World champion figure skater Ilia Malinin of the United States made a statement by taking a near 10-point lead in the short program in his first Grand Prix event of the season ahead of the Winter Olympics.

The skater nicknamed the “quad god” landed a quadruple flip and a quadruple lutz-triple toeloop combination, plus a backflip as an exclamation point toward the end of his skate in the Grand Prix de France in Angers on Saturday.

Malinin scored 105.22 points for a commanding lead over Nika Egadze of Georgia at 95.67 ahead of today’s free skate, with Kao Miura of Japan third at 87.25.

France’s top skater Adam Siao Him Fa has won his home Grand Prix three years in a row but that streak seems set to end after he was fifth in the short program.

U.S. skater Maxim Naumov was cheered by the crowd as he placed ninth. This is his first Grand Prix since both of his parents, both world champion skaters, died when their plane crashed into a military helicopter on approach to Washington, D.C., in January.

Ami Nakai produced a big upset to beat three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto and lead a Japanese women’s podium sweep.

Competing in her first senior Grand Prix, Nakai put both hands to her mouth in shock at seeing her score of 149.08 in the free skate — a personal best by more than 11 points — and 227.08 overall.

Skating to “What a Wonderful World,” Nakai was the only skater to attempt a triple axel jump, even if she put a hand down to steady herself on the landing.

“Never did I think that I would be able to win, but I won this debut Grand Prix event, so I’m just elated,” Nakai, previously best known for a bronze at the 2023 world junior championships, said through an interpreter.

Sakamoto was second at 224.23 after rare errors on spins and Rion Sumiyoshi took the bronze with 216.06, overtaking Isabeau Levito of the United States in the free skate.

GOLF

Japanese golfer Keita Nakajima shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead at DP World India Championship after the third round in New Delhi, moving in sight of his second title on the European tour.

Nakajima, 25, a former top-ranked amateur, has two European Ryder Cup stars as his nearest challengers with Tommy Fleetwood (69) in second place and Shane Lowry (69) a stroke back in third.

No. 2-ranked Rory McIlroy, the main attraction at Delhi Golf Club, shot 68 and was in a tie for 15th place, seven strokes off the lead heading into the final round.

Sei Young Kim’s eagle on the 17th hole has helped increase her lead to four strokes going into the final round of the BMW Ladies Championship after shooting a 3-under 69 in Haenam, South Korea.

Kim finished with a three-round total of 19-under 197, despite a bogey on the 18th.

Yealimi Noh (67) and Nasa Hataoka (69) were tied for second.

American Brooke Matthews, who had trailed Kim by a stroke after the second round, triple-bogeyed the par-3 15th and fell six strokes behind Kim and tied for fourth place after a 74.

TENNIS

The last remaining seeded player at the WTA’s Japan Open reached today’s final — Leylah Fernandez defeated 35-year-old Sorana Cîrstea 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in Osaka.

The fourth-seeded Canadian player will face 18-year-old qualifier Tereza Valentova in the final. Valentova beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.

MOTORSPORTS

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen cruised to an easy victory in a crash-filled United States Grand Prix sprint race, and then took pole position for the main event on a rough day for Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Piastri and Lando Norris, who are 1-2 in the title chase, crashed out on the first lap of the sprint race in Austin, Texas. After mechanics worked furiously to get their cars back together, Norris recovered to finish second to Verstappen in qualifying for today’s grand prix, but Piastri was a distant sixth.

The results of a scorching day at the Circuit of the Americas meant Piastri maintained his 22-point lead over his teammate in the title chase but could not extend it.

HORSE RACING

Sumter and jockey Mike Smith didn’t just repeat as winners of the $80,000 Lure Stakes at Santa Anita, they improved on last year’s victory.

Six-year-old Sumter ($6.80) passed Richard Mandella stablemate Goliad in the stretch and drew off to a 4-length victory, his 1:32.46 clocking easily the fastest for 1 mile on turf at the Santa Anita fall meet.

The win in a race effectively restricted to non-stakes winners in 2025 was Sumter’s first in five starts since the 2024 Lure, the last time he ran at this distance.

St. Anthony finished second, Watsonville third, Goliad fourth. Favorite Nesso’s Lastharrah broke in the air and trailed throughout.

Six ran after Endlessly, 7-2 on the morning line, was scratched after a morning veterinary check.

Losing the start with Endlessly in Santa Anita’s Saturday feature was another disappointment for jockey Umberto Rispoli, who learned late in the week that the owners of Journalism are replacing him with Jose Ortiz Jr. for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

— Kevin Modesti

NBA

Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis will miss the start of the season with a hamstring injury. The Kings said that an MRI determined Sabonis has a grade 1 strain.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. will have a procedure to fix an issue in his left big toe that will keep him out to start the season.