He wasn’t perfect but Brian Joubert hung on to his lead after the short program with a free skate that was ranked third best to win his first world crown by a significant margin of 2.90 points. Home country favorite, Daisuke Takahashi, rose from third to take the silver with an emotional showing which was the best free skate. Two-time champion Stephane Lambiel rose from sixth after the short program, to take the bronze, 4.60 behind Takahashi. Errors kept two-time bronze medalist Evan Lysacek off the podium. Practically unknown Tomas (pronounced Tomash) Verner from the Czech Republic, whose previous best in five appearances at worlds was 13^th, soared this year after winning the short program and taking the silver at the recent European championships. He came from ninth in the short program here in Tokyo to finish fourth in the free skate and overall. Johnny Weir disappointed and Canadians Jeff Buttle and Emanuel Sandhu fizzled.

1. Joubert skated immediately following Lambiel to three pieces of Appocalyptica playing Metallica, Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, and Nothing Else Matters which were choreographed by Kurt Browning. He wore a black outfit with cutouts and an asymmetric design. "It was very difficult," said the French heartthrob. "I am very proud. I’m very tired. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I was tired today. I had a bad practice this morning. I didn’t attempt the second quad because I wanted to give the audience a clean program. My goal was not to win the free skate. I just wanted to do a good enough free skate to win the title. I worked for the gold. It’s been a great season. I gave it everything I could tonight. Today was a difficult day. Waiting for the scores is torture. Alain Calmat brought me luck. He was there when I won my first European title (in 2004 when he claimed the first European mens title since Calmat had won it forty years previously). And now he is here (to see Joubert win the first world title for a Frenchman since Calmat won in 1965). I am young (22). I can do hard competition. I think the quad is very important to the future of figure skating but I think the new system is still not good for the quad. Maybe they will increase the value of the quad. I think figure skaters must try it."

Joubert began with the name of the game, a quad toeloop, which was solid and earned +0.71, quickly followed by a lovely triple flip (+1.71 Grade of Execution) and triple Axel (+1.29). Then came Level 3 circular steps (+0.57) and a Level 4 change foot sit spin (+0.43). At this point the bonus marks clicked in and he received ten percent extra for his jumps. He was supposed to do a quad toe to triple toe but he deliberately downgraded this combo to triple-triple (+0.86) and began to improvise, adding two double toes to his triple loop meant to be a standalone. That earned him (+0.14) and a total of 8.50. He also added a double toe to his next move, a planned triple flip, which received (+0.86). There followed an impressive triple Lutz (+1.00). Then the routine weakened. His flying sit spin was only Level 1 and only +0.10. His Level 3 straight line steps were less impressive than those of his rivals and gained a small +0.36. Then, because he had turned a quad into a triple, he could not perform his planned triple Salchow and had to substitute a double Axel (+0.71). His routine ended with a Level 2 change foot combination spin (+0.29).

2. Takahashi won the free skate by 2.79 over Lambiel and by a huge 6.23 over Joubert but he began his Phantom of the Opera, which was choreographed by Nikolai Morozov, a little tentatively, putting his hand down on his opening move, a quad toe loop and getting a full point taken off the base value. However, with that out of the way, he seemed to relax and soared into a superb triple Axel which gained 1.57 added to the base value quickly followed by a second triple Axel, this one combined with a double toe earning +0.86 over that combo’s base value of 8.80. A Level 4 combination upright spin earned just a fraction, +0.03, over the base value, but his Level 3 circular steps gained +0.71. Then he reached the bonus point and earned 11.16 for a triple flip to triple toe. (That’s ten percent extra over the base value of the combination, which is 9.50, plus 0.71 GoE.) Then he banked 9.82 for a triple Lutz to double toe to double loop. That was followed by a +0.71 triple loop, +1.00 triple flip and +0.43 triple Salchow. He finished with three Level 3 moves, a base value flying upright spin, +0.86 straight line steps which were executed with enormous energy, and a +0.64 change foot combination spin. The audience was incredibly supportive right from the start and the waves of emotion in the building built to an also animal like intensity carrying Takahashi along.

