- Swim star McKeown pulls out World Cup citing mental health
- Six-time Olympic champion Chris Hoy says he has terminal cancer
- 'Don't leave tennis', Djokovic tells Nadal after 'amazing rivalry'
- Russian victory would bring 'chaos': French FM
- Miura and Kihara claim Skate America pairs title
- PSG beat Strasbourg to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Mbappe strikes as Madrid claim win at Celta Vigo
- Ex-general Prabowo to take office as Indonesia president
- Juve squeeze past 10-man Lazio to move level with leaders Napoli
- Liam Payne's sister shares touching tribute to late brother
- Morris stuns triple pursuit champion Dygert at track worlds
- French protesters urge calmer roads after cyclist killed
- Arsenal loss was 'accident waiting to happen' says Arteta
- Lizzo brings star power to Detroit for Harris
- 'Killer' Kane breaks drought to send Bayern back top
- Verstappen claims sprint win in Austin, Norris third
- 'Don't leave tennis', Djokovic tells Nadal after Saudi showdown
- Arsenal shocked by Bournemouth, Man Utd ease pressure on Ten Hag
- Ten-man Arsenal stunned by Bournemouth
- Kane hat-trick sends Bayern top past Leipzig
- Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him
- Ten-man AC Milan hold on to squeeze past Udinese
- Ten Hag urges goal-shy Man Utd to build on Brentford win
- G7 defence ministers concerned by attacks on peacekeepers, vow Kyiv support
- Life's a ditch as Neuville's world rally title hopes suffer
- Boeing and workers reach tentative deal to end strike
- Man Utd ease pressure on Ten Hag, Spurs run riot
- 'Are you crazy?': Mainz fans slam Klopp's Red Bull move
- Outsider Anmaat stars on British Champions Day
- Man Utd hit back against Brentford to ease pressure on Ten Hag
- Boniface sends Leverkusen past Frankfurt, Leipzig go top
- Gaza rescuers say 400 killed in two-week Israeli assault in north
- On-form Maqala fires Bayonne past Farrell-less Racing
- Liam Payne's sister posts poignant tribute to her late brother
- 'Our world collapsed': Brazil dam disaster victims seek justice in UK
- Threats and diplomacy: Iran's dual strategy on Israel
- Spurs destroy West Ham in eight-minute blitz
- Japan 'zombie' train spooks passengers ahead of Halloween
- Spurs run riot to beat West Ham
- New Zealand beat Britain to defend America's Cup
- New Zealand need 107 to win after Sarfaraz, Pant heroics
- G7 defence summit considers Gaza, Lebanon as conflicts rage
- Austrian far-right radical arrested after defying Swiss entry ban
- New Zealand hit back after Sarfaraz, Pant heroics in rain-hit India Test
- Jailed Guatemalan journalist Zamora granted house arrest
- Netanyahu residence targeted as Hezbollah launches barrage at Israel
- Green leads at LPGA in South Korea as Jeeno surges
- Electricity blackout puts Cubans on edge
- North Korea troop deployment locks in Russia military alliance
- New Zealand and South Africa face off in Women's T20 World Cup final
Miura and Kihara claim Skate America pairs title
Former world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan opened the figure skating grand prix season with a pairs victory at Skate America on Saturday.
The duo, who settled for silver at the last worlds after winning gold in 2023, delivered a polished albeit not perfect free skate to post a total of 214.23 points.
The Japanese pair had led by more than seven points after the short programme and had the best score in the free skate despite Miura falling on their triple throw loop.
Americans Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, second after the short programme, skated smoothly to finish second on 201.73 points and compatriots Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were third on 191.51.
Reigning world junior champions Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia were third after the short programme but a scattering of errors in their free skate -- including on side-by-side jumps and their death spiral -- saw them drop to fourth.
Men's world champion Ilia Malinin of the United States was due to launch his bid for a third straight Skate America crown in the men's short programme later Saturday.
The 19-year-old soared to his first world title with a gravity-defying quadruple-jumping free skate in Montreal last season that put him more than 20 points ahead of his rivals.
Malinin is expected to offer fireworks of a different nature in his quest to become the first man to win three straight Skate America titles since Nathan Chen won four in a row from 2017 through 2020.
Since the International Skating Union's recent decision to lift its longstanding ban on backflips in competition, Malinin has mastered the move and included one at the lower-level Lombardia Trophy in September.
The element is not officially scored but it no longer garners a deduction.
American Isabeau Levito, the reigning world silver medallist, takes the lead into the women's free skate later Saturday. Teammate Bradie Tennell was second after the short programme with Japan's Rinka Watanabe third.
Saturday's action opened with Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson grabbing a surprise lead after the rhythm dance over two-time reigning ice dance world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
Fear and Gibson, fourth at the last two world championships, scored 83.56 points for a 5.68-point lead over Chock and Bates -- whose performance was marred by an uncharacteristic fall after Chock hit Bates's foot upon landing a small jump.
Chock and Bates will try to erase the gap in Sunday's final free dance and claim a record-equalling fifth Skate America crown.
J.Fankhauser--BTB