Ashley Wagner picked up from where she left off last season, topping the Skate America short program Friday night.
Wagner, the world championships silver medalist, tallied 69.50 points in the Grand Prix opener, landing all of her jumps in Hoffman Estates, Ill. She leads Japan’s Mai Mihara, who scored 65.75.
U.S. champion Gracie Gold fell on a triple flip. She’s in third place with 64.87. Full results are here.
“I had a hiccup on the triple flip,” Gold said. “Overall, it felt really good.”
Japan’s Mao Asada, a three-time world champion, was fifth after performing a triple-double jump combination rather than a triple-triple.