Kim Yun-na of South Korea wins Trophee Bompard with dazzling free skating; Asada, Nakano next

Kim Yu-na wins Trophee Bompard

PARIS — World champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea has captured the Trophee Bompard women’s event, winning the free skate with a flawless performance to finish ahead of Japanese skaters Mao Asada and Yukari Nakano.

Performing to George Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F Major,” Yu-na received 133.95 points for a total of 210.03 that included Friday’s short program.

Asada, a former world champion, rose one spot to second overall with 173.99 points. Nakano finished third with 165.70 points.

Nobunari Oda of Japan won the men’s event, finishing ahead of Tomas Verner of Czech Republic and American teenager Adam Rippon.

European bronze medalists Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the pairs.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

PARIS (AP) — Nobunari Oda of Japan captured the Trophee Bompard on Saturday, and American teenager Adam Rippon placed third to bolster his bid to make the U.S. team going to the Vancouver Olympics.

Oda was second after the short program but overtook Tomas Verner of Czech Republic with a flawless performance to a Charlie Chaplin medley in the free skate. He won with a total of 242.53 points, Verner finished with 229.96 and Rippon had 219.96.

The 19-year-old American had strong start to his free skate, but missed a landing when he attempted a triple axel-double toeloop combination on his second item. Still, he received 144.14 points for the routine, approaching his personal best of 147.70.

“It wasn’t my best, but it was strong, and to be able to medal in such a deep field with so many great and strong skaters is very rewarding,” said Rippon, the two-time world junior champ whose season last year was hampered by a midyear coaching switch.

“Going into this Grand Prix, I wanted to show everyone in the U.S. that I can be one of those three men going to Vancouver.”

Rippon moved to Canada in January to train with Brian Orser, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medallist.

“Working with Brian is a pleasure,” he said. “He is a great coach and a mentor. I’m excited to go home and continue working with him. I still have a lot of things to improve.”

Oda, skating in a black tuxedo, combined perfect jumps with artistic intensity to seduce the judges and the Parisian crowd.

He opened his program with a triple toeloop before landing a triple axel-triple toeloop combination. The judges gave him 166.33 points for the program, pushing him past Verner for his third Grand Prix victory. He also won in last year’s NHK Trophy and the 2006 Skate America.

“I did a good performance today. Everything was good. I’m really happy and I really appreciated the people’s support,” said Oda, who didn’t attempt a quadruple but landed eight triples.

Former European champion Verner led after the short program but was betrayed by his jumps in the free skate. The Czech skater started strong with a quadruple toeloop-double toeloop combination but missed a triple lutz and botched a combination later in his program.

“My first four elements were clean, and then I made a mistake,” said Verner, who received 148.96 points for his routine. “I’m a bit angry but I think I can improve that.”

Former world champion Brian Joubert of France, sixth after the short program, climbed to fourth place overall despite missing two quadruple jumps.

“It’s not good at all but it’s not a surprise. It doesn’t go well during training … and it gets even worse in competition,” said Joubert, who plans to slightly change his free program before the Vancouver Olympics.

European bronze medalists Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov of Russia, who were second after the short program, overtook defending world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany in the free skate to win the pairs event with 192.93 points.

Savchenko and Szolkowy finished third with 174.42 points behind Canadian pair Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, who totaled 180.97.

This is the first time the Trophee Bompard has opened the six-event ISU Grand Prix, which traditionally starts with Skate America.

Skaters collect points toward a place in the Grand Prix final in December at Tokyo.