Kao Miura wins Grand Prix Espoo figure skating title to book a place at the finals

Japanese figure skater Kao Miura edged past his teammate Shun Sato to win his first figure skating Grand Prix title on Saturday in Espoo, Finland, and book a place in next month's finals.

Miura and Sato each landed three quadruple jumps in the free skate at Grand Prix Espoo, with Sato scoring slightly higher. Miura's three-point advantage from Friday's short program helped him hold on to win with a total 274.56 points to Sato's 273.34.

It's the first career Grand Prix series win for Miura, who won the world junior title and Four Continents Championship gold last season.

WATCH | Men's free program full-event replay:

Live coverage of the event continues on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.

Kevin Aymoz of France recovered from a poor short program to take the bronze Saturday, rising from fifth to third to finish on a total 250.03. Jimmy Ma of the United States had been in third place after the short program but a fall and other errors in his free skate dropped the 28-year-old from New York to 11th overall.

In the other events later Saturday, world champion Kaori Sakamoto leads the women's competition after the short program, Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States lead the ice dance. 

Skating to a medley of music by Queen, the Americans hold nearly a three-point advantage over Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal entering the free dance.

Chock and Bates are unbeaten in 2023 and need a top-three finish Saturday to ensure a spot at the Grand Prix Finals next month in Beijing.

Toronto's Brooke McIntosh and Benjamin Mimar of Terrebonne, Que., placed seventh of eight pairs after the free program with 147.27 points.

Germany's Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin, who were third after the short program, won