Three-time ISU World Champion Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) ruled on home ice as the first competition day of the ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy in Osaka (JPN) concluded Friday with an eventful Women’s Short Program. 

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) on golden track 

Hot favorite Sakamoto dominated the Short Program, winning with almost 10 points to spare ahead of Kazakhstan’s Sofia Samodelkina and Young You of Korea. 

Top seed Sakamoto skated last and gave the home crowd what they wanted to see - a perfect performance to “Time to Say Goodbye” that featured a triple Lutz, triple flip-triple toe and difficult spins. When she finished with her layback spin, the crowd rose to give her a standing ovation. The 2022 Olympic bronze medalist picked up a season’s best score of 77.05 points.

Sakamoto had to battle her nerves to produce the spotless short routine. 

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) enjoyed a standing ovation for her stunning Short Program which gives her a lead of almost 10 points over her rivals. © ISU

“For today’s performance I was very satisfied. I was very nervous in practice I was nervous but during the performance I was able to keep calm,” she commented. 

“I was very nervous in practice yesterday and it continued to this morning. Then I got tired from that and I just stopped being nervous,” she shared with a laugh. “I also talked to a lot of people which helped me.”

The music choice was deliberate. “My choreographer Benoit Richaud chose the music for me,” Sakamoto explained. 

“This is the last season for me and I told him this. He said this might be the last season for me as an athlete but he thought it will be also the first step for my next career.”

Samodelkina produced a triple Lutz, triple flip-triple toe combination and intricate steps in her upbeat “Czardas” routine to set a new personal best of 67.75 points. 

“I am so excited to be here,” said Samodelkina, who debuts on the ISU Grand Prix at the senior level. 

Sofia Samodelkina (KAZ) set a personal best and lies in second place at her first ISU senior event. © ISU

“I was a little bit nervous, maybe because it was my first Grand Prix but I am so excited that I did my work so well. I talked with my coach Rafael [Arutiunian] and he told me: ‘If you do what you can, you can be second or third’ and I did my job.”

Samodelkina’s preparation leading up to this event was not easy.

“I got injured and I didn’t skate for two months,” she revealed. “I came to the USA to skate with Rafael only for 12 days.”

Performing to oriental music, You turned in a strong program as well, landing a triple Lutz-triple toe and a triple flip. The 2020 ISU Four Continents silver medalist posted a season's best with 67.66 points. 

Korean You, who had skated second out of the 12 women, did not expect to be in the top three at all, so much so that she returned to the hotel after her skate and had to rush back for the press conference. 

“I ran to the subway, now I am tired and feel like I had a second training,” she commented. 

Young You (KOR) claimed an unexpected third, rushing back for a press conference after leaving the venue after her early skate - a season's best. © ISU

“But I’m very happy, I can’t believe I’m third right now. Since my Short Program was pretty good I just want to skate tomorrow as comfortably as today and just enjoy the crowd and the competition. 

“I didn’t expect this situation [top three position] but it doesn’t really change my mindset for tomorrow. I don’t really care about the podium, I just care about how I skate. 

“I hope that I can skate as well as today and that’s my only goal.”

2024 ISU European Champion Loena Hendrickx (BEL) is on the comeback trail after missing the past season due to injury. She landed a triple Lutz-double toe combination but fell on her triple flip. Hendrickx is currently ranked fourth on 62.45 points. Ahsun Yun (KOR) came fifth (61.51 points) followed by Sarah Everhardt (USA) on 61.41 points. 

The schedule of the ISU Grand Prix Skate NHK Trophy is as follows:

Friday, November 7: Rhythm Dance, Pairs, Men’s & Women’s Short Programs
 Saturday, November 8: Free Dance, Pairs, Men’s & Women’s Free Skating
 Sunday, November 9: Exhibition Gala

ISU Grand Prix Standings

Check out who is on their way to qualify for the ISU Grand Prix Final:

Men                               Women                    Pairs                      Ice Dance

For full entry lists and further information regarding the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series please visit here.

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The schedules of each ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event are available below:

17 - 19 Oct 2025                      Grand Prix de France in Angers (FRA)

24 - 26 Oct 2025                      Cup of China in Chongqing (CHN)

31 Oct - 2 Nov 2025                Skate Canada International in Saskatoon (CAN)

7 - 9 Nov 2025                         NHK Trophy in Osaka (JPN)

14- 16 Nov 2025                        Skate America in Lake Placid (USA)  

21 - 23 Nov 2025                      Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki (FIN) 

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: 

4 - 7 Dec 2025                       Nagoya (JPN)