Figure skating-Japan's Sakamoto tops short programme, Miura and Kihara shine

Figure Skating - World Figure Skating Championships - Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan - March 22, 2023 Japan's Kaori Sakamoto performs during the women short program REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

SAITAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Kaori Sakamoto produced a near-flawless display to lead the field after the women's short programme at the figure skating world championships in Saitama, Japan on Wednesday with a season's best score of 79.24.

Skating to "Rock With U" by Janet Jackson, the 22-year-old from Japan nailed her routine that included a double axel and a triple Lutz to move ahead of Lee Hae-in (73.62) and training mate Mai Mihara (73.46) with Friday's free skate to follow.