Mone Chiba was nervous.
After a stunning personal best put her atop the leaderboard following the short program at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya last month, the 20-year-old went into the free skate looking to win the biggest title of her career and lay down a marker for the Milano Cortina Olympics in February.
Skating last in front of a home crowd, she faltered.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.