UPDATE: Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto took two big steps toward their fourth straight ice dancing title last night, winning both the compulsories and original dance to take a comfortable lead over fellow Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov at the US Figure Skating Championships at the Spokane Arena. Belbin and Agosto, who won the Olympic silver and world bronze medals last year, piled up 100.84 points to 91.10 for Gregory and Petukhov, who have been runners-up for the last three years. Sitting in third were Meryl Davis and Charlie White, freshmen at the University of Michigan who finally are making their senior debut after nine years together. They were second after the compulsories but dropped a place when White stumbled in the OD.

They're citizens of world

Belbin, Agosto still dancing

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto lead by almost 5 points after the compulsory dance competition. (ANN HEISENFELT/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

By John Powers

Globe Staff / January 24, 2007

E-mail|
Reprints|

Text size – +

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto look back on last year as a five-ringed roller-coaster ride -- an agonizing ascent, then a headlong rush, with a couple of global medals at the finish. (Full article: 808 words)