Figure Skating: US ice dancers reclaim world crown

LONDON, Canada: Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White reclaimed the world ice dance title from Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir for the second time on Saturday at the World Figure Skating Championships.

The US victory, completed by winning Saturday's free skate final, signaled that the great rivalry between the training partner duos, both now two-time world champions, will continue through the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Davis and White led wire to wire, earning 112.44 points for their Notre-Dame de Paris free skate routine and, combined with their short dance triumph, were given a total of 189.56 from the judges.

Virtue and Moir, who captured 2010 Winter Olympic gold at Vancouver, scored 111.17 points for their sultry Carmen interpretation to total 185.04 overall.

The arch-rivals have traded places on the top step of the winner's podium three times since Virtue and Moir first won the global title in 2010.

Top honours went to Davis and White in 2011 and then back to the Canadians last year as they have kept a lock on the top two spots since 2010 and were well ahead of the rest of the field.

Russians Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev were third coming into the final and held the position with a final total of 169.19.

Italians Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte were fourth with 168.04 while the second Canadian couple, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, finished fifth on 166.20.

Results from the competition determine how many entries each nation will be allowed for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Canada, the United States and Russia took the maximum three Sochi berths as a result of their ice dancers' finish. (AFP)