GOTEBORG, Sweden — Olympic bronze medalist Jeffrey Buttle and Johnny Weir skated flawless short programs at the World Figure Skating Championships today, while the last two title winners fumbled or fell.

Buttle skated impeccably, landing a gorgeous triple flip-triple toe loop combination and scoring top levels for all of his spins. With a total score of 82.10, the Canadian is 1.31 points ahead of Weir, the three-time U.S. champion. Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, the defending silver medalist and the most consistent of the top men this year, is a close third at 80.49.

Two-time world champion Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland is fifth and defending champ Brian Joubert of France is sixth.

"I felt so comfortable out there. I felt like I couldn't make a mistake," said Buttle, who was slowed by a back injury last season and is trying to regain the form that won him the bronze at the Turin Olympics.

Weir's triple lutz-triple toe combination was sky high, and his footwork and spins got the crowd behind him. Ever the showman, Weir knew he'd done well, giving his fists a little shake at his sides when he finished.

"I feel very good. I think I've done everything I can this season," said Weir, who actually tied Evan Lysacek at the U.S. championships in January but was bumped down to second on the tiebreak.

This event brought the first good news all week for the Americans. Stephen Carriere, last year's junior world champion, is in 11th and Jeremy Abbott is 14th. If they hold or better those positions in today's long program, the United States will keep their three spots at next year's all-important world championships in Los Angeles.

Results at the 2009 worlds determine how many entries countries get at the Vancouver Olympics, and the Americans have already lost one of their spots in the women's competition next year.

With Lysacek dropping out last week because of a fluke injury, there was even more pressure on Weir to deliver. But Weir wasn't paying any attention to it.

"No. It's not the most important thing for me. Even if there are only two spots, as long as one is mine, that's OK," he said.

Takahashi, a favorite for the gold after winning the Four Continents title last month, appeared as a goth black swan in a crowd-pleasing hip-hop version of "Swan Lake" that features moves ready for any Tokyo club floor. His artistic scores were slightly higher than the leaders.

He had a nice triple flip-triple toe combination, but he touched down on his triple axel.

European champion Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic is in fourth, once again finishing ahead of the last two world champions. Lambiel, the Swiss star who won in 2005 and '06, is fifth after touching down on two jumps. Joubert, who has missed most of the season with a strength-sapping virus, fell on a triple lutz and is in sixth.