Davis, White retain Grand Prix ice dance crown

Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the ice dance crown at the ISU Grand Prix Final on Sunday as Scott Moir's fall in the short dance two days earlier proved costly to him and partner Tessa Virtue. The world?s top two ice dance couples skated to a virtual tie in the concluding free dance. America's Davis and White, the 2011 world titleholders, made it two in a row here. They also claimed the Final crown a year ago when Virtue was sidelined following surgery to both legs. Davis and White edged their rivals but just .05 in the free dance, but their total of 188.55 to 183.34 for Virtue and Moir told the tale. The Grand Prix Final title remains the only major honour that Canada?s 2010 Olympic and world champions have never won. French duo Natalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, the reigning European champions, claimed the bronze but were well back of the frontrunners with their 169.69 total. Performing to the fast-paced Strauss operetta Die Fledermaus, the Americans' sophisticated carriage and steps transported the audience back in time and place to Vienna in the 1800s. Meanwhile, Virtue and Moir channeled Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire in their routine set to the soundtrack from the 1957 movie Funny Face. Their movements and choreography were styled to reflect the golden age of musicals. Despite the complete contrast in styles, each couple enjoyed a thunderous ovation from the crowd. The rivals, who have trained together for eight years in Canton, Michigan, under the guidance of two Russian coaches, have cemented their status as the class of ice dance worldwide. Coincidently, the French also train in Michigan -- less than an hour?s drive away in Bloomfield Hills -- under the direction of a Russian and an Italian coach. The ice dance event brought the 2011 Grand Prix Final to a close. Canada?s Patrick Chan defended his title in the men?s event. Italian Carolina Kostner topped the women?s field for the first time and Germans Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy won their third Grand Prix Final title in pairs.