MONTREAL – Composure was key for Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, as she delivered a bravura free skate on March 22 to become the first woman in more than 50 years to win three straight titles at the Figure Skating World Championships.
The 23-year-old is the first woman since American Peggy Fleming in 1966, 1967 and 1968 to win three straight world golds, her triumph at the Centre Bell in Montreal capping an unbeaten 2023-24 campaign.
Two 17-year-olds completed the podium, with American Isabeau Levito taking silver and South Korean Kim Chae-yeon grabbing bronze, while Sakamoto’s charismatic routine packed with quality jumps had fans on their feet.
She earned 149.67 points for the free skate for a total of 222.96.
That put her more than 10 points clear of Levito, who was second after the short programme and second in the free skate to finish with 212.16 points.
“I was fourth in the short programme, so I was a little anxious about that, but today I was in a really good place emotionally,” Sakamoto, who earned bronze at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics before winning world golds in 2022 and 2023, told the crowd.
She said the key to her victory was maintaining her composure not only after catching an edge early in her programme but also as fans began to respond to her bold performance.
“I was able to calm down today. I was able to keep focused. I made sure I didn’t get carried away and skated with composure,” she added.
Kim, who was sixth after the short programme, took bronze with a total of 200.25 points as short programme leader Loena Hendrickx settled for fourth.
Levito said she was “in a state of shock” after completing her free skate.
“I had two goals coming into this world championship, getting on the podium and securing the third spot for the American women next year,” she said.
“I did both. It was extremely satisfying,” added Levito, whose result combined with teammate Amber Glenn’s 10th-place finish ensure the US will have three skaters at the 2025 worlds in Boston.
Earlier, Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States launched their ice dance title defence by topping the standings in the rhythm dance.
Chock and Bates, trying to complete their first undefeated campaign, received a season-best 90.08 points from judges.
The ice dance and men’s deciding free skates will be contested on March 23 – the events took place after press time.
Two-time reigning European champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbro of Italy, second at the 2023 worlds, were second in the rhythm dance with 87.52 points.
Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, third in last season’s worlds and winners in February’s Four Continents Championships at Shanghai, were third on 86.51 points.
Chock, 31, and Bates, 35, became partners in 2011 and are engaged to be married. This season, they have won Grand Prix events on home ice and in Finland, taken the Grand Prix Final and also captured their fifth US crown. AFP, REUTERS
