Canadian pair finishes seventh after free skate

SAITAMA, JAPAN Canada’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro finished seventh in pairs Thursday at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Moore-Towers, of St. Catharines, Ont., and Marinaro, of Sarnia, Ont., scored 126.94 points in the free skate for a total of 200.02 points.

They had notched 73.08 points Wednesday in the short program to enter Thursday’s competition in fifth spot.

“It wasn’t our day, I suppose, we’re not really sure,” said Moore-Towers. “We were so prepared. Our mindset was perfect all week. We were so ready and excited. Our warm-up was perfect. Unfortunately it didn’t work out.”

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han scored 234.84 for gold. Russian skaters took silver and bronze with Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov scoring 228.47 followed by Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert at 217.98.

Evelyn Walsh, of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, of Trenton, Ont., were 12th in their worlds debut.

“We’re very pleased we delivered our best,” said Walsh.

Defending men’s champion Nathan Chen upstaged two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu to lead the short program.

Chen performed a lively program that featured a triple Axel, quad Lutz and quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination for a season-best 107.40 points.

American teammate Jason Brown was second with 96.81 points after a routine that included a triple flip, triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe loop.

Coming back from a four-month absence because of injury, Hanyu showed some rustiness in his opening jump, a double Salchow instead of a planned quad. He finished third with 94.87 points.

Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, of Toronto, was 13th and Keegan Messing, of Sherwood Park, Alta., was 14th.