FIGURE SKATING: Japan's Sakamoto on pace for fourth world title in Prague

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto surged into the lead in the women’s singles short program at the World Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday, putting her on course for a fourth world title in the final competitive event of her career.

The 25-year-old, who won a silver medal at last month’s Milano Cortina Olympics, delivered a polished performance to Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, earning 79.31 points. Fans were visibly moved by her routine.

Mone Chiba of Japan, fourth at the Olympics, scored 78.45 for second place, while American Amber Glenn heads into Friday’s free skate in third with 72.65. Olympic and world champion Alysa Liu was absent, as the Americans skipped the event due to a packed post-Games schedule. It is common for skaters to withdraw from the World Championships in an Olympic season after months of intense competition.

Sakamoto, who plans to pursue a coaching career after the worlds, was emotional in Milan after narrowly missing Olympic gold to Liu by less than two points. On Wednesday, she executed a clean triple Lutz, double Axel, and a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, celebrating when her season-best score was announced.

“Obviously it was a special season, and I was given this special song to skate to for this last season,” Sakamoto said. “I am very happy that I was able to put in 22 years of my skating career in this last, special season. I’m satisfied with my performance.”

If she wins, Sakamoto will become the first woman to capture four world singles titles since American Michelle Kwan won five between 1996 and 2003.

Glenn, 26, and a three-time U.S. champion, is seeking redemption after finishing fifth at the Olympics. She opened her program to Madonna’s Like a Prayer with a huge triple Axel, the only one landed in Wednesday’s competition.

“It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the worst,” Glenn said. “I feel like I put my heart into it and really stayed focused.”

In pairs, Olympic bronze medalists Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany took a narrow lead following the short program, ahead of Olympic silver medalists Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia. Hase and Volodin scored 79.78 to their routine El Abrazo, while Metelkina and Berulava earned 79.45 for Bolero. Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud were third with 75.52.

The pairs free program is scheduled for Thursday.

-Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar/Reuters