Three-time reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto led a Japanese podium sweep at Skate Canada on Saturday, locking up a second straight title at the event despite two falls in her free skate.

Sakamoto, who led 19-year-old American Alysa Liu after the short program, looked a little tight during her jazzy free skate, falling on a salchow jump and again on a triple flip while fighting to hang on to a few other moves.

But her second-best free skate score of 126.24 was enough for gold in the second Grand Prix event of the season in Halifax, Nova Scotia.