Kim Yun-na of South Korea wins Trophee Bompard with dazzling free skate; Asada, Nakano next

Kim Yu-na wins Trophee Bompard women’s event

PARIS — World champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea captured the Trophee Bompard on Saturday, winning the free skate with a flawless performance to finish ahead of Japanese skaters Mao Asada and Yukari Nakano.

After blowing the field away in Friday’s short program, Kim did it again to total 210.03 points after receiving 133.95 in the free skate to sound a warning ahead of this winter’s Vancouver Olympics.

“When I finished skating, I didn’t look immediately at the overall score,” Kim said. “When I saw the score, I was a bit surprised. This was just my first competition of the season and I didn’t expect such a good performance.”

Kim’s previous best was 207.71 points in becoming world champion earlier this year.

Performing in a bejeweled blue halter-neck dress and skating to George Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F Major,” Kim was untouchable in combining speed, athleticism and grace.

Asada, the 2008 world champ, rose one spot to second overall with 173.99 points. Nakano was third with 165.70 points.

Caroline Zhang, the 2007 world junior champ, finished fourth with 153.15 points, ahead of American teammate Alexe Gilles with 151.92 points.

Nobunari Oda of Japan won the men’s event, and American teenager Adam Rippon placed third to bolster his bid to make the U.S. team going to the Vancouver Olympics.

Oda was second after the short program but overtook former European champion Tomas Verner of Czech Republic with a flawless performance in the free skate. He won with a total of 242.53 points, Verner finished with 229.96 and Rippon had 219.96.

Kim, who won in Paris three years ago, started with a perfect triple lutz-triple toeloop combination and was flawless on the rest of the way while seducing the audience with her expressiveness.

“I’m trying to express the music itself,” Kim said. “And I love the music and this program.”

The 19-year-old will now be focusing on the Olympics, where she will be a huge favorite.

“I’ve been watching the Olympics on TV since 1998,” she said. “In Torino (in 2006), I was too young to compete. If I have the chance to go there, I will certainly be nervous, but I did great last season and I’m off to a good start to this season, so I feel pretty confident.”

Rippon, a 19-year-old American, also has his eyes on Vancouver after receiving 144.14 points for his free skate program, approaching his personal best of 147.70.

“It wasn’t my best, but it was strong, and to be able to medal in such a deep field with so many great and strong skaters is very rewarding,” said Rippon, the two-time world junior champ whose season last year was hampered by a midyear coaching switch.

“Going into this Grand Prix, I wanted to show everyone in the U.S. that I can be one of those three men going to Vancouver.”

Rippon moved to Canada in January to train with Brian Orser, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medallist.

“Working with Brian is a pleasure,” he said. “He is a great coach and a mentor. I’m excited to go home and continue working with him. I still have a lot of things to improve.”

European bronze medalists Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov of Russia, who were second after the short program, overtook defending world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany in the free skate to win the pairs event with 192.93 points.

Savchenko and Szolkowy finished third with 174.42 points behind Canadian pair Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, who totaled 180.97.

In the ice dance, world bronze medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada dominated the competition, finishing first in the compulsory program, the original dance and the free dance.

Virtue and Moir won with a total of 197.71 ahead of French pair Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, who received 181.64.

British siblings Sinead Kerr and John Kerr were third with 177.11.