Kaori Sakamoto, 25 years old, has become the world champion in figure skating for the fourth time. The Japanese skater announced her retirement after the competition.

Japanese Kaori Sakamoto was crowned world champion for the fourth time on Friday in Prague, at her last competition before retirement, at nearly 26 years old. Sakamoto, the Olympic silver medalist last month, concluded her career with an elegant performance to a medley of Édith Piaf songs, scoring 158.97 points. With a total of 238.28 points from the two programs, she improved her personal best. Her compatriot, Mone Chiba, won the silver medal, while Belgian Nina Pinzarrone surprised by winning the bronze medal. Romania's representative, Julia Sauter, finished the competition in 22nd place, with a total of 159.51 points, ranking 23rd in the short program and 18th in the free program.