Three-time reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto led a Japanese podium sweep at Skate Canada on Saturday, locking up a second straight Canadian women’s title despite two falls in her free skate.
Sakamoto, who led 19-year-old American Alysa Liu after the short programme, looked a little tight during her jazzy free skate, falling on a Salchow jump and again on a triple flip while fighting to hang on to a few other moves.
But her second-best free skate score of 126.24 was enough for gold in the second Grand Prix event of the season in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
She finished with a total of 201.21 points, well ahead of compatriot Rino Matsuiki — who roared from 10th place with a sensational free skate that earned 139.85 points for a total of 192.16.
Japan’s Hana Yoshida was third with 191.37 points as Liu, in her first Grand Prix event since 2021, dropped …