NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) - World champion Shizuka Arakawa took a big step towards her first home victory by winning the women's short programme at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition.
Despite wearing new skates, the 22-year-old Japanese put in an immaculate performance to score 64.20 points for her routine set to the music of "Madame Butterfly".
Arakawa made no errors, starting with a combination triple lutz and triple loop and ending with a combination spin for 33.00 points for technical elements and 31.20 point for programme components.
Last year's world silver medallist Elena Sokolova of Russia was second with 52.98 points. World junior champion Miki Ando of Japan was third with 50.90 points with European silver medallist Elena Liashenko of Ukraine in fourth.
"I was very nervous because it was my first Grand Prix this season but it was good that I was able to concentrate until the end very well," said Arakawa, whose previous best at home was bronze in 2002.
"It was not in my mind at all today that I'm the world champion. I just tried to skate calmly, not thinking about anything else and not losing my concentration."
Sokolova said: "It was hard for me, because it was really hot and I was so tired, but actually I was satisfied with my programme, that was my first competition and I did pretty well. I was satisfied."
Ando, the first woman to complete a quadruple in competition, also said she was nervous but she enjoyed skating in front of her home crowd.
"Today I didn't have speed in my skating and my spins were a bit slow. I'm going to skate with more speed tomorrow and just enjoy my free skating," said Ando, 16.
In the ice dance, Russia's world champions Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, overnight leaders after the compulsory section, surrendered the lead to world silver medallists Albena Denkova and Mixim Staviski of Bulgaria who won the original dance.
Navka surprisingly lost her balance when the couple were stepping and they received only 18.20 points for technical elements for a total of 58.13.
Denkova and Staviski, defending champions here, scored 60.56 points for 100.36 total to take the lead with the French duo of Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder staying at third with 97.05 points.
The winners will be decided in the the free dance section on Saturday.

11/05/2004 - 11:30 GMT - AFP