Osaka / Japan

World champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia overcame a fall to win her second Grand Prix gold medal at the NHK Trophy Saturday in Osaka. In a repeat of the Rostelecom Cup result, five-time European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy claimed the silver medal behind Medvedeva. Russia’s Polina Tsurskaya earned the bronze in her debut at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

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World champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia overcame a fall to win her second Grand Prix gold medal at the NHK Trophy Saturday in Osaka. In a repeat of the Rostelecom Cup result, five-time European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy claimed the silver medal behind Medvedeva. Russia’s Polina Tsurskaya earned the bronze in her debut at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

Medvedeva had to overcome a shaky start to her dramatic programme to ‘Anna Karenina’ when she fell on her opening triple flip and stepped out of the landing of the triple Lutz. However, the two-time world champion pulled herself together to produce a triple flip-triple toeloop and triple Salchow-triple toeloop combination as well as a triple loop, two double Axels and level-four spins and footwork.

The Russian champion scored 144.40 points for an overall total of 224.39.

“I am not satisfied with my free skating but I am glad that I did my triple flip-triple toe combination in the second half of my program," she said. "That was the best part of my program today. My main goal is always trying to do my best, not only for the result, but first of all for my soul.”

Kostner’s elegant and fluid performance to ‘Afternoon of a Faun’ by Claude Debussy featured a triple flip-double toe combination as well as three more triple jumps and exquisite spins and footwork.

However, the 2012 world champion doubled a toeloop and fell on a triple Salchow. She was ranked third in the Free Skating on 137.67 points, but held on to overall second place on 212.24 points.

“It is amazing to skate in Japan where you feel this love for our sport," she said. "It is always a great motivation and inspiration.

“As for my performance, I made two mistakes today, actually on easier elements, which is too bad. But mistakes happen and show you where some work is needed.”

Tsurskaya laid down a clean programme to 'Nocturne in F Minor Op. 55' by Chopin and ‘Song for the Little Sparrow’, reeling off seven clean triples, including a triple Lutz-triple toe combination and difficult spins and steps.

The 2016 Youth Olympic Games champion set a new personal best in the Free Skating with 140.15 points and was second in that segment of the event. Overall she remained in third place at 210.19 points.

“My performance was very good for today but we will continue to work," the 16-year-old said. "I will go back home and prepare for my second Grand Prix Skate America. We want to fix the issues I had and I hope to skate better and get more points."

Mirai Nagasu (USA) under-rotated her triple Axel but landed six clean triples to move up one spot to fourth place (194.46 points). The 2015 world silver medallist Satoko Miyahara (JPN) finished fifth in her comeback after missing the World Championships in March due to injury (191.80 points). Alena Leonova (RUS) completed the top six on 190.95 points.

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series consists of six events and culminates in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Nagoya, Japan, in December. The top six skaters/couples in each discipline qualify for the final. The global prize money for the Grand Prix is US $ 272,000.

Full entry lists and results of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017/18 are available here. Follow the discussion on social media by using#GPFigure #FigureSkating.