GOYANG, South Korea — Daisuke Takahashi of Japan easily won the Four Continents skating competition today, with two-time U.S. champion Evan Lysacek finishing third.

Takahashi, the 2007 world silver medalist, broke the competition record by eight points with an almost flawless performance. Olympic bronze medalist Jeffrey Buttle of Canada was second. Lysacek was followed by two other Americans, Stephen Carriere and Jeremy Abbott.

In ice dancing, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada took the gold. Americans captured the silver and bronze — Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and Kimberly Naverro and Brent Bommentre.

The Four Continents ends Saturday, with Mao Asada of Japan leading the women's field. The competition, open to any non-European member nations of the International Skating Union, is a prep for next month's world championship in Sweden.

Takahashi led after the short program Wednesday and scored 175.84 points in the free skate to take his total score to 264.41. Buttle was second with 234.02 after scoring 150.17, and Lysacek third with 233.11 (149.05).

"I am so happy although I missed a triple loop," Takahashi said. "I felt full of confidence after the short program and I really enjoyed myself tonight."

Skating to Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet," he had an impressive triple axel, double toe loop and double loop.

Buttle, looking to recapture the form that won him the bronze in Turin, had an original and imaginative program to "Ararat." It was enough to squeeze him into second, less than a point above Lysacek.

"There is definitely room for improvement," Buttle said. "Last season was a struggle for me but I am in better shape and able to enjoy myself at the moment."

Lysacek, the defending Four Continents champion, fell during his opening quad, costing him a point.

"It was pretty bad," Lysacek said. "I've been training pretty well and it was much below what I've been doing in training. At least it can't get much worse for the worlds."