While his top two rivals fell, Yuzuru Hanyu stayed on his feet and delivered the second-highest-scoring short program in history.
Hanyu, the Olympic and World champion in 2014, is in position to recapture the World title after tallying 110.56 points in the short program at TD Garden in Boston on Wednesday night.
Hanyu just missed his world record of 110.95 set at the Grand Prix Final in December, roaring twice after completing his skate at the first Worlds in the U.S. since 2009.
Hanyu carries a huge 12.04-point lead into the free skate Friday (9 p.