Belbin-Agosto lead in ice dance competition
By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports WriterArticle Photos
LAKE PLACID- World silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto easily won the compulsory dance portion of Skate America on Friday.
The Americans, who took the silver medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics, scored 39.28 points for the golden waltz on Friday. They were well ahead of Russia's Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski at 36.94.
The original dance is on Saturday and the free dance on Sunday.
The compulsory dance is usually something of a snoozer, but Belbin and Agosto made the audience - and judges - take notice.
Belbin couldn't have been happier with her outfit, called Tiffany Ribbon and provided by Designs to Shine, a ballroom costume company that supplies dresses for TV's "Dancing with the Stars." She changed costumes after the couple won Cup of China two weeks ago.
"This is a beautiful and regal dance and I wanted to have something special," Belbin said.
The turquoise dress, as ice dance costumes usually go, was noticeable for all the right reasons. She also sported faux diamond earrings given to her by a South Korean fan.
"There are some very friendly fans," she said with a laugh.
Belbin and Agosto are on pace to qualify for next month's Grand Prix Final in Tokyo. Another U.S. team, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, already is in the final, underlining the strength the Americans at last have in the discipline.
Khokhlova and Novitski scored a season best with their performance.
"That was a very good beginning," he said.
