Rio Nakata leads after the short program: Kevin Aymoz remains second ahead of the free skate

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Rio Nakata leads after the short program: Kevin Aymoz remains second ahead of the free skate.

The 18-year-old Rio Nakata won the short program at the Skate Canada International. The Japanese figure skater therefore leads after the first part of the competition. For Kevin Aymoz’s fans, the news is initially ambiguous: the 29-year-old French skater from Grenoble also achieved a strong placing, but is still one position behind Nakata.

The decisive assessment of the first stage of the competition is now clear: Nakata leads, Aymoz is second. Both athletes still have their free skate ahead of them. Following the short program on Friday, October 30, 2026, the second part takes place on Saturday.

Why this interim result matters to French elite skating is obvious. After starting in second place, Aymoz faces a direct rival whose program strength is already evident. At the same time, his own performance is sufficient to continue fighting for a placing in the free skate. The final ranking will be decided only after the next performances.

Rio Nakata takes the lead in the short program

Program strength

Ouest-France reports that Rio Nakata “dominated” the short program at Skate Canada International and took the lead. The French sports newspaper L’Équipe confirms the same ranking: the Japanese skater finished first, with Kevin Aymoz second.

According to Ouest-France, Nakata is only 18 years old and is described there as a “Japanese wunderkind.” L’Équipe also highlights his title as two-time junior world champion. Both details contextualize his success without claiming more than the reports support: before Skate Canada, he had already been spoken of as an internationally successful junior skater.

For the sporting assessment, the clear order is especially important. Nakata stands at the top after the short program, with Aymoz immediately behind him. Neither source provides scores or detailed rankings. An assessment of individual elements would therefore not be supported by the available information.

Kevin Aymoz preserves his chance of reaching the podium

p>Second place

According to L’Équipe, Kevin Aymoz finished second at Skate Canada during the night from Friday to Saturday. The French newspaper describes him as being from Grenoble and gives his age as 29. The focus therefore also turns to domestic French figure skating, represented by Aymoz.

At the same time, his position is entirely realistic: he stands behind Nakata but still has the free skate ahead of him. It is precisely this situation that makes second place an interim result rather than a final one. The Ouest-France report explicitly states that Aymoz is second ahead of the free skate on Saturday—a formulation that deliberately leaves the remaining competition open.

A direct comparison of the performances is possible from the sources only at the level of placing. Both media outlets place the Japanese skater ahead of the French skater. The reports do not say whether or why Aymoz can close the gap in the free skate, or whether Nakata can once again dominate more clearly.

The second part will decide the final ranking

Saturday and the free skate

After both programs, the final standings will be determined. Until then, the available reports mainly provide a clear interim situation: Rio Nakata enters the second stage of the competition as the leader, while Kevin Aymoz starts from second place. The remaining time gives both of them an opportunity to change their positions.

Anyone following the live coverage from the French competition should therefore focus less on a final result that has already been decided than on the development of the second program. That is where the decisive sporting phase begins: Can Aymoz close the gap, and can Nakata maintain his lead? The sources deliberately do not yet provide an answer to this question.

What the interim result means for France

Skate Canada is no neutral comparison for Kevin Aymoz: with second place immediately behind a two-time junior world champion, the 29-year-old French skater from Grenoble has achieved a position that deserves attention. At the same time, his gap to Nakata is large enough to signal not only a successful result but also a possible top performance.

For a reliable assessment, one important limitation remains: the two reports contain no scores, no detailed rankings and no final result from the free skate. What can be said is the situation heading into Saturday. Everything else must still be determined by the competition itself.

You can find the full reports at Ouest-France and L’Équipe. There you will find the latest news from Skate Canada.