Reigning world figure skating champion Kaori Sakamoto clinched her fourth consecutive and fifth national title overall Sunday, holding off a challenge from 16-year-old Mao Shimada with a near-perfect free skate.
The 24-year-old Sakamoto scored 149.76 points in the free program to win with a total of 228.68, qualifying for the world championships in March in Boston, where she will try to win for the fourth straight year.
Read full story here
