TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=right border=0>TBODY>TR>TD>TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=150 border=0>TBODY>TR>TD colSpan=2>IMG src="/articles/images/joubert.jpg">/TD>/TR>TR>TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; PADDING-TOP: 5px">SPAN class=caption>B>Men’s Skating Champion Brian Joubert (AP)/B>/SPAN>/TD>TD width=12> /TD>/TR>/TBODY>/TABLE>/TD>/TR>/TBODY>/TABLE>(ATR) After a week of sellout crowds at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the 2007 ISU World Figure Skating Championships ended Saturday, with Japan sweeping the top two spots in the women's final.BR>BR>Skating to orchestral versions of Metallica songs, Brian Joubert of France took home the gold in the men’s competition, his first gold medal in six years of competing in the worlds. He is the first Frenchman in 42 years to win the gold medal. The last to do so was Alain Calmat in 1965. BR>BR>“I worked hard for this gold,” said Joubert. “It’s been a great season. I gave it everything I had. But waiting for the scores was torture.” BR>BR>Hometown favorite Daisuke Takahashi of Japan placed second, and 2006 Turin silver medalist Stéphane Lambiel was third. BR>BR>In the women’s competition, Miki Ando of Japan took home the gold medal in her home country. It is her first gold medal in international competition. BR>BR>"As the women''s singles is the last event and I skated last, it was hard to keep my concentration," Ando said. "I''m very happy to have won the title in my home country." BR>BR>Fellow countrywoman Mao Asada finished second, and Korea’s Yu-Na Kim was third. TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=left border=0>TBODY>TR>TD>TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=150 border=0>TBODY>TR>TD colSpan=2>IMG src="/articles/images/ando2.JPG">/TD>/TR>TR>TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; PADDING-TOP: 5px">SPAN class=caption>B>Women’s champion Miki Ando (Getty Images)/B>/SPAN>/TD>TD width=12> /TD>/TR>/TBODY>/TABLE>/TD>/TR>/TBODY>/TABLE>Defending champion Kimmie Meissner of the United States was fourth. BR>BR>Also during the women’s competition, the first Indian skater in the history of the event participated. Ami Parekh, who was born in Jersey City, New Jersey but lived a year in India and has dual citizenship, finished outside the top 24 and did not advance to the long program. BR>BR>"I can''t believe India has a skater," she said. "I feel great that I can be the first one." BR>BR>In other events, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China won the pairs competition. The duo won bronze medals at the Turin Games. And in ice dancing, Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria took the top spot. 2006 silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto of the United States were third. BR>BR>Attendance was very strong for all days of competition. Organizers said the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was filled to capacity for all events. BR>BR>The next ISU world championships are scheduled for Gothenburg, Sweden on March 17-23, 2008. BR>BR>B>Your complete source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only./B> BR>BR>
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