Oh, Canada, What A Start!

Canadian skating fans couldn’t have asked for a better start for the gang in red and white at the world championships in Tokyo.
Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon hold the lead after today’s compulsory dance (the Rhumba). The Montrealers posted a score of 38.96 points, and hold a 1.54-point lead over reigning world champions Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria (37.42). Packed tightly behind them are Russia’s Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin (37.29), European champs Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder (37.20), and Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto of the U.S. (37.17).
“We are the world champions of the Rhumba,” exclaimed a happy Dubreuil after their winning compulsory.
The result is significant for two reasons: Dubreuil and Lauzon didn’t win the compulsory at last year’s worlds in Calgary, and had to play catch up the rest of the way. And the final margin of victory for Denkova and Staviski (after the Canadians won the free dance) was a mere 0.45 points. So every point matters in what is shaping up as probably the tightest competition of these Tokyo worlds.
Also worth noting is the standing of Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. The duo from London, Ont., finished ninth in the Rhumba in their worlds debut. If they can stay in the top 10, Canada will again be able to send three ice dance teams to the 2008 worlds in Sweden.
Our third team in Tokyo, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, currently stand 18th. They’re also worlds rookies.
The original dance is Thursday and the free dance on Friday.