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GOTEBORG, Sweden - Jeff Buttle was doing a lot of blushing Sunday.

The Canadian Press

reach for the top: Canada's Jeffrey Buttle from Smooth Rock Falls, Ont. salutes the crowd following his free program to win the gold medal in the men's competition at the World Figure Skating Champiomships in Goteborg, Sweden on Saturday.,

He was the centre of attention the day after winning world figure skating gold and the first 24 hours had been overwhelming, he said during an interview before getting back on the Scandinavium ice to close the exhibition gala.

"Everybody keeps calling me the world champion and I keep blushing at them," he said. "When they say that, I don't know how to react but I certainly like it, that's for sure."

He didn't produce a four-revolution quad jump, but he landed eight triple jumps and dazzled the packed arena with footwork and spins that were superior to anything his rivals could muster.

"I was so happy with how I skated," he said. "When I finished my program, I wasn't thinking about the title.

"I just thought, like, 'Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I just laid it down under that much pressure.' I was just really happy with that."

There was instant reaction from back home.

"When I got back to my hotel room, I had 40 messages on my phone," he said. "I was bombarded by calls."

There wasn't one from the prime minister, and he was glad for that.

"I would have felt terrible if the prime minister got my voicemail," he said.

He laughed.

He was laughing often Sunday.

Buttle's victory margin of nearly 14 points over runner-up Brian Joubert of France, the 2007 champion, was stunning, and he beat third-placed Johnny Weir of the United States by a whopping 23 points.

"It was a great win," he said. "It wasn't one of those questionable ones."

He had a moment of temptation during his Saturday morning practice.

"I noticed the other guys were doing quads and I really wanted to do one myself but I said, 'It's not in the program. Stick to your plan. Do what you do and do it well.'"

Buttle has been thrust into the spotlight.

"I'm ready for it," he says. "I certainly don't take this title and think, 'Okay, I've got it in the bag.'

"I certainly don't feel that way. All I can think is that I got this title without the quad. Think of what I could accomplish with it. So, I'll push myself in training and we'll just gain that much more focus."