The Japan Times - Teen Nakai leads favourite Sakamoto at Grand Prix de France

Nakai, 17, competing in her first season on the senior circuit, nailed a triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe combination to earn a personal best 78.00 points thanks to her flawless performance to Nino Rota's La Strada.

"Having moved up from juniors to seniors, I was looking forward to skating with many great skaters on this very big stage," said Nakai, who chose Italian-themed music along with many of the skaters before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

"I was not surprised with how I did, but when my score came up I was so happy that I jumped up."

Going into Saturday's free skate, she is 1.8 points ahead of Sakamoto, a former three-time world champion who has been undefeated on the Grand Prix circuit for two seasons.

Sakamoto, 25, earned 76.20 points for her performance to a 'Time To Say Goodbye' by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli which included a triple flip-triple toe combination, triple Lutz and intricate footwork.

"Six years ago, my experience at the Grand Prix in France was a bitter one," said 2022 Olympic bronze medallist Sakamoto, who placed fourth then.

"Today coming back I was a bit nervous, tight even. There were times where I came close to making a mistake. Nevertheless, I still got a very high score and I am pretty pleased with it."

American Isabeau Levito, skating to the voice of Sophia Loren in an elegant red rhinestone outfit, took third place with 73.37 points with Japan's Rion Sumiyoshi fourth. South Korea's Kim Chae-yeon fell on a triple flip and is sixth.

- Japanese lead pairs -

In the pairs competition, Japan's reigning world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara grabbed the lead with their short programme to the Rolling Stones' 'Paint It, Black'.

Miura and Kihara scored 79.44 points, finishing ahead of Canadians Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, the 2024 world champions, who scored 74.26 points for their skate to Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. The pairs free skating final takes place on Saturday.

The French Grand Prix marks the start of the international figure skating season, less than four months before the Winter Games.

The competition in Angers continues on Saturday with US two-time world champion Ilia Malinin opening his Olympic season.

The quadruple-jumping 20-year-old is favourite to follow retired fellow American Nathan Chen onto the top of the Olympic men's podium.

In France, Malinin will be up against home hope Adam Siao Him Fa, a three-time winner in Angers and former world medallist. Malinin has been undefeated in competition since coming second to Siao Him Fa in Angers in 2023.

Reigning Olympic ice dance champion Guillaume Cizeron, now partnered with Canadian Laurence Fournier Beaudry, will also compete in Angers.

Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri are also on the ice in western France along with Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, the world ice dancing bronze medallists.

Skaters compete in two of the six-leg series with the top ranked qualifying for the Grand Prix Final, which this season is set for Nagoya, Japan, from December 4-7.

M.Yamazaki--JT