Grief-stricken Mao Asada rode a Christmas Day wave of emotion to come from behind and capture the women's title at the national championships Sunday, securing a berth at the world championships in Nice, France, in March in the process.
Courageously competing here in Osaka just weeks after the death of her mother Kyoko, the 21-year-old delivered a graceful, if not perfect skate, to beat Akiko Suzuki with a winning total of 184.07 points.
"I was skating in a different situation to normal and I wondered how things would turn out, but I managed to stay focused and I believed in myself," said Mao, who won her fifth overall national crown.