Los Angeles (AFP) - Lee Hae-in surged from sixth place with a near-flawless free skate to win the women's title at the Four Continents figure skating championships in Colorado Springs on Friday.
Lee, 17, became the first South Korean woman to lift the title at the competition for non-European countries since Kim Yu-na in 2009.She edged compatriot Kim Ye-lim, who led after the short programme but was third in the free skate to finish second.
America's 15-year-old national champion Isabeau Levito, who was second after the short programme, withdrew shortly before the free skate because of illness.
Lee garnered a personal-best 141.71 points for her free skate to soar up the standings with a total of 210.84 points.
Kim earned silver with a total of 209.29 points and Japanese teenager Mone Chiba, seventh after the short programme, was second in the free skate to take bronze with 204.98 points.
After earning silver at last year's Four Continents, Lee said that this time around she "tried to not think about the final result, to focus on my training process."
"I think I did well," added Kim, who was shut out of the medals in two Grand Prix stops this season.
The Four Continents marks the final major event ahead of next month's World Championships in Saitama, Japan.
Japan's Kao Miura takes the lead into Saturday's men's free skate after topping Thursday's short programme by five points over Canadian Keegan Messing.
Miura bobbled his opening quadruple Salchow but completed a triple Axel and quad toe-triple toe combination in his short programme and said his aim is to maintain the momentum in the free skate, something he struggled to do in Grand Prix competition, even though he claimed silver medals at Skate Canada and Skate America.
Reigning world silver medallists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan topped the pairs standings after Friday's short programme, ahead of Canadians Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, two-time Four Continents champions, held a narrow ice dance lead after the rhythm dance.Canadians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen were in second, ahead of compatriots Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha.
