America's Evan Lysacek begins celebrating before ending his final spin at the World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles tonight. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong.)

America's Evan Lysacek, with a picture-perfect free skate reminiscent of his inspiring U.S. Championships performance in Spokane two years ago, came from behind to win the men's title in the World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles tonight.

Lysacek, trailing 2007 World Champion Brian Joubert of France by 1.70 points entering the free skate, laid down a perfect routine worth 159.53 points, to the delight of a Staples Center crowd in his adopted home town of L.A.

It was the best free-skate performance of the night -- by 8 points. His total, 242.23, launched him into first ahead of Joubert, who finished third, 6.26 points back, and silver medalist Patrick Chan of Canada, who finished 4.65 points behind Lysacek.

Joubert, skating last, immediately after the top U.S. skater, skated cleanly through the first two thirds of a program that appeared flat compared with Lysacek's. He appeared to run out of gas near the end, turning a planned triple Salkow into a double Axel, which he botched badly and fell, splaying out face first onto the ice.

Lysacek reportedly skated with a badly injured foot, perhaps with a stress fracture.

The win for the U.S. broke a record drought for the country at the Worlds. No U.S. man had held the title since Todd Eldredge in 1996. Chicago native Lysacek, 23, had medaled in the event twice previously, winning bronze in 2005 in Moscow and 2006 in Calgary. He had been ranked seventh in the world before the competition, after a season in which he stumbled badly and lost his title at the national championships in January.

"I wasn't even thinking about medaling," Lysacek told the crowd after the event. "I just wanted to skate well for my hometown crowd."

America's two World Championship rookies, Brandon Mroz and Jeremy Abbott, finished 9th and 11th, respectively.

Lysacek's win is a major boost to U.S. Figure Skating hopes entering the preparation period for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Lysacek skated well on the Olympic ice at the Pacific Coliseum in the Four Continents Championships last month, finishing second to Canada's 18-year-old star, Chan.