JAPAN

The highly anticipated All Japan Championships, which took place in Tokyo in late December, held a number of surprises in the singles disciplines.

While a trio of teenage ladies overtook the veterans to claim the podium steps, it was Shoma Uno who caused the upset of the competition with his victory over Yuzuru Hanyu in the men’s event.

With five ladies in the hunt for a podium finish and a trip to the 2020 World Championships on the line, the atmosphere inside Yoyogi Stadium was intense.

Though many stumbled and crumbled under the pressure, Rika Kihira, Wakaba Higuchi and the talented young junior, Tomoe Kawabata, rose to the occasion.

Kihira set the pace, winning the short program by a 3.87-point margin over Satoko Miyahara, with Kaori Sakamoto skating into third place.

But challenges in the free skate left a number of the top contenders far below the