Japan Open 2010

Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada fell twice but the host still won the Japan Open figure skating team event Saturday for the fourth time in five years.


Mao, Miki Ando, Daisuke Takahashi and Takahiko Kozuka combined for 517.36 points for Japan, 0.13 clear of second-place North America in the one-day meet at Saitama Super Arena. Evgeni Plushenko's Team Europe finished last with 460.11.

Takahashi landed a quad toe loop for the first time since he had right knee surgery two years ago and tallied 159.19 points, the second highest score among the male skaters.

On the women's side, Canada's Joannie Rochette had the best score of 122.71.

Mao was fifth out of six skaters, under-rotating her triple axel and earning just 92.44.

"I'm still too far away from what I want to do," she said. "But now I've skated my new program, so I'm sure I can improve by just doing what I do in training. My jumps will come back, too, if I work a little more."

Final Results

1 Team Japan 517.36
Takahiko KOZUKA JPN 150.71
Daisuke TAKAHASHI JPN 159.19
Miki ANDO JPN 115.02
Mao ASADA JPN 92.44

2 Team North America 517.23
Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 128.39
Adam RIPPON USA 166.63
Cynthia PHANEUF CAN 99.50
Joannie ROCHETTE CAN 122.71

3 Team Europe 460.11
Michal BREZINA CZE 134.90
Evgeni PLUSHENKO RUS 151.00
Sarah MEIER SUI 92.73
Julia SEBESTYEN HUN 81.48

Ladies - Free Skating Results
Pl. Name Nation TSS
= TES
+ PCS
+ Ded.
- StN.

1 Joannie ROCHETTE CAN 122.71 58.95 63.76 0.00 #6
2 Miki ANDO JPN 115.02 57.01 59.01 1.00 #2
3 Cynthia PHANEUF CAN 99.50 42.94 57.56 1.00 #3
4 Sarah MEIER SUI 92.73 39.81 52.92 0.00 #4
5 Mao ASADA JPN 92.44 37.28 57.16 2.00 #5
6 Julia SEBESTYEN HUN 81.48 30.50 50.98 0.00 #1

Men - Free Skating Results
Pl. Name Nation TSS
= TES
+ PCS
+ Ded.
- StN.

1 Adam RIPPON USA 166.63 84.27 82.36 0.00 #4
2 Daisuke TAKAHASHI JPN 159.19 73.47 85.72 0.00 #6
3 Evgeni PLUSHENKO RUS 151.00 67.50 83.50 0.00 #5
4 Takahiko KOZUKA JPN 150.71 73.99 77.72 1.00 #3
5 Michal BREZINA CZE 134.90 60.04 74.86 0.00 #2
6 Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 128.39 51.15 77.24 0.00 #1

Mao makes a lot of mistakes on her jumps I hope she can overcome it and ready for GP series. Besides the TES mistakes, I think this program suit her very well. It's way better than the last year program.