NAGAOKA / MORIGUCHI (JPN) | Pairs Free Skating | 2025 – Beijing

You're stressed already, aren't you? It's just... Calm down there, boy. Calm down. This is such a big deal for these people. I know. You're sitting and talking to this crowd. I want them all to skate cleanly. That's the desperation. So do I. Here we go. Our first team representing Japan, Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi. And Yuna and Sumitada skate to the Tree of Life suite. Yuna is Mother Nature, and Sumitada embodies the grandeur of nature itself. You'll just see marking through the takeoff of the triple loop, which caused the problems in the short program for Yuna. That'll be the second element. Out of 11 elements, four of them were in the minus GOEs. The reason I say that is what's unusual about this team, or what's excellent about this team, as all Japanese skaters have incredible skating skills. So even though there were some small mistakes there, you never felt that the program deteriorated. They had some struggles, but they kept the flow, and they pick up acceleration and speed so quickly, so effortlessly. It's amazing. Yeah, truly the testament to the program component scores and the skating skills which have been instilled in them from an early age as single skaters as well. Yeah. And that the fallback that they've got, despite the mistakes made. What I really sense in this team is the support from Sumitada to Yuna. She acknowledged after the short program that she was understandably very nervous. She said Cathy Reed had helped her a lot. And coping with those nerves. But I also feel like Sumitada, even through the performance, he was so mindful of her. There was an Ina Bauer transition, and he had to deviate and pull his. Yes, I saw that. Always looking, always mindful. But they were always at the same speed. Like you never felt one was lagging behind. Those skating skills kept the team together throughout this program, and that was extraordinary, especially when they're struggling a little bit. It's amazing. The quality that will be reflected in the skating skills component score from the judges. And that is the highest of their three component scores thus far. As they greeted the coaches that they moved to this season, who they have acknowledged have helped them a lot. And they have made huge strides. Here's the triple twist. That's just a level two. So missing two out of the four features that catch was probably a problem. Now, we saw her triple loop in warm-up. I was busy yammering away in warm-up, and she showcased this gorgeous triple loop double axel for competitions that increase pressure. Yeah, she had it. She missed it in the short, and I think that's in her head a little bit there, but gets right back up into it. Double axels at the end. Five, axel lift. Look at the speed across the ice. What great flow he has. You don't see snow. He's not on his toe picks. He just keeps those running edges. Yeah, they're fast becoming a team with a reputation for some amazing ice coverage in the lifts. Yeah, and there is that triple sackle. The hands go down. You see an overhead shot of the lift here. So much going on. The stability below has to be continued flow, no change of speed, and she has to stay absolutely still in her positions. And that part of the core, this choreography here, just testament to all of the endless hours of work that are done both on and off the ice, the way in which Yuna Nagaoka holds her body there, proof that I'm sure there's going to be a lot of ballet work done in advance of what we see now at the Olympic qualifier. So, 126.50 is their personal best. They're going to fall short of that, but all they need is a 106.75 to take the lead in the free. They have 115.98. That is first in the pre-program with a total competition score of 178.66. They take the lead, three teams to come. They just need to beat one to make the Olympics.