MOSCOW — Miki Ando of Japan won the world figure skating championships after overcoming Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-na on Saturday.
The victory by the Japanese skater, who also won at the 2007 worlds, was fitting in a competition that was originally scheduled in her homeland before it was hit by an earthquake and tsunami in March.
For the United States, Alissa Czisny finished fifth in the free skate and overall standings, while Colorado Springs’ Rachael Flatt was 12th overall.
After her program, Flatt revealed she had recently learned she has a stress fracture in her right tibia.
“I tried to do the best I could,” Flatt said, “but unfortunately it wasn’t very good, and it certainly wasn’t close to my best.”
In ice dance, Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the first world gold for their country in the discipline, outpointing 2010 champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada. The American sister-brother team of Maia and Alex Shibutani won bronze.
Watson, Simpson share lead
AVONDALE, La. — Bubba Watson made a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 2-under-par 70 and a share of the third-round lead with Webb Simpson at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Simpson had five straight birdies in a 67 to match Watson, who has had at least a share of the lead after all three rounds, at 12-under 204.
• Sixteen-year-old Alexis Thompson shot a 5-under 67 to share the lead with Song-Hee Kim (70) at 7-under 209 heading into the final round of the Avnet LPGA Classic in Mobile, Ala.
• Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, struggled in his PGA Nationwide Tour debut, shooting a 15-over 87 at the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta to miss the cut by 27 strokes.
Force closing in on NHRA record
BAYTOWN, Texas — John Force moved within one of NHRA pro stock great Warren Johnson‘s No. 1 qualifying record by racing to his third consecutive top spot at the NHRA Spring Nationals.
Force earned the 137th No. 1 of his funny car career. The other top qualifiers are Tony Schumacher (top fuel), Ronnie Humphrey (pro stock) and LE Tonglet (pro stock motorcycle).
• Will Power improved to four for four in IndyCar poles this season after earning the 200th for Team Penske at the Sao Paulo 300 in Brazil.
Footnotes.
David Zabriskie of the Boulder-based Garmin-Cervelo cycling team won the Tour de Romandie time trial in Signal-de- Bougy, Switzerland, and BMC Racing’s Cadel Evans took the overall lead with one stage left.
• Chris Kreider started the scoring, and the U.S. cruised to a 5-1 victory over Austria in its opening game at the world ice hockey championship in Kosice, Slovakia.
• George Mason hired basketball coach Paul Hewitt, who was fired last month by Georgia Tech, to replace Jim Larranaga, who left for the University of Miami.
