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Shaidorov Shines to Become the First Four Continents Champion from Kazakhstanin 10 Years

Gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov (C) of Kazakhstan, silver medalist Cha Jun-hwan (L) of South Korea and bronze medalist Jimmy Ma of the USA pose during the medal ceremony of the men's single competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea, 22 February 2025. (EPA)
Gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov (C) of Kazakhstan, silver medalist Cha Jun-hwan (L) of South Korea and bronze medalist Jimmy Ma of the USA pose during the medal ceremony of the men's single competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea, 22 February 2025. (EPA)
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Shaidorov Shines to Become the First Four Continents Champion from Kazakhstanin 10 Years

Gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov (C) of Kazakhstan, silver medalist Cha Jun-hwan (L) of South Korea and bronze medalist Jimmy Ma of the USA pose during the medal ceremony of the men's single competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea, 22 February 2025. (EPA)
Gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov (C) of Kazakhstan, silver medalist Cha Jun-hwan (L) of South Korea and bronze medalist Jimmy Ma of the USA pose during the medal ceremony of the men's single competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea, 22 February 2025. (EPA)

Mikhail Shaidorov won the free skate with a season-best score on Saturday to become the first skater from Kazakhstan to win the Four Continents title since Denis Ten in 2015.

Shaidorov held a 12-point lead after the short program and was equally impressive in the free skate, landing four quadruple jumps for 190.37 points for an overall total of 285.10.

Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea was second with 265.02 points followed by Jimmy Ma of the United States with 245.01.

Shaidorov opened with a superb triple axel, single Euler and quad salchow combination that set the tone for his routine. He followed with a quad lutz and a quad toe loop before adding another quad toe-triple toe combination later in his routine.

Cha was fourth after the short program and turned in a spectacular free skate to grab the silver medal before the home fans.

The South Korean skater started his routine with a quadruple salchow. His next element was supposed to be a quad toeloop but he could only manage a double, but that was the only major mistake for the 2022 Four Continents champion.

Ma, who was second after the short program, fell on a triple loop early in his routine and touched down on triple axel but was otherwise solid and finished with the bronze medal.

The ice dance free dance was later Saturday. The competition finishes Sunday with the women’s free skate.

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Saint-Etienne Faces Must-win Match to Avoid Relegation

Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
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Saint-Etienne Faces Must-win Match to Avoid Relegation

Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)

With Paris Saint-Germain already crowned champions and Marseille and Monaco assured of Champions League spots next season, attention turns to the race to avoid relegation on the final matchday in France's Ligue 1.

At the bottom of the standings, last-place Montpellier has been demoted. It remains to be seen which other club will be relegated to the second tier next season, with Saint-Etienne and Le Havre fighting for their survival.

A former French league powerhouse, Saint-Etienne dominated French soccer during the 1960s and ’70s. Having just returned to the top-flight, the 10-time French champions have struggled throughout the season despite brilliant individual efforts from Zuriko Davitashvili and Lucas Stassin.

Ahead of its final match against Toulouse at home on Saturday, Saint-Etienne is second-to-last in the standings, but just one point behind 16th-place Le Havre, which is in the relegation playoffs spot. Saint-Etienne needs to win, hoping that Le Havre either loses or draws at Strasbourg.

“Our presence in the playoffs? It doesn’t just depend on us, we know that. We can win this last match and still be relegated,” Saint-Etienne coach Eirik Horneland said, according to The Associated Press. "We’re going to have to create an incredible atmosphere and take the fans with us."

Two other teams, Reims and Nantes, have yet to secure their place in the elite heading into the final matchday. Both teams are two points ahead of Le Havre. Nantes hosts Montpellier, and Reims travels to Lille.

Top scorer race PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé is in a good position to succeed his former teammate Kylian Mbappé as the league's top scorer.

Dembélé, who was named the league's best player of the season, has been prolific since PSG coach Luis Enrique repositioned him in a false nine role — a center-forward who, instead of leading their team’s offensive line, drops into deeper positions. Among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or, Dembélé has scored 21 league goals, two more than Marseille's Mason Greenwood. Behind them, Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo has found the net 17 times.

PSG, which won a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title with six games to spare, plays its final match at home against Auxerre. Second-place Marseille hosts Rennes. Monaco, which is one point behind Marseille, travels to Lens.

PSG is hoping for its first-ever treble. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, Enrique’s team will have another shot at more silverware against Reims the week before in the French Cup final.

Champions League qualifying The final spot in the Champions League is the last big prize up for grabs on Saturday.

Nice, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon all lost on the penultimate matchday and can no longer secure a top-three finish. With 57 points each, the three teams are battling for the fourth place, which gives a ticket for the third preliminary round of Europe's elite tournament. With 54 points, seventh-place Lyon can still aim for the fourth spot but will need to beat Angers and hope that the trio of teams all lose.