Japan’s men delivered a statement performance at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Beijing, sweeping the top three spots in Saturday’s short program and putting the field under heavy pressure heading into the free skate.
Kao Miura led the charge with a season-best 98.59 points, edging out Kazuki Tomono (97.19) and Sota Yamamoto (94.68) to complete a clean Japanese podium lockout after the first segment. The short program standings were posted in the official results sheet here.
The one-two-three sweep mirrored Japan’s earlier dominance in the women’s event and underlined the country’s strong form as the sport moves deeper into the Olympic build-up. A recap describing Miura’s lead and Japan’s short program surge was published here.
Behind the Japanese trio, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan placed fourth, while China’s Jin Boyang and South Korea’s Cha Junhwan remained within striking distance ahead of the decisive free skate. The event schedule and ongoing competition updates are also listed here.
With scoring gaps still manageable, the men’s title is far from settled — but Japan’s early sweep has already turned the final day into a high-pressure chase for the rest of the field.