At the end, tears of relief and joy flooded down his face. "I was not as nervous as I was yesterday," Takahashi confessed, "But, to be honest, I was still so nervous before I skated that I was about to cry. But I believed in myself and practice and went out and did it. Obviously, there were no big mistakes on my jumps but I do not think my spins and footwork were 100%. It means a lot to me to be the first Japanese mens silver medalist at the world championships."

Minoru Sanu was the first Japanese man to win a bronze when worlds were held in Tokyo in 1977 and Takeshi Honda won two bronze medals, 2001 and 2002, but the interest in the sport in Japan, because of the ladies’ success, has escalated to such a degree that there can not be a sole person in the country who does not know his name. To perform your best under that incredible pressure was a burden the rest of us can not imagine. But will he be able to repeat his showing? With such rock star popularity comes expectation. The Japanese public is already speculating on whether he can maintain his standard and bring them a gold in the Vancouver Olympics. That is a heavy load to bear. "The people at the top have two quads in their routines and I must have that, too," Takahashi told Japanese press. Already he is thinking ahead. There appears to be no time just to enjoy the present.

3. Lambiel

"I think the most important thing for me tonight was the performance," said Lambiel who chose not to compete in the recent European championships. "You could see that the fight was hard but it was really nice to fight here. Maybe nobody thought after the short program that Lambiel comes back but I was ready. I was really happy to be here participating in this world championship. I did my best. I think today I made a difference compared to the short program where I couldn’t do the triple Axel and the quad toe. Today the quad toe and the triple Axel were wonderful. I am very happy about the medal and very, very happy with my performance." About missing the Europeans, Lambiel said, "I think I had to find out what I was really skating for. When you have dreams and you make them come true with a medal at the Olympics and two world titles, it’s very hard to know what you want. For me this season was the answer. I’m skating because I love to express my emotions when I’m on the ice. Figure skating is not just a sport, it’s also a show. It must be something in harmony. You have to make it beautiful on the ice, not just as far as the elements are concerned. When I’m skating, I’m trying to feel this harmony, to feel that the crowd is loving what I’m doing. It’s difficult. I’m happy to be second in the free skate. If someone is better than you, you have to accept it. That’s sport. I’m in good shape now and have to continue fighting. I just have to find a way to skate and to study and maybe have both in my life. On my fridge I have a list of my goals. I want to attend acting school. I want to improve my English (which is already flawless and fluent), my German, and my Portuguese. I want to learn Russian and Japanese. I have to determine in which order I do these things.

"My new free was great. It is flamenco and this is a dance of passion and life. Yesterday, I was a little bit sad because I made mistakes but today I am happy with my performance and my performance. The last two seasons, I just practiced for the Olympics and that went well. (He won the Olympic silver.) Then I lost my motivation and it was hard to find energy. But today I had great energy."

He took the ice after Weir looking very like a Flamenco dancer, macho with his black hair sleeked back and wearing a genuine Flamenco outfit which would have been perfect on the stage of a genuine Spanish nightclub. Lambiel opened with a +0.14 triple Axel followed by an incredible quad toe to double toe to double toe which, despite having a little scratching landing on the third jump, had +0.14 added to the base value which gave him 11.74 points for this move. He followed with a smooth triple loop which earned +1.43 over the base value of 5.0. A Level 3 circular step sequence earned +0.64 and the following double Axel +0.86. A Level 4 change foot combination spin earned +0.64. The timing point at which skaters receive the ten percent bonus arrived and the Swiss "little prince" (the nickname given him by his most ardent fans) soared through his second quad toe. Despite putting a hand down on the landing, which saddled him with a negative, he still earned 8.04 marks. A good (+0.57) triple Lutz to triple toe followed which garnered a total of 11.57 points. Then came a superior triple Salchow which was not combined with the planned triple toe and received a total of 5.81 and a Level 4, +0.43 flying sit spin. Then there was a mess on a planned triple flip which turned into a double and on which he improvised a triple toe. He was saddled with a -2.00 but still came away from this element with 4.27 marks. Then, knowing their were no more jumps, he relaxed and acted up a storm dazzling the crowd with his Flamenco straight line steps which determined Level 3 by the Technical Specialist and worthy of +0.64 by the panel of judges. A flying combination spin earned Level 3 and +0.64. He really gave his all for his final spin which was so fast, the final position with his head back blurred into an image in which he appeared decapitated. It earned the top level, 4, and the judges’ plaudits (+1.14).

