Kaori Sakamoto of Japan is the first women’s figure skater to three-peat as world champion since American Peggy Fleming from 1966 to 1968.
Sakamoto captured gold again Friday at the Bell Centre Montreal, climbing from fourth place after the short program to the top of the podium with a near-flawless performance.
The 23-year-old led the pack by more than 10 points in the free program to finish with 222.96 points and earn a standing ovation from the 6,000 fans on hand.
Isabeau Levito of the United States — a 2022 world junior champion — claimed silver (212.16) for her first medal at a senior worlds. Chaeyeon Kim of South Korea took bronze (203.59).
WATCH l Sakamoto captures 3rd straight title:
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Kaori Sakamoto of Japan claims gold in the women’s competition at the World Figure Skating Championships. Sakamoto is the first woman to win three straight world titles since Peggy Fleming in 1968.
Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx placed first in the short program Wednesday, but slipped to fourth after missing her rotation on a double lutz, triple-toe loop combination and subsequently falling on a triple flip.
Madeline Schizas of Oakville, Ont., was 18th (171.78). Schizas needed a top-10 finish to earn Canada a second women’s spot at next year’s worlds.
Earlier Friday, defending ice dance champions and 2022 Olympic gold medallists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States finished first with a season-best 90.08 in the rhythm dance. Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri were second (87.52) ahead of Toronto’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont.
WATCH l Gilles, Poirier earn 86.51 points in rhythm dance:
With a score of 86.51, Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier sit in third place after the rhythm dance program at the World Championships in Montreal.
Gilles and Poirier won their second world championship bronze last year.
Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Saint-Hubert, Que., posted a season-best 83.20 while skating to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to rank fifth.
Competition ends Saturday with the free dance and the men’s free program.
Watch live coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
WATCH l Gilles, Poirier base their free dance on ‘Wuthering Heights’:
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Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier discuss the reasons for basing their free dance program on the 19th century book, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë. Poirier says the book explores the themes of love and hate which can sometimes drive people into insanity.
Allegations against Soerensen persist
The sexual assault allegations against Canadian-Danish ice dancer Nikolaj Soerensen overshadowed the rhythm dance competition Friday at the world figure skating championships.
In January, USA Today reported an American figure skating coach and former skater accused Soerensen of sexually assaulting her in Hartford, Conn., in 2012. Soerensen has denied the allegations, which have not been proven in court.
USA Today further reported Thursday that the attorney for Soerensen’s complainant, Nancy Hogshead, said comments made by the ice dancer on March 6 in Montreal amount to “retaliation” against the complainant and should have been grounds for his suspension from the world championships.
“When something like that comes out in the media, the damage is kind of done and I think that was the intention more than anything,” Soerensen said about the allegations at the time.
WATCH l Stellato-Dudek hopes historic comeback win inspires others:
Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps captured gold in the pairs competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal. At 40, Stellato-Dudek is now the oldest woman to win a world title in the sport’s history and hopes her win inspires others to pursue their passions at any age.
The USA Today article also cites the complainant, who said via text message she’d hoped the case would remain confidential.
Soerensen said on Friday he was “not aware at all” of the recent comments from the complainant and her lawyer.
The case is now in the hands of Canada’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, which opened in 2022 to be an independent handler of abuse reports and complaints in federally-funded sports organizations.
Skate Canada chief executive officer Debra Armstrong said on March 6 the federation did not consider leaving Soerensen off the Canadian team because he and Fournier Beaudry qualified through the selection criteria.
Earlier Friday, ISU president Jae Youl Kim said “we respect the presumed innocence and the decision Skate Canada has made to enter Mr. Soerensen.”
Source Agencies
