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Winner Mao Asada, center, second-placed, Akiko Suzuki, left, and third-placed Kanako Murakami, all of Japan, pose for photographers after the awarding ceremony of women\'s events of the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Osaka, Japan, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Japan’s Mao Asada leads Japanese sweep of the podium at Four Continents figure skating

OSAKA, Japan – Two-time world champion Mao Asada won the figure skating Four Continents on Sunday, leading a Japanese sweep of the podium.

After re-introducing her trademark triple axel in Saturday’s short program, Asada was downgraded on the jump in Sunday’s free skate but was solid in her other elements to finish with 205.45 points. Akiko Suzuki was second with 190.08 points while Kanako Murakami finished third with 181.03.

Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won the pairs event with a total of 199.18 points, edging compatriots Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch who finished with 196.78.

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch won Sunday’s free skate but couldn’t overtake Duhamel and Radford, who built up a lead in winning the short program.

U.S. champions Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir were third with 170.10 points.

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