Canadian favourites Duhamel, Radford take commanding lead in pairs at figure skating worlds

SHANGHAI — Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford skated a flawless short program Wednesday to take a big lead in the pairs event on the opening day of the world figure skating championships.

The duo, undefeated in five international competitions this season, scored 76.98 points to take a four-point lead over Chinese veterans Pang Qing and Tong Jian, competing in their 16th world championships.

The Chinese pair of Sui Wenjing and Han Cong were third.

In ice dance, Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje find themselves in a familiar spot after the short dance.

The Waterloo, Ont., skaters are second by less than two points behind Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates — the same spot Weaver and Poje found themselves at last month’s ISU Four Continents competition, before they roared back to win.

“That’s been the story of our career, but you know what, that’s what’s made us so strong,” Weaver said. “We know that we can push through anything.”

Defending world champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy are third.

Weaver and Poje, silver medallists at last year’s world championships, were the favourites coming into Shanghai having won all five international events they competed in this season, including the Grand Prix Final and Four Continents championships.

“We’ve had the weight a little bit this whole season and we put it on ourselves,” Weaver said. “Regardless of the result right now, we’re so happy with how we’ve been able to shoulder that pressure and funnel it into the performance.”

Weaver and Poje are confident in their free dance.

“Historically it’s our strength,” Weaver said. “But every competition is a new ball game and we have to go out there and fight, and that’s what our career’s been all about, and that’s our comfort zone.”

It’s made for another Canada-U.S. rivalry in ice dance. Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who are taking this season off, battled American Meryl Davis and Charlie White for years, swapping spots on the Olympic and world championship podium.

— With files from The Canadian Press