Figure skating: Sakamoto closes glittering career with fourth world title

PRAGUE - Japan's Kaori Sakamoto delivered the skate of her life to end her glittering career on the highest possible note, capturing a fourth world figure skating title on Friday in her final competitive appearance.

Sakamoto, who lost Olympic gold to American Alysa Liu last month by less than a point, did not put a foot wrong in earning career-best scores of 158.97 points for her free skate to Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" and 238.28 overall.

The 25-year-old, who plans to pursue a coaching career, broke down in tears when the music stopped.

"Today I tried not to cry, I was really trying hard not to cry but I heard so many people cheering for me and applauding me and when I saw that scene I couldn't help it," Sakamoto said.

"Today I actually didn't care about the results; of course I wanted to skate with no regrets and to do my best but there so many people supporting me and watching and I wanted to do my best for them."

Her longtime coach Nakano Sonoko told her "Just skate for us."

"I had a feeling I've done everything that I could and this is a really good way to end a career," Sakamoto said.

Japan's Mone Chiba won silver with a score of 228.47, while Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium scored 215.20 to climb from fifth after the short programme to win bronze in a field missing Liu.

Earlier on Friday, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France put themselves within touching distance of a first world title, leading after the rhythm dance as they cap a dazzling debut season.

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, the only newly minted Olympic champions competing in Prague across the four skating disciplines, scored a season's best 92.74 points for their routine to Madonna's "Vogue".

"It was magic," Cizeron said. "It is a crazy atmosphere at the rink, it gives me butterflies, first of excitement and then of gratitude for being here. We've delivered a beautiful performance, more relaxed than at the Games. The points followed."

Olympic bronze medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada head into Saturday's free dance in second place with 86.45, while Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson are third with 85.09.

Milan Olympic silver medallists and triple world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the US skipped this week's competition.

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron teamed up at this time last year, with both skaters having stepped away from competition.

Cizeron won five world titles with previous partner Gabriella Papadakis before she retired after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, while Fournier Beaudry had a long career for Canada and Denmark with previous partner Nikolaj Sorensen.

Their swift rise resulted in Olympic gold in Milan, making Cizeron the first ice dancer to win the title with two different partners.

Victory after Saturday's free dance in just their sixth competition together would make them the first ice dancers to win a world title in their debut season.

"We really wanted to benefit from the fact that it is the last time to perform this program," Fournier Beaudry said. "We are very pleased with what we've done on the ice together." —Reuters