Japanese figure skater Kazuki Tomono impressed with his best short program in over three years at the Skate America event. He leads the competition ahead of Kevin Aymoz from France and Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov. Meanwhile, Jason Brown of the U.S. ranked fifth in his first Grand Prix event of the season, trailing Italy’s Daniel Grassl.
In the pairs competition, Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava showcased a near-perfect performance to “Bolero,” extending their lead over Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara. Tomono, aiming for a spot at the Winter Olympics, delivered a strong program set to music by SOFI TUKKER, earning a season’s best score of 95.77 points.
Aymoz bounced back from a previous disappointing performance to secure second place with 93.56 points, while Shaidorov is vying for his first Grand Prix victory after earning 89.67 points. Grassl and Brown followed closely with scores of 83.68 and 82.69, respectively.
Brown, competing for a spot at the Milan Cortina Games, faced challenges during his program but showcased his signature footwork. Metelkina and Berulava, the Georgian pair, continued their success with a season’s best score of 78.83 points.
Miura and Kihara encountered difficulties with a side-by-side jump, placing them behind in the standings. The men’s and pairs medals will be decided on Saturday, with ice dance and women’s competitions concluding on Sunday at Skate America.