St. Cloud State goalie Mike Lee made 13 saves to help the United States open the world junior championship with a 7-3 victory over Slovakia in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. John Carlson, Jeremy Morin, Derek Stepan, Matt Donovan, Danny Kristo, Jordan Schroeder, and Jerry D’Amigo scored for the Americans. The US will play Switzerland today. In the opening Group B game in Saskatoon, Gabriel Bourque had three goals and four assists and five-time defending champion Canada romped to a 16-0 victory over Latvia. Nazem Kadri, Jordan Eberle, Patrice Cormier, Brandon Kozun, and Luke Adam each scored twice, and Travis Hamonic, Adam Henrique, and Brandon McMillan added goals. In Group B in Regina, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson had a goal and four assists in Sweden’s 10-1 victory over the Czech Republic. In the night game, Yevgeni Kuznetsov scored two goals in Russia’s 6-2 victory over Austria . . . The Providence Bruins lost to the host Lowell Devils, 5-1, getting their lone goal from Trent Whitfield.

Daisuke Takahashi won the Japan national figure skating championships in Osaka to secure a place in the Vancouver Olympics. Takahashi, who was first after the short program, was good enough to finish first with a total of 261.13 points. Takahashi stumbled on his opening quad toe loop and a triple loop later in his routine but finished 17 points ahead of Nobunari Oda. Oda, who has already secured a place in Vancouver, fell on his opening quad toe loop but was solid the rest of the way and finished second with 244.30 points. In the women’s short program, Mao Asada finished first to strengthen her chances of securing an Olympic berth. Asada received 69.12 points, ahead of Yukari Nakano, who was second with 68.90, with Miki Ando third with 68.68 . . . Lauren Cholewinski and Mitchell Whitmore won spots on the Olympic team in the 500 meters at the US Speedskating Championships in Kearns, Utah. Whitmore led the 500 after the first heat and won with a combined time of 70.6 seconds. He joins Tucker Fredricks, Shani Davis, and Nick Pearson, who already had qualified in the 500 for the US team. Cholewinski won the women’s title with a combined time of 72.21 seconds. She trailed Heather Richardson and two-time Olympian Jennifer Rodriguez after the first heat, but they already had qualified for Vancouver and did not skate in the second.

Police in Charlotte, N.C., say a man wanted for cyberstalking may be the same person pretending to be Carolina Panthers left tackle Travelle Wharton. A misdemeanor cyberstalking warrant was issued for Christon Brewer, who has lived in Charlotte and Monroe, N.C. The Panthers announced last week that a Wharton impostor defrauded a handful of people out of about $25,000 in bogus investment scams over the past year. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Sgt. Walter Bowling said Brewer used an alias of “Travelle Wharton’’ and is a “person of interest’’ relating to the impersonation investigation of the Panthers player . . . The Kansas City Chiefs placed safety DaJuan Morgan and linebacker Justin Rogers on injured reserve, replacing them with defensive tackle Derek Lokey and safety Ricky Price off the practice squad.

A crew member for Richard Childress Racing has died of complications from the H1N1 virus. Donald “DJ’’ Richardson died late Friday after a lengthy hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Richardson contracted H1N1 during a Thanksgiving visit to Massachusetts, and team officials say he had been hospitalized at Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster the entire time. The 37-year-old Richardson spent last season as a tire changer on Kevin Harvick’s crew. He began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999 and had previously worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Braun Racing . . . Kauto Star became the first horse to win the King George VI Chase in Kempton, England, for four straight years. The 9-year-old gelding was never challenged over the 3-mile jump course and jockey Ruby Walsh coasted over the last three fences. The 8-13 favorite equaled the four race wins of Desert Orchid . . . New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo maintained its overnight lead over British entry ICAP Leopard as the leading yachts in the Sydney-to-Hobart race made their way down the New South Wales state south coast.