Japan’s Sakamoto Wins Women’s Figure Skating Title at Depleted World Championships

Japan’s Sakamoto Wins Women’s Figure Skating Title at Depleted World Championships
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto celebrates winning the women's free skating with her gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier, France, on March 25, 2022. Juan Medina/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

MONTPELLIER, France—Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto claimed her maiden figure skating world title when she prevailed in the women’s singles event in a depleted competition at which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine still loomed large on Friday.

Sakamoto, a bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympics, finished ahead of Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx and American Alysa Liu, who were second and third respectively.