NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Japan's world champion Daisuke Takahashi triumphed at Grand Prix season-opening NHK Trophy here on Sunday.

Takahashi appeared last on the ice after finishing top in Saturday's short program. The 24-year-old delivered a passionate latin-flavored free skate to earn a total 234.79 points and finish way ahead of American Jeremy Abbott and Florent Amodio of France.

Abbot scored 218.19 and Amodio had 213.77, while Japanese junior world champion Yuzuru Hanyu and compatriot Takahito Mura placed fourth and sixth, respectively.

"The first half of the program was going well but in the second half I missed two jumps and there were some steps that didn't have enough speed," said Takahashi.

"There are still things that I need to improve. But for the first competition of the Grand Prix season I think I did relatively well," he said.

Takahashi is the only Vancouver Olympic medalist to skate in the Grand Prix event. His chief rival Evan Lysacek has decided to skip GP events.

By Mark Zeigler

Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 7:19 p.m.

Del Mar figure skater Rachael Flatt opens her competitive season today in Japan, and she's not exactly avoiding anyone.

Flatt is skating at the NHK Trophy in Nagoya, the first of six events in the Grand Prix series and almost certainly the one most loaded with talent. The reigning world and junior champions, Mao Asada and Kanako Murakami of Japan, are entered. So are fellow Americans Caroline Zhang and Ashley Wagner, making this a preview of the 2011 U.S. Championships.

Flatt, who trains in Colorado Springs but whose family is in the process of moving back to the San Diego area, was accepted to Stanford and deferred until the 2011 fall quarter. Instead, she'll remain in Colorado Springs and focus on competitive skating.

She has spent the offseason performing in exhibition tours and working on her artistry, the most criticized aspect of her skating. She also has renewed efforts to strengthen the back injury that has plagued her for much of her career.

Skaters can enter two Grand Prix events, and the top six in each discipline advance to the Grand Prix Final in December in Beijing, China. Flatt also is scheduled to compete at Skate America next month in Portland, Ore.

Universal Sports will show a delayed telecast of the ladies short program from Nagoya's Nihon Gaishi Arena tonight at 10:30 p.m. NBC will air the ladies free programs, also on a delayed basis, Sunday from 4-6 p.m.

Kim announced Tuesday that she'll train with Oppegard at East West Ice Palace in suburban Los Angeles, which is owned and operated by the family of former skating star Michelle Kwan.

"I feel like it's new motivation for me to move forward," Kim said through a translator.

Asked to say something in English, Kim appeared startled, then smiled and said, "I'm so glad to be training here in Los Angeles with my new coach and new skaters."

About 30 cameras from print and television — many representing South Korean media outlets — were on hand to capture Kim spinning on the ice under Oppegard's watchful eye. Wearing a gray hoodie with her dark hair in a bun, Kim spun flawlessly as younger skaters stopped to watch.

"She is very motivated and very driven," Oppegard said. "She reminds me in some ways of Michelle, who has a love of skating."

The 20-year-old Kim had been skating on her own at the rink in Artesia since last month while rehearsing for two shows last weekend with Michelle Kwan at Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Kim won the world title in 2009.

Two weeks ago, she and Oppegard began discussing the possibility of him coaching her. After seeing him at the rink, Kim recalled she first met Oppegard 10 years ago when she came to the U.S. to train at Lake Arrowhead, in the mountains east of Los Angeles.

"It was really great to see him again," Kim said. "He had a very calm and collected manner. He has a unique style of leading the skaters. He's going to help me in many areas, artistically as well as technically."

She'll begin working on her new short program with choreographer David Wilson of Canada in the middle of the month.

Kim said she and Oppegard have yet to discuss her competition schedule for the upcoming season.

Kim suddenly split with Orser in August after four years together and left her training base in Toronto, Canada, six months after he coached her to the Olympic title at the Vancouver Games.

Kim said living in Los Angeles was "much more convenient" and she already knew the area since she's been coming here to train for years.

"I need to be in an environment where the skating rink can support me," she said. "I think everyone in Korea understands why I have to be overseas."

Oppegard is working with Kim under a season-to-season contract.

"With all her successes, she's still interested in furthering her skating in all aspects," he said. "We'll be examining every aspect, from jumping to spinning to the overall fluidity of her style, which is world-renowned."

Oppegard and partner Jill Watson won the bronze medal in pairs skating at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. They were three-time U.S. national champions, and were inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2004.

Oppegard has overseen mostly pairs skaters during his coaching career. His most prominent individual skater was Angela Nikodinov, who made the U.S. team for worlds in 1997.

Among the pairs Oppegard has coached are: John Baldwin and Rena Inoue, Stephanie Stiegler and John Zimmerman, and Tiffany and John Stiegler.

Oppegard said he prefers coaching a solo skater.

"I find it easier," he said. "It will be a singular focus on Yu-na. I like the one-on-one challenge."