Anna Cappellini and Luca Lonotte win ice dance title at figure skating worlds

SAITAMA, Japan – European champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy have captured the ice dance title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Japan.

Cappellini and Lanotte finished fourth in the free dance Saturday, but had a big enough lead from the short program to win with a total of 175.43 points.

Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont. were a very close second, just .02 points behind.

Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France were third on 175.37 points.

Russia’s Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov finished first in the free dance to move up to fourth place overall with 174.38 points.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont finished in eighth spot overall with 153.86 points, while Alexandra Paul of Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam of Barrie, Ont. finished 10th with 148.76 points.

Defending champions and Olympic gold medallists Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States did not compete.

The world championships conclude later Saturday with the free skate in the women’s competition.