TOKYO, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two-time reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan skated a flawless short program at the ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy on Friday in Sapporo, Japan.
Hanyu, 24, successfully landed all his jumps, including a high quality quad salchow, a triple Axel and a quad toeloop triple toeloop. His sequence and spins were also smooth and beautiful. The Skate Canada champion scored 109.34 point to lead the men's SP.
"I'm relieved but I know I can be better, so I feel the need for more practice," Hanyu said.
Hanyu will take a 17.87-point lead over France's Kevin Aymoz into Saturday's free skate. Russia's Sergei Voronov was third with 88.63.
Earlier Friday, 16-year-old Russian Alena Kostornaia scored a world's best 85.04 in the ladies short program since the judging system was revised ahead of last season. Japan's Rika Kihira, winner of last season's Grand Prix Final, claimed 79.89 to take second. American Karen Chen placed third with 67.21.
In the pairs short program, China's reigning world champions Sui Wenjing/Han Cong took a solid lead with a personal best of 81.27.
Performing to 'Blues Deluxe', Sui/Han landed a side-by-side triple toeloop, triple twist, throw triple flip and collected a level four for the twist, the step sequence, the death spiral and reverse lasso lift. However, the side-by-side change foot spin garnered only a level two.
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro of Canada finished second with 71.21, while Russian pair Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov took third with 69.00.
In ice dance, four-time world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France took a confident lead in the rhythm dance with a new personal best of 90.03 points, becoming the first ice dance couple to break the 90-point barrier.
Russia's Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin ranked second, followed by Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy.
The NHK Trophy is the sixth and final event of the ISU Grand Prix series of the season. The top six qualifiers of the Grand Prix series in each discipline will proceed to the Final in Turin, Italy in December 5 to 8, 2019.
