By Canadian Press

Russian win rhythm dance to extend command at skating worlds

Mar 26, 2021 | 9:56 AM

STOCKHOLM — Russia extended its dominance at the World Figure Skating Championships on Friday when Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov took the rhythm dance.

Already, the Russians have won pairs — they almost always do — and have the lead in the women’s event. Sinitsina and Katsalapov were in front of U.S. champions Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue by 2.10 points, with fellow Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates exactly three points behind the leaders.

Piper Gilles of Toronto and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., were fourth. Montreal’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen were seventh, while Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Saint-Hubert, Que., were 14th.

The Russians flowed melodically through their “Singin’ in the Rain” routine. They had upset four-time world winners Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France at last season’s European Championships, an event not held this year. Sinitsina and Katsalapov validated that result with their rhythm dance with 88.15 points

Hubbell and Donohue, fourth at the 2018 Olympics and winners of two world medals, came in with a personal best 86.05 to a mix of Christina Aguilera songs. He pumped his fist vigorously at the end of a strong program.

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Chock and Bates, two-time U.S. champions and Olympians and owners of two world medals, sizzled to Cole Porter’s “Too Darn Hot.” Their heat transferred to their marks, and their 85.15 points were good for third place heading into Saturday’s free dance.

“It was truly a difficult year,” Katsalapov said about pandemic-caused disruptions in the sport. “But we would love to forget about it as quickly as we can. Possibly it gave us some extra powers to activate what we couldn’t at the first half of the season.

“Now we both feel well and feel very satisfied with our short program. In general we showed what we can do, it was clean and soulful, very light.”

Only in the rhythm portion of ice dance, with the same required patterns for every couple, could the music range from Broadway to Bee Gees to Blues Brothers, from “Grease” to “The Greatest Showman.” Yet it somehow worked, whether it was the Russians or Americans, Canadians or Brits.

Another of the favourites, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin of Russia, struggled with some footwork and turns, finishing fifth.

Americans Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker were 11th.

Later Friday is the women’s free skate, with Anna Shcherbakova of Russia in the lead.

The Associated Press