In front of her audience, the 22-year-old made an irreproachable program, chaining technical difficulties with serenity and energy on Janet Jackson titles.

The Beijing Olympic bronze medallist, the favorite of the competition in the absence of the Russian skaters, was rewarded with a score of 79.24 points, her best this season.

She is more than five points ahead of Korea's Lee Haien (73.62 pts), who arrived in Japan with confidence after her victory at the Four Continents Championships in February. Another Japanese, Mai Mihara (73.46 pts), completed the provisional podium before the free program on Friday.

Belgium's Loena Hendrickx, last year's world runner-up in Montpellier, took fifth place with 71.94 points, penalized by a fall on a combination of triple jumps.

"I was quite calm today and I was able to skate like in training," Sakamoto said. "For the free skate, I want to keep that focus until the end and hopefully finish with a perfect performance."

The only Frenchwoman in contention, Lorine Schild, 18, finished in 25th place with 54.35 points, a ranking insufficient to allow her to compete in the free skate.

- Miura and Kihara in front -

The host nation also took the lead in the pairs event, beaten by Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara at the end of the short program.

The Japanese made a near-perfect copy rewarded with a score of 80.72 points - a new record for the Japanese couple, recent winners of the final of the Turin Grand Prix and the Four Continents Championship.

Riku Miura and partner Ryuichi Kihara during the short program at the World Skating Championships on March 22, 2023 in Saitama. The Japanese couple, carried by their public, set a new personal best after an almost perfect © performance Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP / Archives

The reigning world champions, Americans Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, are relegated to second place with a clear gap (74.64 points), followed by the Italians Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (73.24 points).

"We had set ourselves the goal of reaching 80 points for the short program this season, so we are really super happy to be able to achieve it in the final competition" of the season, said Ryuichi Kihara.

A mistake during a routine jump cost Knierim and Frazier dearly on Wednesday. "It's the kind of mistake that doesn't happen often, but sometimes when it happens, it can be a little disturbing," Frazier said.

The American couple refuses to abdicate but will imperatively make a big performance Thursday during the free program. "Anything is possible," Knierim said.

Brandon Frazier, hand on the ice, and Alexa Knierim on March 22, 2023 during the short program of the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama. This mistake has cost the American couple, who still want to believe before the free © program Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP / Archives

On the French side, Camille and Pavel Kovalev occupy after this short program the 13th place (61.07 pts), Oxana Vouillamoz and Flavien Giniaux the 16th (58.12 pts).

In the absence of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, five-time world champions and 2022 Olympic ice dance champions, the best chance of a French medal rests on the shoulders of Adam Siao Him Fa who enters the competition on Thursday.

Classification of the women's category after the short program:

1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) 79.24 points

2. Lee Haien (KOR) 73.62

3. Mai Mihara (JPN) 73.46

4. Isabeau Levito (USA) 73.03

5. Loena Hendrickx (BEL) 71.94

...

25. Lorine Schild (FRA) 54.35

Ranking of the pairs event after the short program:

1. Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) 80.72 points

2. Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) 74.64

3. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA) 73.24

4. Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN) 72.81

5. Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe (USA) 70.23

...

13. Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev (FRA) 61.07

16. Oxana Vouillamoz/Flavien Giniaux (FRA) 58.12

© 2023 AFP