4. Verner took his placement, 7.10 marks behind Lambiel, very modestly. The 20 year old who trains in Prague, the beautiful capital of his native land, but also in Oberstdorf in Germany with Michael Huth alongside the Italian European champion, Carolina Kostner, had been upset after placing ninth in the short program He said at that time, "I didn’t do a good job. The program (to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue) was good but I singled the Axel." He had already done his combo of triple flip to triple toe. "After the Axel, I honestly thought that if I didn’t land the triple Lutz I should just walk out and leave. There is not a chance for me at a worlds like this." But, fortunately, it was an excellent +0.86.

The modest blond presented his free skate to unusual music, Lessiem by Mystic Spirit Voices and Funoamentum. "I was so surprised about my technical score, over 84 points. I didn’t expect that because I knew I was tired and my spins were weaker than usual. But the two quad toes were there and the other jumps as well." He began with a quad toe to triple toe which earned a small +0.29 and a total of 13.29. This was followed by a terrific +1.43 second quad toe which accumulated 10.43. There followed three good jumping passes, triple Lutz, triple Salchow and triple Lutz to double toe to double loop. The three jump combo earned 9.37. He executed a triple Axel past the bonus time and earned 9.39 with it. That was followed by a triple loop. Unfortunately, he fell on his last jump, a triple flip. That meant he earned only 3.48 for that jump and 1.0 was taken off the total score. Two of his spins were Level 4 and the other level 3. Both step sequences were Level 3.

5. Lysacek kicked off the top six. "It was definitely my worst skate and my worst skate of the season. I’ve been sick for a few days but I fought through it. Maybe it was the pressure of being a two-time world medalist. It was a very big step to put the quad in, because my goal here was to raise my technical difficulty. But, as a consequence, maybe that brought my energy level down today. But I guess that’s what I have to work on for the next season."

The US champion was again fifth and he stayed in that position which may have been disappointing because of his past achievements but was still a very good placement. He finished 4.07 behind Verner and a considerable 7.22 ahead of the sixth placed Buttle. "I’m going home and taking a long break," he said when asked about his future plans. He will, of course, be doing many exhibitions.

Lysacek began his free skate, to the well-loved music from the Carmen opera which really suited the tall, handsome 21 year old, with a quad toe to triple toe but was forced to do a double three turn between the two jumps. That saddled him with a -1.0 GoE. The following jump, a triple Axel, was good enough to earn the base value. But then he doubled a planned triple loop. The following triple Salchow was given a slight negative (-0.14). When he hit the bonus point barrier, he executed a triple Axel to triple toe but this, too, had a double three turn between the jumps and was penalized with a -1.0. The following triple flip to triple toe and later triple Lutz and double Axel all received positive GoEs. Three of his spins were Level 4. The final spin, a change foot combo, was Level 3. The step sequences were both Level 3 but he did the second one, the straight line, with such intensity that he earned +0.57.

6. Buttle, who was runner-up in 2005 for the world title but only sixth in this event last year, skated last of the 24 allowed into the free, dropped from second after the short program to sixth overall with a free that was ranked only eighth best. It was a performance to music from the soundtrack of the movie, Ararat, which is about the terrible Armenian genocide, he’d obviously rather forget. The Olympic silver medalist began with a good +1.00 triple loop but then fell on his downgraded quad toe. After an interesting Level 3 change foot upright spin, he fell a second time on his triple Axel meant to be a combination. His subsequent flying combination spin was only Level 2. The circular straight line steps were Level 3 and the triple Lutz to double toe to double, set at the bonus time, earned base value. Subsequent triples, Salchow, flip and Lutz earned positives and his two remaining spins earned Level 4 and Level 3. His straight line steps and the earlier circular steps both earned Level 3 and positives. However, this sort of "skaters’ program" filled with unique, unusual, subtle moves only works when presented in an unflawed setting.

