Reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan won the Skate America women's title

New York (AFP) - Reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, bronze medalist at this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics, won the Skate America women’s title on Sunday by capturing the free skate.

The 22-year-old from Kobe won the long programme with 145.89 points and captured the overall crown with a total of 217.61.

American Isabeau Levito, the world junior women’s champion, was second on 206.66 with compatriot Amber Glenn third on 197.61 after finishing in those positions in the free skate and Friday’s short programme.

Levito, 15, was the youngest US woman on a Skate America podium in 15 years.

Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the ice dance title with 202.80 points, edging compatriots Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker by .73 of a point.

Canada’s Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain le Gac were third on 178.30.

Hawayek and Baker won Sunday’s free dance but Chock and Bates had just enough of a lead after winning Saturday’s rhythm dance to take the crown.