Americans take 2nd at Worlds

(LOS ANGELES) - Don't believe for a second that the Russians participating in the World Figure Skating Championships didn't know about their country's medals drought.

That drought ended Friday night with Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin's title in ice dancing. The nation that dominated the sport for decades had its first worlds medal since 2005.

"We try to not think about it too much because it's a way to lose," Shabalin said. "We are so tired. We gave all our emotion on the ice."

The passion and power of their free dance was just enough to hold off training mates Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, the 2006 Olympic silver medalists. Domnina and Shabalin finished with 206.30 points, 1.22 ahead of the Americans.

"We compete every day in Aston (Pa.), so it is not new to compete with them here," Shabalin said. "We are not close friends, but I hope we will (be)."

They certainly are close to each other competitively. And with Belbin-Agosto having switched to the same coaches, 1980 Olympic gold medalists Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov, their rivalry should continue right into the Vancouver Games next February.

"There were mixed emotions," Belbin said. "We train with them every day, so we certainly appreciate all their hard work and we can definitely see their qualities."

They could also see how their qualities were not as appreciated by the judges.

"We just wish we were not marked down on (a twizzle), from 4s to 3s. We don't know why," Belbin added.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada won the bronze medal, edging Meryl Davis and Charlie White by a mere 0.04 - a margin more appropriate for swimming than figure skating.

Earlier Friday, 18-year-old Kim Yu-na of South Korea, a two-time Grand Prix champion and world bronze medalist, built a stunning 8.2-point lead over Canada's Joannie Rochette with a 76.12 score, the best short program score ever for a woman. It had coach Brian Orser doing his own sort of triple jump - three leaps in the air, arms held high - when she finished.

"I probably got a plus-3 on that," Orser said. "I can't help myself, I am so excited and so proud for her."

Defending champ Mao Asada of Japan was third heading into Saturday's free skate.

The Americans almost certainly have too far to go to secure three spots in the Vancouver field. They need a combination finish equaling 13 or lower, but Rachael Flatt came in seventh Friday, and U.S. champion Alissa Czisny was 14th.

Domnina and Shabalin's best finish at worlds had been fifth place in 2007. They were heavily favored last year, but had to withdraw after he aggravated a knee injury.

Now the title is theirs. When their marks were posted, Shabalin grinned and pumped his fists.

"Now I feel great," he said.

The power was undeniable, evident in every lift, spin and step they did in their "Spartacus" dance. But this wasn't simple brute strength, it was combined with a grace and balance that made their lifts like a piece of performance art. Many were done with him on one skate; that alone is incredibly difficult, but she was also unassisted, meaning she was working just as hard as he was.

They had wonderful unison, looking like shadow images as they flew across the ice. And their expressions gave the perfect portrayal of "Spartacus."

Belbin and Agosto's second world silver medal - they also have two bronzes - is a testament to their talent. The five-time national champs switched coaches last April after a disappointing showing at worlds, where they failed to win a medal for the first time since 2004.

In December, Agosto herniated a disk in his back, forcing him off the ice for a month.

"It's been a very long and difficult road," he said. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We're so happy to have gotten through all of this."

Parts of Belbin and Agosto's "Tosca" program were incredibly powerful. Their lifts were intricate and difficult, breathing life into the century-old tale of angst and tortured love. They have focused on their skating skills since switching coaches, and the work showed in their superior speed and edge quality.

"We had so many changes, changing coaches, who changed everything about the way we perform. This program has allowed us to develop a new side of ourselves, a new and more mature sense," Agosto said. "It was amazing to compete it and to perform it."

But some twizzles were slightly off, some footwork was a touch too frantic. Enough to make a difference between gold and silver.

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