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Monday October 16, 5:29 PMFigure skating: Mao Asada helps Japan to Campbell's Cup win(Kyodo) _ Mao Asada achieved the highest mark in the free skate to help Japan win the women's team event at the U.S. Figure Skating Campbell's Cup on Sunday.Asada, winner of the prestigious Grand Prix Final last December, teamed up with elder sister Mai and Miki Ando in her first international event in the new season as Japan prevailed over the United States in a competition between the two sides. The Japanese women collected a total of 282.20 points to 269.03 for the U.S. team that featured reigning world champion Kimmie Meissner and Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen. "I didn't do well on a planned triple axel for the first time in a while in a competition, and I hadn't got this nervous," Mao Asada said, referring to her free skate that collected 115.36 points. "I think the rest of my jumps were good but my spins were off. Now I'm hoping that I'll finish strong in the upcoming Grand Prix series," she added. The 16-year-old former world junior champion became a sensation last year on her international debut at senior level, becoming only the second Japanese winner in the Grand Prix Final. However, she was not allowed to skate in this year's Winter Olympic Games in Turin due to the age limit. Japanese compatriot Shizuka Arakawa won the gold in Turin in women's figure skating. On Sunday, Ando, who was 15th in Turin, outperformed Cohen in the short program and received 63.57 points. "It was part of my preparations for the new season and I'm quite satisfied with what I did today, although it wasn't 100 percent," Ando said. "It was nice to test my short program ahead of the Skate America in two weeks' time." In the men's event, the Japanese team of Nobunari Oda, Daisuke Takahashi and Kensuke Nakaniwa got 327.08 points and finished behind the United States, which earned 350.01. In the one-day event in Cincinnati, two of three members on each team each performed in the free skate while the other skated in the short program. |
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