spiral in the choreo sequence. Madeline Shizas of Canada put out the sixth-highest scoring short program, but was eleventh overall. Her ‘Lion King’ short program saw her land all her jumps cleanly, and she delivered a strong and detailed step sequence to ‘A Circle of Life’. Kimmy Repond of Switzerland was twelfth. She has great speed and ice coverage, and put out a clean short program. She struggled in the opening of her free skate, falling on both the triple lutz and triple flip, but was cheered on by the crowd in Boston and delivered a stronger skate thereafter landing all her other jumps. Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann was thirteenth. Her ‘Squid Game’ short program is a highlight this season, and the step sequence is especially strong, showcasing her great sense of rhythm and expressivity.
Click here to watch our recap livestream with Gabriella Papadakis and Kirsten Moore-Towers!
