Wakaba Higuchi won the women’s title at Skate America on Saturday, securing a Japanese one-two finish alongside Rinka Watanabe in the first figure skating grand prix event of the season.
American Isabeau Levito, who led after the short program, made several mistakes, including a fall on a triple Lutz, dropping to third place. Higuchi, who had been in fourth after the short program, surged to victory with a strong free skate performance.
Higuchi, a 2022 Olympic team silver medalist, made a remarkable comeback after missing the 2022-23 season due to a stress fracture, finishing with a total score of 196.93 points.
