Overview
- Tomono scored 95.77, his season best, to take the lead in the men's short program at Skate America in Lake Placid.
- He described the event as a chance for “revenge” and said he skated with calm confidence after agreeing with coach Daito Hiraike to take an all-out approach.
- Managing quicker-than-expected ice, he dialed back takeoff power to control a 4T–3T combination and also landed a quad salchow.
- The performance drew escalating applause that ended in a standing ovation as he punched the air at the close.
- Tatsuya Tsuboi is sixth on 77.68 after an opening quad toe fall, and the free skate is Saturday local/Sunday in Japan, with a Tomono victory reported to secure a Grand Prix Final berth in Nagoya on Dec. 4–6.