Struggling Mao Asada got a huge confidence boost on Saturday when she secured the lead with a clean skate in the women's short program at the National Figure Skating Championships.
Mao, who is hoping to bounce back from a string of lackluster performances in a bid to win a spot to defend the world title in Tokyo next March, nailed her signature triple axel jump with fanfare en route to a score of 66.22 points.
"I finally was able to have a good performance," said Mao, who must make a podium finish here for any hope at one of the three world berths up for grabs.