By Elaine Lies
NAGOYA, Japan (Reuters) – Nathan Chen of the United States overcame an error-filled program including a fall to win the men’s Grand Prix Final on Friday, beating hometown favorite Shoma Uno by half a point.
He took 183.19 in the free skate for a total of 286.51 to Uno’s 286.05.
“I’m extremely honored to be Grand Prix champion,” Chen said after an ambitious routine to “Mao’s Last Dancer” that included attempts to make at least five quadruple jumps.
Uno, who won the free skate with 184.50, fell on his first quad loop and pulled a face at the end of his routine. Russian Mikhail Kolyada finished third.
Earlier, Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond took a surprise lead in the short program in the women’s final but was less that half a point ahead of Russian teenager Alina Zagitova.
Osmond hit a seasonal best with 77.04 after her sultry, sassy routine to “Sous le Ciel de Paris” that had the audience at the packed arena in the central Japanese city of Nagoya clapping along.
“Overall, I’m really happy,” the 22-year-old Osmond told a news conference.
“I’ve been working really hard on my free program, especially in the last few weeks,” she added.
Zagitova, making her Grand Prix Final debut at the age of 15, skated a routine at turns lyrical and powerful to “Black Swan” but a mistake on a jump kept her score at 76.27.
“I was nervous first of all, but happy that I could win out over my nervousness,” she said.
Japan’s Satoko Miyahara was third on her comeback after an 11-month absence due to a hip injury.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies,; Editing by Ed Osmond)
