China's two-times world champions Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao stole the show in the second-to-last skate to lead after the pairs' short program on the opening day of the World Figure Skating Championships.
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| Canadian skater Marie-France Dubreuil, right, and her partner, Patrice Lauzon, compete in the compulsory ice dance at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships on Tuesday at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO |
The Olympic bronze medalists, who have missed the last two championships because of Zhao's injuries, executed a near flawless routine to "Romanza" by Bacarisse on Tuesday evening and scored 71.07 points to beat their previous personal best of 70.52.