Chan wins world gold at figure skating championship

MOSCOW - Canada's Patrick Chan has claimed his first world figure skating title and rewritten the sport's record book in the process.

The 20-year-old from Toronto swept all three world records, scoring 187.96 points for his long program for 280.98 points overall. Those marks came a day after he topped the previous world mark for the short program that gave him a virtually insurmountable lead.

Skating to music from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera," Chan landed two quadruple jumps in the opening minutes, and then was nearly flawless the rest of the way.

Takahiko Kozuka of Japan scored 258.41 to take the silver, while 17-year-old crowd favourite Artur Gachinski of Russia won the bronze with 241.86.

Japan's Daisuke Takahashi held the previous world records for overall score (264.41) and long program (175.84), set at the 2008 Four Continents championships.

Moscow's Megasport Arena was a last-minute substitute host for the event, which was delayed more than a month and relocated after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

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  Canada's Patrick Chan reacts after performing his free program at the ISU Figure Skating World championships in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 28, 2011. (AP / Dmitry Lovetsky)

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  Gold medalist Canada's Patrick Chan skates with the national flag after free program at the ISU Figure Skating World championships in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 28, 2011. (AP / Misha Japaridze)

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  Canada's Patrick Chan performs his free program at the ISU Figure Skating World championships in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 28, 2011. (AP / Misha Japaridze)

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  Canada's Patrick Chan skates his short program at the ISU Figure skating World championships in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)