Japan enjoy successful day with five medals in NHK Trophy

Japan stretched their lead at the top of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating medal table after claiming five medals at the NHK Trophy in Sapporo.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the first of two golds for Japan in the pairs event with an astonishing score of 216.16 points, adding 137.91 points in Saturday's free skating to 78.25 points in short program.

That saw the Japanese duo finish comfortably ahead of Americans Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe and Canadian pair Brooke McIntosh and Benjamin Mimar with 187.49 and 175.65 points respectively.

In the women's event, Yelim Kim won a first gold of the season for South Korea despite Kaori Sakamoto's free skating score of 133.80, finishing top of the podium with 204.49 total points.

Sakamoto finished second to secure silver for Japan, with compatriot Rion Sumiyoshi winning bronze.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen took gold for Canada in Ice Dance, just edging out Madison Chock and Evan Bates despite their one-point deduction.

Caroline Green and Michael Parsons secured bronze for USA, finishing some way behind the top two.

There was a one-two for Japan in the men's event, with Shoma Uno easing to victory after a remarkable free skating score of 188.10 saw him finish over 20 points clear of Sōta Yamamoto.

Cha Jun-hwan finished third for South Korea to prevent a Japanese clean sweep with Kazuki Tomono finishing fourth.

Japan now sit top of the medal table with 14 medals, including seven golds, with USA on four gold medals and Canada on three ahead of the final two events of the season in Estonia and Italy.