Buttle said, "Just being here was really awesome. Obviously I put some pressure on myself, but not because I was in second place, but just because I wanted to skate well. I just didn’t have the right kind of attack. It was forced. Last year I really regretted not going for my Axels and my quad in the long program, so this year I went for them. They weren’t the best quality but I was determined to rotate them no matter what."

7. Oda, who had completely missed his triple Axel attempt and got no marks for this move in the short program, and was penalized with a -1.0 for his triple flip in the short program, advanced from 14^th place after this section to seventh overall with a new free to Mission Impossible which was ranked sixth best. At the short, he said, "The Japanese crowd are very nice, but I got nervous. On the practice, my jumps are all OK but I could not glide well when I entered the Axel."

After the free, three days before his 20^th birthday, Oda, who is the 17^th descendent of a famous war lord Nobunaga Oda (1534-1582) said, "I did all the jumps. However, one triple Lutz didn’t count. I made the same mistake as last year (doing four jumps combinations when only three are allowed)." He began with a very impressive triple Axel to triple toe to triple loop which earned +0.43 and scored a total of 16.93. Overall he was 5.02 behind Buttle. Last year he finished fourth in this event.

8. Weir dropped from fourth to eighth overall with a free to Child of Nazareth by Maxime Rodriguez which was ranked only tenth best. He finished 2.97 marks behind Oda and only a sliver, 0.68, ahead of Kristoffer Berntsson from Sweden who was 23^rd last year in both Olympics and worlds. Much will no doubt be made of the 24 year old next year since worlds will be held in his hometown, Gothenburg.

Weir, who is often controversial but always honest, said, "This was the most complete long program I’ve done this season. I don’t know if it was better than previous performances this season because I did make mistakes, but I think it was the best way I could end it feeling the way I felt about this season." He skated immediately following his teammate who had dethroned him in the US championships. "Next season I won’t have the triple Axel and the triple loop next to each other in the second half of the program. I’ll continue to learn from these things."

Weir began well with a +1.0 triple Axel to triple toe. But his next move, initially planned as a quad, was just done as a good triple earning +0.43. The following move, triple Lutz to double toe received a slight negative (-0.14). His first spin was a Level 4 +0.43 flying sit. However, his +0.50 circular steps gained only Level l. When the bonus marks clicked in, Weir executed a +0.57 double Axel. He doubled the next move meant to be a triple loop and, after another Level 4 version of the flying sit which earned +0.43, he singled what was meant to be a second triple Axel. There were no further mistakes. A triple flip earned +0.29, the triple Salchow +0.43, a Level 2 change foot combination spin +0.43, the Level 2 straight line steps +0.43 and his final element, another change foot combination spin, this time Level 3, 0.64.

15. Weir’s teammate, Bradley, did his South American dance music free far better than his short, gaining 13^th place in this section and climbing from 19^th place to 15^th overall. He had drawn to skate first and there were fears after he doubled his first jump, meant to be a triple Axel and did not do the second jump of the planned combo. "In the past, after a mistake like that, I would go to pieces," said Bradley. "But this time I was able to put it behind me. It was kind of scary that I was not really nervous at all during this competition. It made me freak out a little bit, because at nationals and Four Continents, I was sickly nervous to the point I thought I was going to throw up. Going into the Axel I was having trouble feeling my edge and just felt like the ice as a little glassy. I was just slipping on top of it instead of getting through it."

That feeling evaporated and he executed a triple Lutz sensibly tagging on the triple toe meant to accompany the first jump. After a Level 4 flying sit spin (+0.14) he presented a good triple Salchow and triple Axel. "I finally got the second triple Axel done," Bradley explained, "which is funny because that is what I’ve been struggling with all season."

Another positive Level 4 flying sit followed and then the straight line steps which were level 2 and gained the base value. As the bonus marks clicked in, Bradley executed a triple Lutz to double toe to double loop which earned the base value. That was followed by a triple loop which received a negative (-0.43). Then came a base value triple flip to double toe but then he fell on a double Axel. The last three moves, two Level 3 spins and Level 1 circular steps, gained base value or better. Bradley summed up his showing, "It was a great experience and I’m going to build on that. I feel like it’s going to make me stronger seeing how the top boys in the world are. It’s so motivating and will keep me working and pushing towards working the quad into the program and reach the next level."

2007 Worlds Men's Medalists