CHANGING OF THE GUARD GLOBAL COMPETITION USHERS IN A NEW ERA

With the people responsible for all the turmoil and drama at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games not in attendance at the World Championships in Montpellier, the women’s competition had a refreshing aura surrounding it.

For the first time in years, quads and triple Axels did not dictate the conversation, but rather it was the quality of performances laid down by many of the competitors that made for an exciting event from start to finish.

A field of 33 took to the ice for the women’s short program. Skating third in the final flight, Kaori Sakamoto of Japan whipped through her routine, set to “Now We Are Free” from the “Gladiator” soundtrack, with impressive speed, reeling off a double Axel, triple Lutz, and a triple flip-triple toe combination. She racked up more points by earning solid Grade of Execution scores (GOE) for her Level 4 spins and footwork sequence.

The judges were also impressed with her presentation of the routine and awarded her high Program Component Scores (PCS) across the board. When Sakamoto’s score of 80.32 was posted —a personal best — her reaction in the kiss and cry was medal worthy in itself. It was the first time she