Asada takes control of Four Continents after short program

By Sportsbeat staff

OLYMPIC silver medallist Mao Asada holds a slender lead after the ladies' short program at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships as she bids to win back her title in Colorado Springs.

LEADING THE WAY: Mao Asada won the ladies' short program at the Four Continents in America

The 21-year-old had to settle for silver behind Miki Ando in Taipei last year - 12 months after winning gold for the second time - however her Japanese teammate hasn't competed all year and is not in attendance this time around.

And two-time world champion Asada is making the most of every minute of it posting a score of 64.25 to top the leader board by a slender margin after the short program.

Home hope and newly crowned US champion Ashley Wagner is the woman most on her tail after she was awarded a score of 64.07 with another Japanese skater not too far behind.

Former world junior champion Kanako Murakami is the third and final skater to have posted a score of over 60 points, recording 63.45 to keep things interesting ahead of the free skate.

Wagner's American teammate Caroline Zhang is fourth with 58.74 while namesake Kexin Zhang of China is the best of the rest in fifth with a score of 54.07.

© Sportsbeat 2012