EVERETT — Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto won Sunday’s free dance segment, but it wasn’t enough to unseat France’s Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder for the ice dance title at Skate America.
Delobel and Schoenfelder, the reigning world champions, finished with 187.64 points, edging Belbin and Agosto with 186.53. Great Britain’s sister-brother duo of Sinead and John Kerr were third with 180.20.
The ladies free skate was scheduled for later Sunday.
Americans Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates, competing in their first senior international competition after winning the junior world title, were fourth with 175.66.
Belbin and Agosto, skating to “Tosca” by Puccini, won the free dance 91.43 to 90.89 over the French. But the 2006 Olympic silver medalists were too far behind after the compulsory and original dance portions, a strength for Delobel and Schoenfelder, competing in their 19th season together.
Their lengthy partnership showed in their seamless program and creative lifts, though they were penalized a point for one lift that was too long. They skated to Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky.”
Belbin and Agosto are competing for the first time since shaking up their careers by changing coaches and training base, now outside Philadelphia. They are five-time national champions, but are looking to improve on some disappointing international finishes since Turin.
“Since we’ve moved we’ve tried to make our whole skating process have a plan,” Belbin said. “This is the first step in this season, but at the same time it’s the first step toward the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games is everybody’s main goal.”
The next Olympics are in 2010 in Vancouver.
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