Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) Olympic silver medalists Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China won their fifth pairs title in the 2011 Four Continent Figure Skating Championships Friday with a convincing victory.
The 2010 world champions had a season-best 128.04 points Friday night in the free skating category for a total of 199.45 points to win the prestigious event after previous victories in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2009.
The Chinese pair also led the short program Thursday with 71.41 points.
Tong told reporters that the duo were happy with the win despite committing some errors and their next goal would be to win the World Championships next month, to be held in Nagano, Japan.
Canadian duo Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford were second with a total of 181.79 points after finishing second in the long program while compatriots Paige Lawrence and Rudy Swiegers were third with 171.73 points despite finishing fourth in the long program.
Daisuke Takahashi of Japan, the 2010 world champion, enjoyed a comfortable lead in the men's short program with 83.49 points. Jeremy Abbott of the Unites States was second with 76.73 points while Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu was third with 72.71 points.
Takahiko Kozuka, who beat Takahashi in last year's Japan national championship, finished a disappointing sixth with 66.25 points.
Takahashi said the setback at home last year motivated him to be more dedicated to the sport so he could be in peak form at the World Championships.
(By Chris Wang) enditem/ls