Jeff Buttle reacts after skating a personal-best program to take the men’s world title.
(Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press)

Canada’s Jeff Buttle captured his first world title in style, blowing away the rest of
the men’s field Saturday at the world figure skating championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.The 25-year-old from Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., put on a personal-best performance in the final to beat out defending world champion Brian Joubert of
France by a whopping 14 points. American Johnny Weir was third.

“It’s always been my dream to be world champion,” said Buttle, a world silver
medallist in 2005 and an Olympic bronze medallist in 2006. “I can’t believe it’s
really happened.”

Buttle came into the free skate with the lead after placing first in Friday’s short
program. The three-time Canadian champion posted 163.07 points in the final to
give him an overall total of 245.17, also a personal best.

Toronto’s Patrick Chan dropped two positions to ninth, finishing his first world championship with 203.55 points.

Buttle is the first Canadian man to win the world title since Elvis Stojko in 1997.

He was slowed by a back injury last season, and just last month he finished second to Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi — Saturday’s fourth-place finisher — at the Four Continents championship.

But Buttle skated brilliantly Saturday. Though he didn’t do a quadruple jump, he did three clean combinations for a total of eight triple jumps. He had great speed, whimsical footwork and performed with an energy and lightness that reflected the confidence he’s carried during these championships.

Buttle was grinning when he came off the ice, telling his coach, “just like at home.” When the marks went up and showed he was the winner, Buttle’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

“It’s been such a great week for me,” Buttle said. “It doesn’t even feel real yet. It hasn’t sunk in.”

Joubert’s finish was impressive, considering he was sixth after the short program. The Frenchman has had a tough season, missing most of the Grand Prix series because of a strength-sapping virus. But he was mesmerizing Saturday. He opened with a quad and did seven triples, and showed he will be a force to be reckoned with next year.

With files from the Canadian Press