Sakamoto wins gold in Montreal to become 1st woman to 3-peat as world champion since 1968
CBC
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:
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:
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':
Eight straight losses to the Americans.
Canadian freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury earned the 100th World Cup victory of his career on Friday night.
Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee will name the Olympic women’s hockey team on Friday afternoon, less than a month before the Canadians open the tournament against Finland on Feb. 5.
In 2018, at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Pyeongchang, legendary ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir strapped on their skates for the final time at the Olympics.
Shekai Mills-Knight, a freshman running back for Ole Miss, will earn some attention Thursday night when his Rebels take on the Miami Hurricanes in an NCAA semifinal football game in Glendale, Ariz., but he first made news a decade ago as a grade-schooler deemed too big for the local little league.
Not so long ago, the prospect of two Canadians meeting in Italy’s Serie A would have seemed an unlikely turn. But on Tuesday night in Reggio Emilia, in the crisp, anxious minutes before the whistle blew and host Sassuolo dug in against Juventus, Ismael Koné and Jonathan David stood on opposite sides of the pitch, pretending not to know each other.
This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.
Nearing full health, Olympics is No. 1 goal for moguls legend Kingsbury over potential milestone win
Canadian freestyle skier and reigning Olympic silver medallist Mikaël Kingsbury says he’s almost at full health following a left groin injury as he prepares for a return to World Cup moguls this week in Val St-Côme, Que.
Zayne Parekh didn't have much interest in the high-water mark he had just surpassed.
Canada will play for bronze at the world junior hockey championship.
Chris Jones reports from Milan ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympics.
Cole Reschny tuned into the world junior hockey championship with his family growing up.
On the ice inside a rink in Etobicoke, Ont., where Team Canada was running its second Olympic training camp this past fall, head coach Troy Ryan skated over to Blayre Turnbull.