SHANGHAI (AP) β Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates took the lead in ice dancing at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday with a career-best score in the short dance.
Chock and Bates, the reigning U.S. champions, scored 74.47 to outpace Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada in second and defending world champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy in third.
Chock and Bates are attempting to become just the second American ice dancers to win gold at the world championships after Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who took the title in 2011 and 2013.
Weaver and Poje were the favorites coming into Shanghai having won all five international events they competed in this season, including the Grand Prix Finals and Four Continents Championships.
