Skate America 2018 - Ladies SP - Top 5 Highlights

Satoko Miyahara at her best
Photo: Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images North America

When I looked at the ladies entries for Skate America 2018, I didn't recognise most of them. I knew of course Satoko and Elena, but then unfortunately the Russian got injured and I was left with one of my two sure bets out.

Most of the skaters are new faces for me, so I was really excited to see the results. I became even more excited when I realised the top 5 ladies in the short programme are almost all skaters I'm either only a little familiar with or not at all.

Satoko Miyahara was pure grace from the beginning to the end. The choreography seemed to grow, as she started with a closed-in pose and finished in an open stance. Her dress was absolutely gorgeous. The song was Patricia Kaas' Song for the Little Sparrow. She made no mistakes whatsoever. Score: 73.86.

Kaori Sakamoto was lovely to watch. Her transitions were rougher around the edges than Satoko's, but then each skater has her own individual style. It did feel like Kaori needs to find hers, but in the meantime, this performance was really good. Score: 71.29.

Sofia Samodurova brought an entirely different attitude on ice, skating to Nyah from Mission Impossible 2. Loved the rose details on her gloves; they stood out beautifully during her spins. I could see a bit of Elena Radionova in her attitude on ice, which is a great compliment. Score: 64.41.

I was surprised to see Marin Honda skate to Seven Nations Army, which taught me a lesson about putting skaters in boxes. She did a great job and you could tell she really enjoyed the music. As the other ladies who are currently above her, she had no technical mistakes. Score: 62.74.

I don't think yesterday was Bradie Tennell's day, based on what I've heard about her. She singled out of the 3Loop and lost a bit of synchronicity with the music during the step sequence. She gained some speed afterwards, but still finished behind the song. Score: 61.72.

Will the rankings change after the final? They look pretty solid given how few mistakes the leading ladies made in the short, but we'll have to wait and see. One thing's for sure: the Japanese team are off to a terrific start.

Quote of the competition is:


Want to know what else happened at Skate America 2018?

Men Final

Pairs Final

Men SP

Pairs SP


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