Malinin takes commanding lead in Grand Prix de France as Nakai wins

ANGERS, France>> World champion figure skater Ilia Malinin of the U.S. 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.

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

Ami Nakai (227.08) produced a big upset to beat three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto (224.23) and lead a Japanese women’s podium sweep.

Rion Sumiyoshi took the bronze with 216.06, overtaking Isabeau Levito of the United States in the free skate.

Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson took the ice dance lead with a score of 84.38 for their Spice Girls rhythm dance.

No. 5 Denver Pioneers fall 4-3 at Lindenwood

The fifth-ranked University of Denver hockey team fell 4-3 to the Lindenwood Lions on Friday night in the series opener at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Height, Mo.

Jacob Fletcher scored with 2:37 left in the third period to break a 2-2 tie for Lindenwood, and Adam Raesler scored the eventual game-winning empty-netter 71 seconds later.

DU’s Hagen Burrows scored his second of the game with 53 seconds remaining while the Pioneers had an extra attacker on the ice, but they weren’t able to close the one-goal gap.

Nakajima leads by 2 in India with Fleetwood and Lowry in contention

NEW DEHLI >> 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 Saturday, moving in sight of his second title on the European tour.

The 25-year-old Nakajima, 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.

An eagle on the 17th hole helps increase Sei Young Kim’s lead to 4 strokes

HAENAM, South Korea >> 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 Saturday.

On a blustery, cloudy day at Pine Beach Golf Links on the Korean peninsula, 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.

Kings’ Domantas Sabonis to miss start of season with hamstring injury

SACRAMENTO, Calif.>> Kings big man Domantas Sabonis will miss the start of the season with a hamstring injury.

The Kings said Saturday that an MRI determined Sabonis has a grade 1 strain. He will be re-evaluated in a week. Sabonis got hurt Oct. 15 in an exhibition game against the Clippers.

— Denver Post staff and wire