Japan’s Rio Nakata leads Skate Canada after the short program, looking to become the first man to win his senior Grand Prix figure skating debut in more than four years.
Nakata, the world junior champion the last two seasons, scored 92.64 points despite putting his hands on the ice on a zero-point spin in Kelowna, British Columbia, on Friday.
He landed a quadruple Salchow-triple toe loop combination and a quad toe in his “Alive” short program.
He leads by 2.38 points over France’s Kevin Aymoz going into Saturday’s free skate (7:30 p.m., Peacock and NBCSN).
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The 18-year-old Nakata would be the youngest Grand Prix men’s singles winner since Ilia Malinin’s first full season on the circuit in 2022, when he won two starts at age 17.
Malinin also placed fifth at Skate America in 2020 at age 15, but that event held during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t fully international.
The last man to win his senior Grand Prix debut — regardless of the field — was Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who won in 2020 (domestic field) and 2021 (international).
Later Friday in pairs, world bronze medalists Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud of Canada skated a clean, 77.06-point short program, looking for their first Grand Prix win in three years.
They lead two-time U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov by a significant 6.74 points. Efimova and Mitrofanov can become the first U.S. pair to win a Grand Prix since Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier in 2022.
Skate Canada continues Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET with the women’s short, rhythm dance, men’s free skate and pairs’ free, all live on Peacock.
