Montreal (Canada) (AFP) – French veteran Kevin Aymoz won the Skate Canada men’s title on Saturday, capturing his second grand prix title as short program leader Rio Nakata faltered. Aymoz overcame miscues on his opening quadruple toe loop and triple Axel to deliver a characteristically suave free skate performance that garnered 168.17 points for a winning total of 258.43.
Nakata, the two-time defending world junior champion, had led after the short program as he vied to capture gold on his senior grand prix debut. But the 18-year-old from Japan was fourth in the free skate, doubling two of his three planned quadruple jumps, to drop to second overall on 249.25 points. Estonia’s Mihhail Selevko was third on 248.66 after topping the final free skate.
Related news
Aymoz, 29, claimed his second grand prix title, having ended a long wait for his first at Skate America last year — eight years after making his grand prix level debut. Canada’s world bronze medallists Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud won pairs gold, finishing first in the free skate after topping the short program for a total of 202.17 points. Americans Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were second with 191.90 points, and Switzerland’s Oxana Vouillamoz and Tom Bouvart were third with 183.12 points.
Earlier Saturday, another Japanese teen, Mao Shimada, topped the women’s short program with a score of 82.11. Shimada, who celebrated her 18th birthday on Friday, also made an impressive entry to the senior Grand Prix ranks. The four-time Junior Grand Prix Final and World Junior Championships winner nailed a triple Axel as she finished in front of America’s 2024 world silver medallist Isabeau Levito, who tallied 78.50. Estonia’s Nina Petrokina was third on 71.95 heading into Sunday’s free skate.
Britain’s Lila Fear and Lewis Gibson, the 2025 world bronze medallists, led the way after the ice dance rhythm dance ahead of France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud and Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons.
© 2024 AFP
