Figure skating: Arakawa 1st, Asada 3rd after SP at national c'ships
December 24, 2005Former world champion Shizuka Arakawa skated flawlessly to take the lead after the women's short program Saturday at the figure skating national championships, while teenage sensation Mao Asada took third. Aiming for her first Olympic appearance since 1998, Arakawa collected 68.76 points at Yoyogi national gymnasium to take first place ahead of Fumie Suguri, who earned 67.30. Asada, who at 15 is ineligible to skate in the Turin Olympics in February, got 66.64 after her planned double axel ended up as a single axel.