With less than three months of the Winter Olympics, Uno recalled vividly that he should be counted on in Beijing for gold, and that he was not the simple understudy of his compatriot Yuzuru Hanyu.
In the absence of the two-time defending Olympic champion, injured, Uno, Olympic runner-up in 2018, flew over the free skate with a score of 187.57 points.
In the final standings, he edged the American Vincent Zhou by more than 30 points with a new personal best (290.15 pts).
Winner of the first Grand Prix of the season, Skate America, Zhou this time completely missed his free skate (6th score) and narrowly retained his 2nd place (260.69 pts) ahead of the South Korean Cha Jun -hwan (259.60 pts).
Already in the lead after the short program, Japan's Kaori Sakamoto confirmed her dominance in the free skate to sign her second consecutive victory in the NHK Trophy, after 2020.
She was ahead with 223.34 points her compatriot Mana Kawabe (205.44 pts) who took second place in the final despite a free skate credited with the 4th score of the evening.
Third place went to the South Korean You Young (203.60 pts).
No surprise either as a couple: in the lead at the end of the first day, the Russians Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, reigning world champions, clearly won.
Mishina and Galliamov signed their second Grand Prix victory with a total of 227.28 points, ahead of their compatriots Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov (213.27 pts) and the Japanese Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (209.42 pts).
In dance, reigning Russian world champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov finished the weekend with a total of 215.44 points.
They signed their fourth Grand Prix success, ahead of Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, 2nd (210.78 pts) and Britons Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (3rd, 191.91 pts).
The rankings of the 2nd last day:
GENTLEMEN
Classification of the free program:
1. Shoma Uno (JPN) 187.57 points
2. Alexander Samarin (RUS) 171.33
3. Matteo Rizzo (ITA) 171.06
...
Final classification:
1. Shoma Uno (JPN) 290.15 points
2. Vincent Zhou (USA) 260.69
3. Cha Jun-hwan (KOR) 259.60
...
LADIES
Classification of the free program:
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) 146.78 points
2. You Young (KOR) 135.52
3. Alysa Liu (USA) 135.18
...
Final classification:
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) 223.34 points
2. Mana Kawabe (JPN) 205.44
3. You Young (KOR) 203.60
...
COUPLES
Classification of the free program:
1. Anastasia Mishina / Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) 144.88 points
2. Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov (RUS) 137.49
3. Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) 135.44
...
Final classification:
1. Anastasia Mishina / Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) 227.28 points
2. Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov (RUS) 213.27
3. Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) 209.42
...
DANCE
Classification of the free program:
1. Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) 129.11 points
2. Madison Chock / Evan Bates (USA) 124.76
3. Lilah Fear / Lewis Gibson (GBR) 115.48
...
Final classification:
1. Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) 215.44 points
2. Madison Chock / Evan Bates (USA) 210.78
3. Lilah Fear / Lewis Gibson (GBR) 191.91
...
© 2021 AFP